You’ve published thirty posts. Your subscriber count barely moved. So you assumed Substack doesn’t work for people like you. One Post Can Change Your Substack shows you what those thirty posts were missing and how to fix it in the next one.
I’ve gained 8,000 subscribers in the past 18 months.
Most advice tells you to add more. More storytelling. More strategy. More effort. But I’ve discovered the real secret is removing those silent killers which hold your writing back.
Once I made my writing easier to read and harder to ignore. People started devouring my writing. 9 mistakes are quietly wrecking your growth. Cut them, and your writing finally gets the clarity, traction, and trust it deserves.
Let’s dive in.
I messed up a post with this headline:
You’ll Get More Readers If You Tell Them These 4 Things
The response what poor. Because the title was vague. Guess what the post was about?
How to write better headlines. (Oh, the irony.) People clicked, realised it wasn’t what they expected, and bounced.
A better headline?
You’ll Get More Readers If Your Title Reveals These 4 Things
Don’t be clever. Be clear.
Clarity wins clicks and readers.
A UK government department can help your writing. Seriously.
The Behavioural Insights Team (aka the Nudge Unit) discovered that small bits of friction stop people in their tracks.
Examples:
Remove one line from a form — more people complete it.
Put text in the body of an email instead of an attachment — more people read it.
Same rule applies to your writing.
Remove friction. Long paragraphs are a big offender. They make people bail. A wall of text is exactly that: a wall. So break it up. Think 1/3/1 or just chop it in half.
I stick to four-line max paragraphs and sprinkle one-liners like confetti.
Easy to read = actually gets read.
Here’s the typical Substacker approach when writing a post:
Check out this article…Please buy my product…You must share this post…Don’t forget to comment…Subscribe now…Oh here’s another post for you to read
Can you spot the mistake?
Marketing research shows offering more choices gets fewer responses. When people are overwhelmed. They do nothing. Cluttering your post with requests distracts your readers and stops then engaging with your content.
So here’s the fix.
If you want more action delete every ask except one. Pick the ask with the highest value to you. Then use a power-packed sentence to persuade readers to take action. (I give tons of examples here).
Use one smart sentence to promote one key action.
Adverbs weaken your writing and clog your sentences.
Words like very, really, probably? Delete them. They dilute your message. Instead, swap the adverb–verb combo for one strong verb:
He ran quickly becomes he dashed
She spoke softly becomes she whispered or she mumbled
One strong word beats two flimsy ones.
Spot them. Cut them. Power up your prose.
Make your writing dynamic by making it shorter.
That used to say: You can make your writing more dynamic if you make it shorter.
8 words > 12. More fizz. Less fog.
Trim your sentences. Rephrase with fewer words. Cut fluff like:
in my opinion
on reflection
it seems to me
Watch for lines that repeat each other — pick one and delete the rest.
Less clutter = more punch.
Clichés lose their power the more they’re used.
They fade into background noise. You don’t need to ditch the idea, just refresh the language. I help writers grow online. But everyone says “build an audience.” It’s tired. So I swap in fresher phrases:
Find loyal readers
Attract the right people
Grow a group of true fans
Keep your radar up for clichés. Update them. Surprise your reader.
That’s how you stand out.
Most writers need to make their words hit harder.
When I edit, I hunt for limp words, then use a thesaurus to swap them out. Instead of improve your writing, try:
strengthen
upgrade
refine
enrich
boost
Each one adds more punch, more presence. Strong words = stronger writing.
Take the time. It’s always worth it.
Clickbait gets the click but destroys your credibility.
It over-promises. Think: “Lose 30kg in 3 days.” Tempting? Sure. Deliverable? Never. And that’s the problem. When you don’t deliver, readers tune out. They won’t engage. They won’t look out for your next post. They’ll just scroll past.
Clickbait burns trust. Fast.
So ditch the cheap tricks. Use your title to promise real benefits. Ones you can actually back up.
That’s how you build a reputation that lasts.
Simple words make your writing more powerful.
Hard to believe, right? We’re taught big words = smart. But research says the opposite. Princeton University found that simple writing isn’t just easier to read. It makes the writer seem smarter and more persuasive.
Long words muddy your message. Short ones build trust.
Simplify to amplify.
Everything on Substack runs through your posts. Your subscribers, your credibility, your income, your invitations. This free email course is the shortest route I know to writing them better.
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