The Publication Audit Checklist I Use With Every Client

Before you focus on growth make sure to audit your foundation.

One of the most common mistakes I see from new creators is assuming they have a growth problem.

They think they need:

• More subscribers

• More Notes

• More recommendations

• More articles

• More visibility

Sometimes that’s true.

Most of the time, it isn’t.

Most creators don’t have a growth problem.

They have a clarity problem.

→ A positioning problem.

→ A conversion problem.

→ A foundation problem.

Every week, I review Substack publications from creators who feel stuck.

→ Some have been publishing for months.

→ Some haven’t launched yet.

→ Some have hundreds of subscribers.

→ Others have fewer than ten.

Regardless of where they are in the journey, I find myself asking the same questions:

→ Can a reader understand this publication quickly?

→ Can they tell who it’s for?

→ Can they tell why it exists?

→ Can they tell why they should subscribe?

The creators who grow the fastest aren’t always the best writers.

They’re often the clearest.

Inside this article, I’m sharing the exact audit framework I use when reviewing client publications before launch.

→ Open your publication in another tab.

→ Work through each section honestly.

→ And pay attention to the areas where you hesitate.

Those are usually the places creating the most friction.