✨ “Sarah has been my secret weapon for my writing—both on and off Substack. And I had so much fun doing it.
I feel more confident in my writing and know how to continue improving.
She sped up my learning curve by years.”
—Latham Turner
October 24 - December 6
Two sections to choose from:
Fridays, 12-3
or
Saturdays, 10-1 PM CT
* Limited to 25 students
* Replays available
* No class the week of Thanksgiving (U.S. holiday)
Substack has never been busier or noisier.
Most Substacks aren’t profitable.
They don’t generate an engaged email list—or grow.
→ The top Substacks—the ones with engagement and staying power—are unique.
- They look and sound like no one else.
- They take us to a place no one else can.
→ They know their Substack DNA.
No strategy in the world will help you attract engaged subscribers and earn an income without knowing your Substack DNA.
In this 3-hour intensive, I’ll take you through my proprietary method to find yours.
Your Substack DNA =
Knowing the core of who you are (your gifts, talents, perspective)
How they’ll work best on the platform
Why someone would subscribe to you above all others
Making that clear to subscribers
Not easy to do.
And I’m the only one who can help you.
"This opened up the world of creative possibilities available on Substack and the tools to make that world of possibilities a reality."
—Cherry Damianoff
My ability to do this for you is partly because I’ve done it for myself as
- The creator two bestselling, featured Substacks starting from zero and with no platform
- Someone who's been on Substack for half a decade
- My twenty years teaching in graduate programs at the University of Iowa and Northwestern and elsewhere
- My time as an advisory editor at The Paris Review
But mainly becuase I created the process of finding your Substack DNA™ based on my success with 700+ private clients.
This intensive is the only setting you’ll be able to discover yours outside my premium 1:1s.
“Sarah is the best teacher I’ve had. Sarah helped me find my writing groove. I continue to work with Sarah because she continues to make me better. She is a superb teacher.”
David Roberts
“Sarah was just the perfect combination of practical and validating. She never made me feel like an amateur and for that I am really grateful.”
Petya Grady, "A Reading Life"
“Working with Sarah has been my secret weapon. And I had so much fun doing it. I feel more confident and I know how to continue improving. I can honestly say she sped up my learning curve by years.”
Latham Turner
Itinerary
100% interactive.
Get work done.
You’ll leave confident and clear about your Substack and why people should and will subscribe.
Plus an About page, short description, title, and bio that set you apart from personalized feedback so you know they’re resonating with other people.
Friday, 10/10
12 - 3 PM CT
- 12-12:15 PM CT Welcome + Discovering your talents, gifts, and/or expertise
- 12:15-12:45 Finding your Substack DNA, the core, what makes your Substack different from any other
- 12:45-1:15 Personalized feedback
- 1:15-1:30 Break
- 1:30-2 Communicating what makes your Substack unique + my proven template to revamp your About page so people actually read it and create a scroll-stopping short description
- 2-2:20 You’re so much more interesting than you think you are + my proven bio template
- 2:20-2:30 Title test
- 2:30-2:50 How to use your Substack DNA on Notes
- 2:50-3 Wrap up and what’s next
*all times are CT
My Substack DNA method has helped hundreds of my private clients:
- Become Substack bestsellers
- Double and triple and quadruple and 10x their subscribers
- Substantially increase their revenue
- Establish six-figure incomes
- Build engaged communities of loyal readers
- Create additional revenue streams
- Attract the attention of literary agents and sponsors
- Build genuine connections with their readers
- Create sustainable systems that work for them
- Develop skills they can use anywhere
- Gain clarity on their unique path
- Find their authentic voice on the platform and off
My clients include:
- CNN political analyst Kirsten Powers
- Publisher’s Weekly editor, poet, and entrepreneur Maya Popa
- Former CNN commentator Chris Cizzila
- Influencer Ajiri Aki
- Bestselling author and entrepreneur Joy Sullivan
- Author, podcaster, and viral TED speaker Sarah Knight
- Publisher, podcaster, and bestselling author Zibby Owens
- Activist and founder of Moms Demand Action Shannon Watts
- Organizations like Five Things I’ve Learned and Resolute Square
- Bestselling author Jennifer Lauck
- Award-winning authors Robin Hemley and Esme Weijun Wang
- Life coaches Caitlin Faas and Jane Pilger
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is this for?
