Earning money (on Substack) without burning out...
❤️🔥 - Taking good care, a timeline, the numbers and some thoughts for you on navigating the 'what ifs' for your 2024...
Vulnerability is the birthplace of innovation, creativity and change.
Brene Brown
Hi!
If you’re new here I’m Claire. I’m an Engagement Consultant and Mentor for the Arts and Heritage sector and I write Creatively Conscious here on Substack.
I also teach creatives who also like to write how to use the platform over at Sparkle on Substack. I live under dark skies on the Northumberland Coast with my family and 5 pet chickens.
We live life in the slow lane and writing here on Substack has helped make my dream of being able to take care of my family a reality. Thank-you for supporting me and my work. ✨
Substack subscriptions currently bring in $12,500 dollars into my business. My work teaching Substack beyond that brings in another £8000+.
I don’t run a 6figure business but I’d like to…
Today’s post is for my members. You are welcome to pay to read it. It’s part of the ‘behind the scenes of my creative business’ section. It’s called ‘Your Self Seeded Business’ because if I can; you can!
You can read more here.
Paid members here at
get access to x 4 online seasonal workshops a year, at least one exclusive post a month, special previews and discounts on my courses, masterclasses and workshops. They also get free access to all my vision board resources and videos.It’s currently £10 a month or £70 for the year here. Here’s the overview of 2024.
Substack and the Long Game
Over in my members community at
where we talk about Substack and our journey with it, the most popular question is;how to grow sustainably (and joyfully).
and the next most popular question is.
how to set up a paid community where you feel paid properly for your creative work and without burning out delivering 12 months a year!
Shall I tell you my story?
I started writing on Substack in April 2022.
I had zero subscribers.
I turned on ‘paid subscriptions’ from the start and figured I’d grow into what that could be later. This was a mindset decision rather than a practical decision.2
Three people paid straight away. I felt a mixture of pressure and elation.
Spoiler alert - that combination still exists EVERY TIME someone pays to join my community. Depending on where I am feeling with my self worth, creativity and hormones I might feel elated or I might feel a tiny bit sick!
In October 2023 I got my Substack bestseller badge; I wear it with pride. 😉. Imposter Syndrome tells me I only got it because my work is zeitgeist - i.e people want to learn about Substack on Substack and I teach that. 🙉.
I can sit with it, I can lean into the discomfort and noise of people who did once subscribe here now ignore me but I can only do that because my work is an act or service AND so many of you support it.
I taught a masterclass to my paid subscribers over on about how to feel confident in charging money for your Substack, for your writing, your creative offering. We dig into how to make it feel sustainable and how it might fit into the rest of your online eco-system.
A practical workshop with oodles of support, some ‘honest’ maths and some practical decision making. Do join us over there and watch the replay?
The 2023 price for Sparkle is £8 to jump in for the month and you get access to the whole back catalogue of Sparkle calls and workshops too! (£70 for the year is your better value option) We are a growing community supportive and magical creatives who want to grow sustainably and joyfully on Substack - come say hi!?
Success on Substack - A Timeline
From self expression to space holder.
Here’s the rest of my Substack creation timeline including the REAL numbers…
Paid members get access to all of my member archives of posts, access to workshop recordings and next year’s classes and articles too if you want to stay.