How Small Writers Are Quietly Exploding on Substack
The simple strategy that you can use today...
Every small writer has thought this before:
âIf one big creator shared my newsletter⊠my growth would explode.â
And honestly?
Youâre probably right.
One shoutout from the right person can completely change your trajectory.
The problem is most writers think big creators are impossible to reach.
So instead of building relationships, they stay invisible.
They:
overthink hooks
post randomly
pray for the algorithm
refresh stats every 12 minutes like itâs the stock market
Meanwhile, other writers are quietly building networks behind the scenes.
And those networks are growing their newsletters WAY faster than pure content alone.
Thatâs what this article is about.
Not ânetworkingâ in the fake LinkedIn guru way.
Real collaboration.
The kind that creates:
loyal readers
friendships
opportunities
recommendations
and sometimes hundreds of subscribers in a few days.
And the crazy part?
Most writers completely ignore this.
So today, Iâm going to show you the 4-week collaboration funnel Iâd use if I had to restart from 0.
Letâs go.
The Real Reason Most Writers Stay Small
Most writers think growth comes from writing better articles.
And yes, good writing matters.
But online?
Distribution matters just as much.
Maybe even more.
Because you can write the greatest article in the worldâŠ
But if nobody sees it?
Congratulations.
You created a masterpiece for your mom and 3 random subscribers.
Thatâs the harsh reality.
The biggest writers on Substack are not only good writers.
Theyâre connected.
They understand:
audience overlap
collaboration
trust
community
visibility systems
Meanwhile, most small writers try to grow completely alone.
Thatâs like trying to push a car uphill by yourself while other creators are building highways together.
And honestly?
This is why I like Substack so much compared to traditional social media.
People actually interact.
You can reply to emails.
You can DM.
You can build relationships directly.
That changes EVERYTHING.
Because once creators know you, opportunities start appearing naturally.
Recommendations.
Collaborations.
Mentions.
Shared projects.
But firstâŠ
You need a system.
Letâs go!
Hey! If you donât know me, Iâm William, a 20-year-old creator who spent months posting into the void before figuring out how to actually grow on Substack đ
Since then, Iâve grown my newsletter to 1,500+ subscribers, helped 40+ writers improve their growth, built the Growth Lab community, and tested hundreds of growth experiments while juggling school, work, training, and content creation at the same time.
Now Iâm documenting everything Iâm learning so you can grow faster without wasting months figuring it out alone.
Every Monday, I break down big Substack creators and why they grow. Every Wednesday, I share a practical growth article. And every Friday, we have real conversations inside the community. Subscribe and build with us đ€
The 4-Week Collaboration Funnel
Iâve personally used versions of this strategy while building my audience as a full-time student-athlete.
Not by becoming âinternet famous.â
But by becoming visible inside communities.
And the important thing:
This is NOT about using people.
Itâs about creating genuine win-win relationships.
Thatâs why it works.
Week 1: Become Visible
Before someone collaborates with youâŠ
They need to know you exist.
Sounds obvious.
But most writers skip this completely.
They engage with a creator ONCEâŠ
Then immediately ask:
âHey wanna collaborate?â
At least let them learn your name first.
Your goal during Week 1 is simple:
Become recognizable.
That means:
leaving thoughtful comments
replying to emails
sharing their work
adding value consistently
Not fake engagement.
Not:
âAmazing post đ„â
Nobody cares.
Instead:
Add something useful.
Challenge an idea.
Share a perspective.
Mention a personal experience.
Because great comments are basically mini-content.
And over time?
People start recognizing you.
This is HUGE psychologically.
Humans trust familiarity.
If a creator has seen your name 15 times positively before you DM themâŠ
Your message instantly feels warmer.
Youâre no longer random.
Week 2: Build a Real Relationship
This is where most people mess up.
They treat networking like a transaction.
And creators can FEEL that instantly.
The goal this week is NOT pitching.
Itâs becoming human.
Start conversations.
Ask questions.
Talk about:
writing
sports
business
life
goals
systems
Anything real.
Because people help people they like.
Not people who only appear when they want something.
Some of my best opportunities online came from casual conversations.
Not âbusiness strategy.â
Just normal interactions over time.
And honestly?
This is one of the biggest mistakes small writers make.
They underestimate relationships.
Meanwhile, relationships are basically the hidden currency of the internet.
Join the Newsletter Growth Labđ for FREE and unlock a growing audience of loyal readers in the next 90 days. Include: mini-courses, real growth breakdowns, experiments, and a community of writers building together instead of trying to figure Substack out alone. Free for early members before it becomes paid.
Week 3: Create a Win-Win Offer
THIS is where most collaboration attempts completely fail.
Most writers ask creators to:
write extra content
promote random things
join projects
spend time they donât have
So of course creators ignore it.
