How to get the most out of Substack

June 21, 2024

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How to get the most out of Substack

Substack is newer to many of our readers, so we put together this handy 101 in case you have questions. Below are a few of the ways we recommend using the platform to get the most out of it as a reader and community member.

Receiving emails or new posts from the Substack writer(s) you follow

If you are on Substack, you likely know it’s a combination of a blog, newsletter, and social media. But unlike a traditional newsletter, you don’t need to be signed up to receive it. If you don’t allow emails, then you can only see the newsletters in the Substack app or website.

👉🏼 Tip: If you want to receive the newsletters in your email, here’s what to do:

Check your Settings on the Substack App

If you have the Substack app installed, head to the Notifications section in your Settings.

If you have “Smart Notifications” selected, this means that you’ll primarily receive push notifications about new posts in the app and may receive email newsletters if you haven’t opened the Substack app in a while.

Prefer to receive new posts via email and the Substack app? Select the “In email and app” option.

If you’d prefer to only receive posts via email, select “Only in email”.
If you don’t have the Substack app, you can go to settings on the Substack website. From there, choose “notifications” to see which emails you are signed up to receive.

⭐ You can also find more info in this Substack article if this doesn’t work.

Reading content from Substack using the app

One of the easiest ways to read content from Substack is by using the Substack app. The app shows you the newest posts of the publications you subscribe to—in the order in which they appear and not based on any kind of algorithm.

⭐ The app also allows you to save, comment, like, and forward posts. These actions are incredibly powerful for the writers you subscribe to. We’ll say more about them in the next sections, but please use them generously to help spread awareness of any posts that speak to you.

Becoming an active part of The Midst’s Substack community

Each Substack is a private community for its subscribers, which is such a cool feature. Here are some ways you can interact with the writer(s) and other members of a Substack community:

Commenting on posts

You can comment on a Substack post by either clicking the “leave a comment”-button that many newsletters/posts include or by clicking on the little speech button at the bottom of a newsletter or post, whether you’re reading via email or in the app.

👉🏼 Comments are a way to share your thoughts on a particular post and can also spark conversations with other readers and/or the writer(s) on the Substack.

👉🏼 Unlike many other places on the Internet, comments on Substack tend to be kind and friendly. Usually, only subscribers can comment on posts, and sometimes, only paid subscribers can comment.

👉🏼 If you don’t want to comment but enjoyed the content, you can always “love” the post by clicking the little heart at the bottom of the post.

Restacking posts

If you’d like to share a post or note with your subscribers, you can “restack” and start a new conversation in the Home feed.

👉🏼 You can restack posts with or without a note.

👉🏼 You can also highlight a particular part of a post, and an option to either “share quote” or “restack quote” will appear.

⭐ Here is a little more information on what a restack on Substack is.

Participating in chats

Chats are private to subscribers of a particular Substack and can be restricted to paid subscribers only.

Usually, Substacks will have a header for chats on their home page like this:

You can scroll through any of the topics in Substack’s chat area by clicking on the link.

The chat area is a great way to engage in conversations with folks in the community. It’s a place to ask and answer questions about the topic of the Substack or just to add your commentary.

👉🏼 Anyone can start a chat thread if the Substack allows it. So, if you have a topic or question you’d like to add to a Substack chat, just click the “Start a New Thread” button.

👉🏼 Here is a more robust overview of participating in Substack chats.

👉🏼 Here is a direct link to The Midst’s chat area.

Subscription types

Substack offers readers the ability to follow or subscribe to a publication. Paid subscriptions allow writers on Substack to spend more time and energy on their writing—and they allow readers to pay for the content that they value. You can choose to support writers you enjoy on a monthly or annual basis. You can always change your subscription from free to paid and vice versa at any point.

👉🏼 Here is a link to The Midst’s subscription page.

👉🏼 This Substack article also offers more information on changing your subscription type.

⭐ Substack’s business model relies on paid subscriptions: they take 10% of every paid subscription.

The Midst community

While all Substacks are different, at The Midst, we are working to build a vibrant community of and for women in their 40s, 50s, and beyond. Our articles, newsletters, and chat space are meant to offer a place for women to connect for information, support, and friendship and to know they aren’t going through these experiences alone. We do our best to feature a variety of voices and viewpoints from real women and their life experiences. We’d love to have you join us.

You can scroll through any of the topics in Substack’s chat area by clicking on the link.

The chat area is a great way to engage in conversations with folks in the community. It’s a place to ask and answer questions about the topic of the Substack or just to add your commentary.

Anyone can start a chat thread if the Substack allows it. So, if you have a topic or question you’d like to add to a Substack chat just click the “Start a New Thread” button.
Here is a more robust overview of participating in Substack chats.

⭐ Here is a direct link to The Midst’s chat area.