Thank you for explaining this. I hadn't yet worked out how to embed videos, so this is very helpful. You mention welcome emails to new subscribers. Is that something Substack does automatically? Or does it have to be set up? If the latter, do you have a video to explain how please?
Simon, this is terrific. I'm not new on Substack, but I still learnt a few things (so that's how you make pictures full width - how did I not notice that?). The PDF thing was great too, that's something I've been wanting to do in my welcome emails.
Simon, I'm new on Substack and this was really helpful. I'd already figured out some of it, but I definitely learned some new tips. Thanks for this generous sharing.
It was generous and useful. I especially want to go back and add the alt text in for my photos. do you know if that can be done one a photo is already embedded in a draft or a published piece?
I've been writing a weekly Substack science fiction newsletter since last August and I routinely embed photos with my writing but hadn't experimented with sound, video, or even the gallery photo option. As always, your videos are clear and you do a great job demonstrating the Substack features. Best of all, it all seems quite easy to use. I now feel like I can take advantage of a much richer toolbox. Thank you!
I really like this post - Simon, you've done a great job of giving nothing but value. There's an extreme content:filler ratio in our favour 🤣
High points for me are a) the PDF trick to catch subscribers up at low effort for me, high reward for them; b) automated podcast distribution, but c) the killer app is YouTube automatic syndication. I've been wrestling with how to schedule posts to land on YT and Substack, and this appears to be a killer app for just that.
This was super helpful! I've been wanting to start a podcast element, with one episode being me reading my article for the week and one being an interview. However, I would like to go back and add the podcast element to my previously published posts (19 of them...). Is this something where it'd be best to just embed the audio in to the old posts and it'll go to a podcast feed? Or maybe moving forward I do the podcast element. Thanks for any clarification... I've been confusing myself and delaying the podcast element although I'm excited about it. Thanks for sharing such helpful information overall!
If you go back and add the audio as a voiceover to the post, you can add it to the podcast's RSS. It'll then show up on the podcast feed as if it was released on the post's original publishing date. So those episodes won't appear on anyone's "latest episodes" list, but it'll mean your podcast will gain an automatic back catalogue, even though you've only just started it.
I'll be going through my serial and adding audio to the earlier chapters at some point.
Super useful – thank you, Simon! Oddly, one of my Substack publications shows the option to choose a voice for the text-to-voice voiceover option (In Settings-> Branding), but my other publication doesn't. I can only assume it's still a beta feature that hasn't yet rolled out fully?
Thank you for explaining this. I hadn't yet worked out how to embed videos, so this is very helpful. You mention welcome emails to new subscribers. Is that something Substack does automatically? Or does it have to be set up? If the latter, do you have a video to explain how please?
Hi, Ella! It has a default welcome email that it’ll send out, but you can customise it to better suit your personality and writing style.
I have a video which goes through the various settings, which might be of help: https://open.substack.com/pub/simonkjones/p/how-to-figure-out-your-substacks?r=3rwg&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false
Great thank you. Is the link meant to be all in audio only? I would have found some visuals helpful too.
Found the video! Sorry, still finding my way around. Thank you so much for link.
Simon, this is terrific. I'm not new on Substack, but I still learnt a few things (so that's how you make pictures full width - how did I not notice that?). The PDF thing was great too, that's something I've been wanting to do in my welcome emails.
Thanks very much for this, so helpful.
So helpful, Simon! Thank you 😊
Simon, I'm new on Substack and this was really helpful. I'd already figured out some of it, but I definitely learned some new tips. Thanks for this generous sharing.
Happy to help!
It was generous and useful. I especially want to go back and add the alt text in for my photos. do you know if that can be done one a photo is already embedded in a draft or a published piece?
I think you should be able to, yes! Hover over the image and access the 3 dots menu.
you mean for each individual photo? I will definitely try that. Thank you!
Yeah - the alt text needs to be specific to the image in question.
Simon, this was great!!! Super Helpful!
I've been writing a weekly Substack science fiction newsletter since last August and I routinely embed photos with my writing but hadn't experimented with sound, video, or even the gallery photo option. As always, your videos are clear and you do a great job demonstrating the Substack features. Best of all, it all seems quite easy to use. I now feel like I can take advantage of a much richer toolbox. Thank you!
I really like this post - Simon, you've done a great job of giving nothing but value. There's an extreme content:filler ratio in our favour 🤣
High points for me are a) the PDF trick to catch subscribers up at low effort for me, high reward for them; b) automated podcast distribution, but c) the killer app is YouTube automatic syndication. I've been wrestling with how to schedule posts to land on YT and Substack, and this appears to be a killer app for just that.
This was super helpful! I've been wanting to start a podcast element, with one episode being me reading my article for the week and one being an interview. However, I would like to go back and add the podcast element to my previously published posts (19 of them...). Is this something where it'd be best to just embed the audio in to the old posts and it'll go to a podcast feed? Or maybe moving forward I do the podcast element. Thanks for any clarification... I've been confusing myself and delaying the podcast element although I'm excited about it. Thanks for sharing such helpful information overall!
If you go back and add the audio as a voiceover to the post, you can add it to the podcast's RSS. It'll then show up on the podcast feed as if it was released on the post's original publishing date. So those episodes won't appear on anyone's "latest episodes" list, but it'll mean your podcast will gain an automatic back catalogue, even though you've only just started it.
I'll be going through my serial and adding audio to the earlier chapters at some point.
Absolutely helpful.
Super useful – thank you, Simon! Oddly, one of my Substack publications shows the option to choose a voice for the text-to-voice voiceover option (In Settings-> Branding), but my other publication doesn't. I can only assume it's still a beta feature that hasn't yet rolled out fully?
Yeah that text-to-voice thing has always been per-publication. I’m not sure why! I thought they’d rolled it out to everyone by now.