Youâre giving them more work.
Instead, you want a collaboration that feels EASY.
Even exciting.
That means creating a pre-built offer.
Example:
Letâs say you write about AI.
You could create:
50 AI prompts for newsletters
an AI writing system
a PDF guide
swipe files
templates
a resource pack
Something genuinely useful.
Now instead of saying:
âCan we collaborate?â
You say:
âHey, I created this free resource for writers. Iâm letting creators share it with their audience for free if they think it would help.â
BIG difference.
Now the creator:
looks valuable
helps their audience
does almost no extra work
And you?
You get exposure and subscribers.
Thatâs why this works.
Itâs mutually beneficial.
Not selfish.
Week 4: The Launch System
Now itâs time to launch.
And this part is important:
Donât contact ONE creator.
Contact multiple.
Because collaborations are a numbers game.
Some people wonât answer.
Some will forget.
Some are busy.
Normal.
So aim for around 10 creators.
And make the process RIDICULOUSLY easy for them.
This matters more than people realize.
Donât make creators think.
Prepare:
the link
the description
the visuals
the launch date
the CTA
the email copy
Everything.
The easier you make itâŠ
The more likely they are to say yes.
And hereâs where things get interesting.
Letâs say:
10 creators share it
each has 2,000 subscribers
Thatâs potentially 20,000 people seeing your work.
Even if only 2% subscribe?
Thatâs hundreds of readers.
From ONE system.
Not from posting 14 reels while slowly losing sanity.
Why Most Writers Never Do This
Iâm going to be honest with you: this strategy alone will not magically grow your newsletter.
Because growth on Substack is rarely about one tactic.
Most writers try something for 4 days, see no huge spike, then move on to the next âsecret strategyâ like raccoons digging through growth hacks at 2AM
But the writers growing the fastest right now?
Theyâre not just posting articles.
Theyâre building systems and relationships around their newsletter, so growth keeps happening even when motivation disappears for a week because life happens (or because analytics destroyed their mental health for the 14th time this month).
And thatâs probably the real issue.
Not:
âmy writing sucksâ
or
âSubstack is too saturated.â
But simply that youâre trying to grow without a real system behind it.
Because yes, collaborations help.
But what happens when:
your profile doesnât convert?
people subscribe but never come back?
you donât know who to contact?
you disappear for 2 weeks and lose momentum?
you grow⊠but still have no engaged readers?
Thatâs where most writers stay stuck.
Not because theyâre dumb.
Because theyâre trying to figure out everything alone while other creators are quietly building ecosystems around their content.
And honestly, this article is only one small piece of the bigger picture.
Thatâs exactly why I created Newsletter Growth Lab.
A free community where I share the systems I personally used to grow while being a full-time student-athlete, and where I break down things like:
audience growth
collaborations
retention
monetization
AI workflows
and building a newsletter people actually want to read instead of âsupporting out of pityâ
Not theory.
Real stuff Iâm testing right now.
One creator inside, Growth Canva, went from around 400 subscribers to over 1,100 subscribers and made her first dollar online after applying the systems consistently.
Not overnight.
Not magically.
Just by finally having clarity instead of guessing every week.
And honestly? The writers learning these skills now are going to have a huge advantage later.
Because while most people are still chasing algorithms and praying for viralityâŠ
Others are quietly building communities readers actually care about.
Growth Lab is completely free, and if you want the full systems behind newsletter growth instead of random isolated tips from Twitter threads made by fake gurus in rented LamborghinisâŠ
Join us :)
Your Action For This Week
Donât just consume this article.
Actually test it.
This week:
Choose 5â10 creators in your niche
Engage genuinely with their content
Start real conversations
Brainstorm ONE win-win resource
Prepare a simple collaboration system
Thatâs it.
You do NOT need:
50,000 followers
a blue checkmark
viral tweets
perfect branding
You need visibility + relationships.
Thatâs where opportunities come from.
Final Thought
A lot of writers think growth is only about writing better.
But sometimes?
The biggest growth unlock is simply becoming part of the right communities.
Because the internet rewards:
trust
visibility
consistency
relationships
Not just talent.
Thatâs why some writers stay stuck for yearsâŠ
While others explode in months.
Different systems.
And if you want help building those systems step-by-step, subscribe below and join the Growth Lab.
Every week, I break down whatâs ACTUALLY working on Substack so you can grow without wasting months testing random advice.
No fake guru nonsense.
Just practical systems, real execution, and lessons from creators already winning.
See you next post,
â Williamđ
Thanks so much Mr Williams, this has really opened my eyes and I'll try to connect while slowly growing at my own paceâșïž
I often forget this is a fundamental, so I am saving this. This post actually save me! đ