Editor's Note: This article is based on a recent Substack Live conversation with Robyn Levin of Finding Your Edge about the fastest way to grow on Substack isn't publishing more alone. It's building relationships and creating assets with other people.
One of the biggest mistakes I see creators make on Substack is trying to do everything themselves.
→ They write alone.
→ Publish alone.
→ Promote alone.
→ Grow alone.
And then wonder why growth feels slow.
In this week’s live, Robyn Levin from Finding Your Edge and I discussed something I believe is one of the most overlooked growth strategies on the platform:
Collaboration.
Not because it’s trendy and not because everyone else is doing it, but because it works.
Collaboration Creates Leverage
One of the biggest benefits of collaboration is that you’re no longer relying only on your own audience.
When you collaborate with another creator:
You’re introduced to a new audience.
You borrow trust.
You increase visibility.
You create more opportunities.
As I shared during the live, you can try to grow alone or you can grow together and often much faster.
The key is making it easy for someone to say yes.
Don’t just send a message saying:
“Want to collaborate?”
→ Show them the idea.
→ Show them the overlap.
→ Show them the benefit.
Have a plan.
One Piece of Content Can Become Many
Another topic we discussed was repurposing content.
Most creators spend hours creating something and then promote it once.
Then move on.
However every article.
→ Every live.
→ Every interview.
→ Every collaboration.
Is an asset.
One live can become:
An article
Several Notes
Multiple clips
A cross-post
Future collaborations
Content for weeks
The goal isn’t creating more content.
The goal is getting more value from the content you’ve already created.
Why I Love Cross-Posting
Cross-posting might be one of the most underrated features on Substack.
→ Instead of duplicating content, one creator publishes the original piece while the other creator cross-posts it to their audience with additional context.
This creates:
More reach
More visibility
Less duplicated work
Stronger partnerships
And most importantly:
It helps readers discover creators they may never have found otherwise.
Community Matters
We also talked about a feature I recently launched inside Unstuck to Published:
→ The Community Chat.
I created it because I wanted paid subscribers to have a central place to:
Ask questions
Get support
Share their work
Connect with other likeminded creators and writers
The reality is that building a publication can feel lonely.
Community changes that.
→ Sometimes the fastest answer doesn’t come from me.
→ Sometimes another creator in the room already knows the answer.
That’s the power of community.
The Real Lesson
The more time I spend on Substack, the more convinced I become of one thing:
Growth isn’t just about publishing.
It’s about relationships.
The people you meet.
The conversations you have.
The collaborations you create.
The communities you build.
Every collaboration is a seed.
Some grow into subscribers.
Some grow into partnerships.
Some grow into friendships.
And some grow into opportunities you never saw coming. ←
Watch the replay above as Robyn and I discuss collaboration, cross-posting, Notes, community building, and some of the strategies we’re actively using to grow on Substack.
In This Replay
Robyn Levin from Finding Your Edge and I discuss:
✓ How to find collaboration partners on Substack.
✓ Why collaborations help creators grow faster.
✓ The difference between restacking, quoting, and cross-posting.
✓ How to turn one article or live into multiple pieces of content.
✓ Why Notes are one of the most powerful discovery tools on Substack.
✓ How I recently launched the Unstuck to Published community chat.
✓ The role community plays in long-term publication growth.
✓ Practical ways to increase visibility without publishing more articles.
Whether you’re brand new to Substack or trying to grow an existing publication, you’ll walk away with several ideas you can implement immediately.
Resources From This Conversation
If today’s conversation sparked ideas about visibility, storytelling, collaboration, community, or promoting your own work, here are a few resources worth exploring:
Follow Robyn Levin at Finding Your Edge →
If you’re interested in building your brand story, using PR strategically, or learning how to position yourself as an expert in your field, I highly recommend following Robyn Levin’s publication.
Book a 1:1 Session with Jess to build your publication together →
Join Jess’s From Unstuck to Published live workshop tomorrow, Saturday June 13th at 10am ET →
The Ultimate Playbook for Going Live on Substack →
Cross-Posting Article →
If You’re Getting Ready to Open Your Paid Tier →
Thank You
Thank you so much for everyone who tuned into this live, your presence is truly appreciated, and to the people who are watching the replay, thank you!
See you next Friday at 12pm ET for our weekly show, stay tuned!
-Jess, The Creator & Robyn Levin
