This Substack Naming Mistake Is Costing You Subscribers (Fix It in 5 Minutes)
Why your profile name and publication name should never do the same job.
Your Substack can be good……and still make people hesitate.
Why?
Because when someone lands on your page, they’re trying to figure out two things immediately:
→ Who is this?
→ What is this?
And if your profile name and publication name sound like the same thing—you’ve already made them work too hard.
People don’t subscribe when they’re confused.
They hesitate and hesitation kills momentum.
The Mistake You're Probably Making
Most creators accidentally turn their Substack into a puzzle.
Not because they’re bad writers and not because they’re doing anything “wrong.”
But, because they unknowingly blend two completely different identities:
→ The person. (them)
→ The thing they built. (their publication)
And once those blur together…people have to stop and think.
That tiny pause?
That’s friction.
And friction slows everything:
Subscriptions.
Recognition.
Trust.
Discoverability.
What This Looks Like In Real Life
You land on a Substack.
You see:
Sarah Jones
Cool.
Then underneath:
Sarah Jones
And your brain immediately does this:
Wait.
Who is Sarah?
Is Sarah the creator?
The publication?
A business?
A personal newsletter?
Fitness?
Writing?
What exactly am I subscribing to?
That tiny moment where your brain has to solve the page?
That’s the problem.
You never want readers working.
You want instant understanding.
The Thing Most People Miss
Substack isn’t one thing.
It’s two.
And both have different jobs.
Your Profile Name = YOU!!
This is your identity.
This is the person readers follow.
This is the name people search. ←
This is the person showing up in comments, Notes, collaborations, and conversations.
This is the author of the articles.
This is your profile name highlighted in turquoise. This is the person readers follow and recognize across Substack.
Examples:
Jessica Drapluk
This helps people:
Remember you. ←
Recognize you. ←
Find you later. ←
Connect your work together. ←
Think here: Who is speaking?
Your Publication Name = THE THING YOU BUILT!!
This isn’t you.
This is the publication.
This answers: What is this?
This is the publication name highlighted in turquoise. This tells people what they’re subscribing to.
Examples:
This helps people understand:
What this is.
Who it’s for. ←
Why it exists.
Why they should care. ←
Think here: What did this person build?
Where Things Break
Most beginners accidentally reverse these, or duplicate both.
Wrong Example 1:
Profile name:
My Fitness Journey Newsletter
Publication name:
Sarah Jones
Or, Wrong Example 2:
Profile name:
Sarah Jones
Publication name:
Sarah Jones
Now someone lands and thinks: Wait.
Who is Sarah?
And what exactly is Sarah?
When your profile and publication become the same thing, readers lose the plot fast. See my publication name highlighted in blue is now my profile name, which is incorrect. My profile name here should be Jess, The Creator.
The Simple Rule
Use this:
→ Profile Name = Person (you)
→ Publication Name = Product (the publication)
That’s it!!
2 Examples:
→ Profile name: Jessica Drapluk
→ Publication name: Unstuck to Published
→ Profile name: Jess, The Creator
→ Publication name: Unstuck to Published
Creator → Person. Jess, The Creator ←
Publication → Product. Unstuck to Published ←
Why This Tiny Change Matters
This tiny change matters because readers need two answers immediately:
Who are you?
What is this?
When both answers happen instantly:
Your page feels easier to understand.
People recognize you faster.
Trust builds faster.
Subscriptions become easier.
Because now nobody is solving a puzzle.
Your 5-Minute Assignment
Open your Substack publication.
Look at:
Your profile name.
Your publication name.
Ask yourself:
→ Do these serve two completely different jobs?
If not—that’s your fix and it takes less than five minutes.
If You’re Stuck Right Now
Most creators think they need:
Better content.
More growth strategies.
More systems.
But often?
They just need stronger foundations.
→ You’re the person.
→ Your publication is the product.
Treat them differently because if people have to work to understand your page—they usually won’t.
If you want to structure your Substack from scratch—with clarity and a solid foundation intact from day one:
Get my Build Your Substack The Right Way From Day One Blueprint
Thank you for being here. I truly appreciate you.
— Jessica
Move first. Refine second. Publish with structure.
My publication name is about the one thing I did right. Lol
Jess! There are 17 Sarah Jones. Which is the one you are recommending? I subscribed to all 17 just in case. I must know the secrets of the Sarah Jones society.