Dear friends,
This post is free for everyone because it is apparently sponsored by myself, since I have just become a Substack Bestseller right after my first anniversary on Substack.
I promised you I’d write a post to celebrate and tell you more about how this happened. But then I realized something: I truly dislike reading growth strategies, and, as it turns out, I did pretty much the exact opposite of what they tell you to do. So, if you’re here expecting to learn how to grow fast and become a Bestseller, I regret to inform you that I am probably the least qualified person for that job. This is not a “10 things I did to grow my Substack” post, so please lower your expectations.
That being said, as you already know, I’m from Istanbul and I mainly write about my life here, although my categories on the platform are Travel and Culture. Which is not entirely me, because I’m not much of a traveler outside my own country (I wish I were), but even when I go to a coffee shop, I take you with me. And it feels strange, and at the same time good, to become a Bestseller while writing on Substack about my own country. Substack is still not very well known in Turkey, and that makes this whole thing even more exciting for me. Istanbul, and Turkey in general, have such an incredible history, culture, food, chaos, beauty, and, of course, unbelievable number of cats that I want all of you to get to know them better.
So I guess my actual mission has always been very simple. Make you familiar with this country, make you fall a little bit in love with Istanbul (as I obviously have), and introduce you to the cats you all seem to admire as much as I do.
So, how did I become a Substack bestseller?
Well. I failed at the first growth strategy according to the experts, which is having a niche. I’d say my niche is Istanbul, Turkish culture, cats, coffee, books, and/or whatever happens to come to mind that day. So, nothing too specific or particularly niche, I suppose. Maybe this is something that will prevent me from growing much further from here, but alles okay. I’m totally fine with that as long as I’m being myself.
I actually remember feeling terribly inadequate when I first joined Substack. Everyone seemed like an expert in their field, sharing incredibly thoughtful content and having such clearly defined niches. I remember having conversations with my Substack friends, brainstorming ways I could become “better” at this, too. But in the end, I stayed true to what I had always believed in: being myself and staying authentic. I don’t want to build a newsletter around what I should be writing about. I want to write about the things I care about, even if they don’t always fit neatly into one category.
Then there comes the Notes.
I failed at using Notes properly and strategically according to what growth strategists would tell you, too. Unfortunately, I don’t have a content calendar for Notes. I don’t really sit down and think, “What would best serve my newsletter growth today?” I share a lot of stuff. And I have lots of fun doing it.
I wrote a post about Notes some time ago where I kept saying that Notes is for fun, and I still stand by that. So you might have heard advices like “make sure your Notes are relevant to your newsletter” or “spend 2–3 hours a week on Notes.” I’m sorry to inform you that I spend some of my time on Notes sharing things that have nothing to do with my newsletter. And I love it, which is the best part.
I believe that when you enjoy what you’re doing, people will notice it. When they notice, they will appreciate it. And when they appreciate it, they will stick around. So, many of you have witnessed my ridiculous enthusiasm and my love for this platform, and you decided to join me.
And then there’s the consistency.
Unfortunately, I don’t have a strict publishing schedule. I don’t have specific days for specific types of posts. I mostly try not to publish more than three times a week. Sometimes I get this horrible urge to write something and share it immediately, and when that happens, I’m afraid no content calendar is going to save me. So, yes, I post whenever I feel like it. Usually around three or four times a week, but without an order. The one exception is Our Communal Poetry, which was supposed to be a Sunday thing (it shifted quite a bit because of some internal problems on my side, but we will be getting back to our usual Sundays).
So as you see, that’s all I can tell you about my journey. If I were asked three things to summarize it all to become successful in this platform, which I still doubt if I am, I’d say: find your own way to truly enjoy it, be yourself, and keep it going as long as you can.
Oh, and one more thing—be generous. Read other people’s work and engage with your readers. You’ll be surprised by how many brilliant people you can discover on this platform, sometimes on the other side of the world.
So, my friends, if you came here expecting a beautifully organized growth system from me, I’m afraid I have disappointed you. But if you came here because you wanted to know how I ended up becoming a Substack Bestseller while essentially being who I am…
Well, welcome to Vera Herself from Catstantinople.
When I first saw the Bestseller badge on my profile, I was actually a little confused. My main publication, Vera Herself, didn’t have the 100 paid subscribers required to become a Bestseller. I later learned (thanks to Phil @ Substack) that the Bestseller badge is based on the combined number of paid subscribers across your publications. However, when it comes to the Creator Kit and sponsorships, you need to have 100 paid subscribers within a single publication. Neither of my publications has 100 paid subscribers on its own, but the combined total across the two is above 100. And that, apparently, is how I ended up with the Bestseller badge. So, just to clarify: I’m not currently eligible for sponsorships, I’m not sponsored by anyone, and I honestly have no idea whether I ever will be!
It all started when I realized there was something very important missing from Substack.
Istanbul’s cats!
I already knew how much you all adore them, and I couldn’t stop thinking about the fact that there wasn’t a publication dedicated specifically to introducing you to these little beauties and bringing a different one into your feed every day. So, I drove my friend John, Cats of Istanbul, crazy insisting that he should start one. And finally, he agreed. Or he had no choice but to give in.
And now Cats of Istanbul, or, in other words, Catstantinople, is LIVE!
So, if you’d like to see more cats in your feed and receive their stories in your inbox, I’d love to invite you to follow and subscribe. I’m also one of the contributors to this publication, and I believe this is going to be such a wonderful project.
Vera Herself began as a free publication, and for a long time I wanted to keep it that way. But as the publication has grown and I’ve started dedicating nearly all of my time to writing, researching, traveling and creating, I’ve realized that some parts of my work need to move behind the paywall if I want to continue building this sustainably.
To celebrate our first anniversary-and hopefully welcome many of you into this next chapter-I wanted to share a special offer that’s available only throughout August.
If you subscribe this month, you’ll lock in this price for an entire year:
$1/month
$10/year
Thank you all for supporting my work and believing in me.
Until next time,
Vera
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