I Joined Substack… Now What?
My honest attempt at starting a newsletter in an already saturated field.
Have you ever been to a party where everyone already knows each other? They’re laughing at inside jokes and calling each other by weird nicknames, and you’re just standing there, pretending to check your phone? Yeah — so joining Substack felt exactly like that.
I joined yesterday.
I know literally no one on Substack. Not a soul. Not even my mum or my sister — they don’t even have accounts.
So here I am, just kind of… plodding along. Clicking buttons. Wondering what is going on. Wondering what on Earth I’m doing.
Current Thoughts on Substack:
Substack seems like the perfect place to build a loyal audience — the kind of readers who enjoy hearing from you and might even get excited when your newsletter hits their inbox.
But here’s the catch: how do I find these magical people? That part still feels like a mystery.
It’s not like there’s a “Click Here for 1,000 Engaged Followers” button (trust me, I looked).
My goal is to slowly find my people — the readers who vibe with my voice, my stories, and my slightly chaotic thoughts — and, just as importantly, to connect with other writers doing the same thing.
So yes, I’m there for the loyal readers. But I’m also there for the writers — the brilliant, thoughtful minds behind the newsletters that roll into my inbox. I’ve already subscribed to 10 of them.
I’ve noticed that Substack has this “Notes” feature — sort of like Twitter (sorry, “X”) before Elon Musk ruined it.
Should I introduce myself with a polite Note?
“Hi, I’m new here 🤗”?
But who’s going to see it when I have zero followers? I’d basically be yelling into a brick wall.
Maybe I’ll skip the Notes for now and try long-form content.
That feels more like my vibe. But then there’s this whole niche thing. Everyone says you need a specific niche to “make it” on Substack. That’s slightly terrifying because I hate sticking to a niche.
I want to write about writing, motherhood, mental health, productivity, and weird conversations I overhear at cafés. I’ve just written an article about Joe Goldberg from Netflix’s thriller You. Just because I wanted to and felt like writing about him.
Which raises an important question:
What do niche writers on Substack do when they get bored with their niche?
Do they start a secret second Substack? A burner newsletter? A Google Doc diary?
Or maybe they just write outside their niche and pray the algorithm gods don’t punish them.
Anyway, this is me, figuring it out as I go, one confused click at a time.
If you’re also wandering around Substack like a lost guest at a wedding, Hello. Let’s be confused together.
We’re all just figuring it out. Might as well figure it out together.
Thank you for reading, and I know you are all burning to know my Substack handle so you can race to be my first follower.
It’s ‘Layla Kareem’ (I know — so creative, right?)
I would attach a link to my Substack, but I don't know how Medium would feel about it.
Also, Medium editors, in case you’re reading this—don't worry, I’m not leaving Medium for Substack.
You can't get rid of me that easily!
Thank you for reading
Layla
