how to start making money on Substack

what am I going to tell you?

~ about a 4 minute read

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let me say this right now - if you are here because you are looking to see how to make 6 figures a year from Substack, please, turn away now. I make $716 a year (it actually just went up to $778!) from Substack and it ain’t enough to live on or change my lifestyle. however, it has been empowering to, a) ask for money for my work and writing, and b) GET MONEY for my work and writing.

so what you want to focus on instead of, how much, is, what limiting beliefs am I setting aside when asking to be paid?

in this world everything is about money but in actuality, nothing is about money. we all need money yes yes, but the answers don’t lie in money itself; they lie in the beliefs behind money. if it really was all about money the rich would chill and stop grabbing for more and more.

I know lots of people that have more than enough and still have scarcity mindsets - they feel they don’t have enough and that everyone is coming for what they do have. others I know have not much and their energy is one of wealth and abundance. and vice versa. it’s not about what you have - it’s about your mindset. asking for money on substack has helped me with this mindset.

since the below note, lots of people have DM’d me asking, ‘how did you do it?’ but I NEVER thought I would make money here. for 18 months I wrote to crickets. but that’s how I know I love it.

firstly, do something that no one sees; that doesn’t pay you. how does it feel? do you still love it? do you still do it? this is the most important thing.

but as I said, getting paid has been luxurious. I can say I am a paid writer! strangers are willing to pay for my words! it’s definitely not nothing.

wealth work is trauma work. when we work through our money issues (scarcity, insecurity, money = worth, etc) we heal a lot of trauma; ancestral trauma as well. to earn money off your own back is thrilling. it has helped me realise that it is possible. it’s helped me see a little as a lot. it’s made me feel like a hustler - in the best way.

so many people will tell you it’s a fool’s errand; doing what you love doesn’t make you any money. I get it. it is a fool’s errand to chase dreams. but what can I tell you? the fool jumps off the edge of the world and believes something will catch her and at the end of her journey, she finds she has become the world.

so here are my 4 tips on how to start making money on Substack.

1. get over yourself and turn paid on. the first thing you need to get past is yourself. I ummmed and ahhhed for ages about turning on paid. mostly because I was embarrassed to even ask for money. who do I think I am? people will think, who does she think she is? all that stuff that goes round in one’s head. but the thing is, people can choose wherever they want to put their money and if they choose to put it in your back pocket, then cool. but if you don’t ask in the first place, the light is always red.
   this is what I’ve learnt - beauty is in the eye of the beholder. what I mean by this is, have you ever had a friend tell you their man is gorgeous then you meet him and think humf. not for you? it’s the same with money. some people may think it’s absurd to support your writing but others will think it’s gorgeous and spend. so turn paid on. you have nothing to lose but you do have a couple of bucks to win. maybe more. be the joyous naive fool and jump.

   

   say fuck it and do it

2. use another source for donations/coffee/dinner etc. I have a donation button at the end of each post and this has made me some nice money. it’s nice for people to read a piece and if that really resonates with them, to show their support by donation/buying you a coffee or dinner even! it’s a nice way for people to say thank you without having to commit to monthly payments. I use ko-fi and I also use it for my tarot readings. a third party for payment can be used for multiple things and it’s another option for bringing in some money.

3. keep going and be consistent. this tip comes up for everything I talk about. I could have given up so many times with this substack. even 18 months in (even now) I have moments of, what is the point? but that’s why you have to love it. it has to be heart lead because only your heart can keep it beating. if I had jumped off I never would have made it this far, with 3300 subscribers and getting paid to write. so you need to keep going. you need to keep going when you feel like shit because it’s easy to keep going when you feel good and everything is going well, but pushing through when you don’t; when engagement lags (because it will), will show the universe you are in it with heart and courage. as a great friend told me, luck is just opportunity meeting consistency.

4. adjust your expectations. the thing is this; you will think when you get to this many subscribers or you get paid this many dollars that it will all get easier and feel good all the time. it doesn’t. the line keeps moving. so equate your worth to the writing and the doing and the setting it free into the world. it’s so much harder said than done and we all care about being validated by others, myself included, but it is a battle you will never win; what goes up must come down. you will soar and then you will fall. there is no way around this so let your own validation be enough.

all my love xox

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*You can book your own personal tarot read @ tarotwithhannah111@gmail.com