Substack writers and creators at all stages, those with no experience and those who’ve been on the platform for years.
Will the replay be available?
Yes, within 24 hours of the intensive, but to get your money’s worth, I highly recommend attending live.
Can I get a refund if I don’t feel like it was helpful?
If you do the work and don’t see transformation, I’ll make it right.
Will I get personal feedback from Sarah?
No, but you will get feedback based on her customized direction. You can also schedule a 1:1 Substack Strategy Intensive.
Isn’t this just more Substack information?
No. This is the step most Substacks skip. It takes deep work and the process I created to go beyond topics, tricks, categories, and niches.
Isn’t this just another scam on how to make money on Substack?
No. It’s the deep work others don't do, a proven method that leads to opportunities on and beyond Substack.
Get clear on your Substack to grow
What students are saying...
100 percent worth the time and money
Lizzie Assa
As an entrepreneur in the online space, I have taken many expensive courses that make promises they cannot keep. This course was ALL substance, NO fluff. I learned a lot about myself as a writer and was able to connect with other writers around t...
Read MoreAs an entrepreneur in the online space, I have taken many expensive courses that make promises they cannot keep. This course was ALL substance, NO fluff. I learned a lot about myself as a writer and was able to connect with other writers around the world who were of all ages and of all abilities. It was nothing short of inspiring. I loved the whole vibe of the course- it was like learning from a much wiser, been there done that friend. This is for you if you are dabbling in writing AND if you are an experienced writer.
Read LessExcellent course! Boosted my confidence and more
Louisa Wah
The course took me to a new level of confidence in my writing. It taught me how to use my voice so that I can create the effects I want to achieve every single time. I love this newly found freedom to switch up my voice and to sound differently de...
Read MoreThe course took me to a new level of confidence in my writing. It taught me how to use my voice so that I can create the effects I want to achieve every single time. I love this newly found freedom to switch up my voice and to sound differently depending on the context. Highly recommend this course to novices and seasoned writers alike.
Read LessLearned a lot and had a lot of fun
Marjan Venema
Voice in writing has always been a bit of a mystery to me. I was very aware of having multiple ones, including one I'd prefer to avoid (the lecturing one). Voice Mastery - dispelled a number of misconceptions I had (like the idea I had that yo...
Read MoreVoice in writing has always been a bit of a mystery to me. I was very aware of having multiple ones, including one I'd prefer to avoid (the lecturing one). Voice Mastery - dispelled a number of misconceptions I had (like the idea I had that you should only have one audience and once voice) - gave me the tools to tweak my voice to what I want it to be for a specific piece - helped me develop a better process to take something from vague idea to finished essay/article. More importantly, Sarah and Marya helped me reclaim my freedom as an author (away from all the "shoulds" from content/email/whatever marketing). And most importantly: what Marya and Sarah taught and showed in Voice Mastery has rekindled my fun in and with writing!
Read LessA Journey of Discovery
Lucy Morley Williams
This has helped me on more levels than I anticipated - confidence and greater understanding of the purpose of my Substack. I loved the two pronged approach, micro and macro - and the the intentionality in creating a coherent interesting narrative ...
Read MoreThis has helped me on more levels than I anticipated - confidence and greater understanding of the purpose of my Substack. I loved the two pronged approach, micro and macro - and the the intentionality in creating a coherent interesting narrative that will speak to my readers. There is a great deal of fun in this method too, play with it too, not just hard craft, but an adventure. You will be surprised how much you will learn.
Read Less