✍️ Behind-the-Scenes of Running a Bestselling Substack Newsletter

How my team and I run the writing job board and this newsletter for you each week.

Hey writers,

Big news — ✍️ Make Writing Your Job just crossed 1,000 paid subscribers. Wild. Humbling. Also slightly terrifying in that “oh cool, now I really have to deliver” kind of way.

So first, a genuine thanks for being here. For sharing your wins. For landing the kind of writing work that actually pays the bills (and then some). For making this corner of the Internet smarter, sharper, and frankly a lot more fun. It’s awesome to be around fellow writers who are willing to reject the “starving artist” propaganda that the world loves to throw at us.

You’re the reason this space exists — and why I keep showing up.

Today, I’m taking you behind the scenes. How this newsletter went from a half-baked idea to a bestseller. How I’m building out the team to keep those high-paying writing opportunities rolling in. And what you might want to think about if you’re building your own paid newsletter.

But first — a quick reminder:

✅ Our upcoming class, Freelancing 101: How to Get Paid to Write for Clients, is open to all subscribers (free and paid). Missed the sign-up email? No worries. Link’s below.

In today’s newsletter, you’ll read about:

✨ Go behind the scenes of how I actually run this bestselling Substack newsletter

✍️ High-paying writing jobs you may have missed last week

📚 Writing wins from the community here at ✍️ Make Writing Your Job!

✍️ Missed This Past Week’s Writing Jobs?

Did you miss it? Here are the writing jobs on the most recent job board:

• A major tech company is seeking an experienced copywriter for a fast-approaching contract role.

• An intriguing first novel contest offers the chance at a $50,000 book deal for U.S. residents.

• Eight romance and fantasy authors are seeking freelance copy and line editors for upcoming book projects.

✨ Plus, I have two featured jobs currently open:

✍️ Featured Job: Call for Personal Essay Pitches: “The Moment I Knew I Had to Make Writing My Job”

✍️ Featured Job: Freelance Line Editor for a Romance Novel

Apply to these jobs — and unlock 95+ hand-selected freelance writing opportunities, contests, residencies, grants, and pitch calls below at the latest edition of the writing job board:

🙌 Writing Community Wins!

Here’s what some of your fellow writers in the community have been up to lately:

• Hailey (

  Hailey’s Substack
  ) is leveling up her pitching game! She shared: “I’m sending out my first cold pitch to a client I would LOVE to work with today—wish me luck!🥳” — excited for you, Hailey!

• Ashley Hackett
  was featured on a podcast and shared her story: “I was featured on a science communication-focused podcast this week! This was a special win for me because I was able to talk about why science communication is more important than ever in our current political climate. I also got to tell the story of how I was fired by DOGE (illegally once, then again sort-of-legally) from my communications job at NIH. That's why I'm here now, taking the jump into full-time freelancing! You can check out the podcast here: youtube.com/watch?v=mJL1o7pB5PY&index=1&pp=iAQB” — we’re lucky to have you in the full-time freelancing community with us, Ashley!

❓ Want to see your community wins featured in an upcoming newsletter? Every week in my subscriber chat I ask for what amazing feats you’ve achieved that week, and I pick a handful to highlight.

Access the subscriber chat below:

🫖 Sunday Tea: Behind-the-Scenes of Running a Bestselling Substack Newsletter

Let’s be real: “newsletter” is starting to feel like an outdated term that doesn’t capture the potential of what can be done in this space. On Substack, some of these so-called newsletters are actually full-blown media empires in your inbox.

One of my favorite cult examples?

Emily Sundberg

’s Feed Me — a daily briefing on business and culture with enough bite to make you snort your coffee. It’s not just a newsletter. It’s an ecosystem. Guest contributors. Anonymous tip lines. If you write online and you’re not subscribed, you’re missing out.

Meanwhile, over here in my corner of the Internet, this little publication you’re reading has gone from “hey, is anyone out there?” to a paid community of serious writers swapping tips and landing high-paying work. It didn’t happen by accident. I’ve spent the last two years neck-deep in newsletter strategy so you don’t have to.

And because this is the Sunday Tea, I’m spilling all of it — but only for the folks who’ve paid to keep the lights on around here. Let’s keep it cozy, shall we?