You’ve set up an Account, become acquainted with the terminology and functionality of Substack, learned the distinction between Subscribing and Following, and created your Publication. Now you’re all set to interact on Substack!
You have something to say, and you want to create a post. Only … there seem to be so many ways! I know it can seem confusing at first. But let’s keep it simple for now; while there are other options, such as video, I’ll just talk about two formats you can use to make Text posts here.
Note post. The first way to share your ideas is to post a Note. That’s similar to posting in Facebook or Twitter, for example.
Option 1: On your Home page at the top, look for “What’s on your mind?” Just start typing, then hit Post, and you’re done!
Option 2: On your Home page, look at the bottom left for the Create button (depending on your display settings, this might show simply as a “+“ sign). Choose Note, type your post, hit Post.
Whatever you post as a Note will appear in your Activity tab (not in your Posts tab).
A Note is a good choice for a short comment of the sort you’d make on social media or for a simple sharing of a photo, for example.
For longer posts or for essays or newsletters, you’ll want to use a different sort of post, a Publication post.
Publication post. The second way to post is to post a … Post! Yes, I know. But that’s what a post made to your Publication is called (as opposed to a Note).
Option 1: On your Home page, look at the bottom left for the Create button (depending on your display settings, this might show simply as a “+“ sign). Choose Text and start writing. Once you complete your writing, you’ll need to click on Settings and choose the options you want. (And you really should hit Preview before continuing and take a look at how your post will look to the viewer.)
Then click Continue and choose how you want to publish your Post: All subscribers (Everyone) or only Paid Subscribers, for example. Finally, add your tags to help readers find your Post.
Now you’re ready to send out your Post. (Note: There’s a delivery option at the bottom that is defaulted to “Send via email and the Substack app.” If you want to post only to your Substack and you don’t want to email your subscribers, uncheck that option before sending.) Then click Send to everyone now.
Option 2: Go to your Dashboard. Click Create New and choose Text or another option; the other options are similar to Option 1 above. You will need to choose (at the top of the post or in Settings) whether to put the Post on your Publication generally or in one of your Publication’s Sections.
Whatever you post as a Post to your Publication will appear in your Posts tab.
Happy posting!