A managing-editor-style retainer for writers and founders publishing on Substack
This is for you if you’re no longer figuring out Substack basics — you’re navigating a new direction.
You want to publish with consistency, but you don’t want to guess your way through positioning, paid conversion or what to prioritize next.
Inside this partnership, you get:
a trusted editorial mind with full context of your voice and expertise (not one-off advice)
craft protection in the age of AI (so your work still sounds like you)
Substack-native strategy and dashboard interpretation
steady decision support during seasons of growth, stall, reinvention or voice expansion
Think of it as: your publication’s strategic managing editor — without the agency overhead.
what having a strategicmanaging editor looks like:
I'm with you twice a month on live video calls (with searchable transcripts so you can revisit what we decided)
I'm in your Substack dashboard between calls, watching patterns in your reader behavior and engagement data to inform what we work on together
I'm sharing editorial passes on up to 3 essays each month — structural guidance, headline/flow suggestions, the managing editor's eye you need before you hit publish
Length: 3-month commitment required (most clients stay 9 - 12 months as they build momentum and editorial skills)
Investment: $1,250+ /month
What we do together every month
Set your editorial queue (Week 1 call)
We map out what you're publishing this month — the big pieces, the order, the positioning. No templates. We build a plan that fits your energy, your audience patterns and what you're actually trying to communicate.
Check in mid-month (Week 3 call)
We troubleshoot what's not landing, adjust timing if needed and work through the editorial decisions that create friction: Is this ready? Does this belong here? Should I paywall this? What comes next?Watch your
Substack pattern-tracking (ongoing)
I'm in your dashboard between calls, tracking what's working in the audience data. Where are readers engaging? Where are they drifting? What does that tell us about your paid strategy, your positioning or what to publish next?
Edit your key pieces (up to 3 per month)
You send me drafts, I give you one editorial pass: structural guidance, headline/flow suggestions, answers to your questions. You implement; I'm available for quick async follow-up.
Refine what's not working
Paid conversion feeling off? About page not converting? Welcome sequence falling flat? We fix the friction points so the right readers actually subscribe and the ones who should go paid actually do.
What clients experience
Clearer publishing rhythm that fits your energy and creative process
Better conversion from free to paid subscribers (without feeling salesy)
Stronger positioning that attracts the right readers
More confident decisions about what to publish and when
Sustainable systems that reduce decision fatigue and second-guessing
Deeper understanding of what your audience data is actually telling you
Who this is for
You're an established writer, journalist or founder. You've built things before. You have your own creative process and a clear vision for what you're building on Substack. What you need isn't someone to tell you what to do — it's someone in the decision-making space with you.
You're publishing consistently (or ready to). You understand how platforms like Substack work and want someone helping you make the harder editorial calls: What deserves to be a standalone piece versus a thread? Should this be paywalled? Is this the right order for the series? Does this intro actually work?
You value craft and editorial judgment. You're finicky about language. You want your publication to feel like you — not like content marketing, not like everyone else's newsletter. You're looking for an editor who respects your voice and helps you sharpen it, not flatten it.
You want a partner, not a guru. You don't need someone to hand you a template or a growth hack. You need someone who brings a managing editor's eye, knows Substack inside out and can help you see patterns you're too close to notice.
About Amanda
I've been publishing The Publishing Spectrum on Substack since 2022 — it's now a featured publication and bestseller. I developed the reader survey methodology that became a go-to framework for understanding audience behavior and I've analyzed patterns across hundreds of thousands of subscribers.
I bring nearly 20 years of editorial experience from newsrooms, content operations and founder-led businesses. I’ve published at scale and built teams inside digital production environments (marketing, content and self-publishing). I know what it takes to publish consistently at a high level, and I know how to build systems that honor creative intelligence instead of flattening it.
Clients tell me I help them see patterns they're too close to notice and make decisions they've been avoiding.
What people say about working together
Working with Amanda has profoundly changed my perspective on the editing process, which I previously considered secondary. Amanda possesses a remarkable talent for identifying the technical challenges that must be addressed to align a writer's voice with their choice of words. Her empathy is one of her greatest strengths, enabling her to connect the dots and illuminate the most brilliant aspects of any work. — Swarnali Mukherjee, author of Berkana
For years I avoided writing advice and consultants because it all seemed centered on trusting someone else's process. I felt the pressure to fit a certain writing mold didn't feel like me. In working with Amanda as an editor and through reading her newsletter as a paid subscriber, I'm learning to not only be myself, but to trust my writer instincts. Amanda's shown me the freedom of weaving in and out of writing seasons without feeling shame or panic, and has helped improve my writing impact without changing my writing voice. I'm deeply grateful to know her and learn from her. — Jen Zug, author of Pretend You're Good At It
Amanda provided critical editorial feedback on our content, making significant improvements to our manuscript. I can say with certainty that not only would our book not be as good, but it would not have even been printed without Amanda's counsel and support. — Greg Baumer, Chief Growth Officer, naviHealth
We needed help turning our draft manuscript into a beautiful, conference-ready book, and we had a short (read: ridiculous) timeline to get it done. She exceeded our expectations, pulling together a top-notch team and working very hard to ensure we received an excellent product! — John cortines, COO, Generous giving
“Helped me realign fast… to a strategy that felt more like me.” — Claire Venus, founder of Sparkle on Substack
Next step
Start with a Publishing Gut Check (async on Voxer)
A focused 20-minute session to look at where you are with your writing, Substack publication, what's working, what's not and what your next moves should be. If we're a fit for ongoing coaching, I'll follow up with a short written debrief and we can discuss next steps.
Questions? Email me at amanda @ thepublishingspectrum.com
What people say about my work
When Amanda joined the team, our process for creating content was fragmented at best. We were creating multiple dozens of blog articles for our clients and our own website each month. Amanda was able to jump in and build out a system that has been running smoothly for quite some time now. She has done a fantastic job maintaining the quality of content we create for our clients even as quantity increased. — Spencer Powell, CEO, Builder Funnel
Amanda … helped us craft audience personas and automated emails [and] gave us an extremely useful crash course on Google Analytics and more. [She] was wonderful to work with, taking the time to get to know our organization and express an interest in our work… She made her suggestions palatable for where we were at, and she respected our current branding & messaging structure while also challenging us to stretch in new areas. Would definitely recommend her to others for a great all-around experience! — Anna Johnson, Communications Specialist
Working with Amanda was a true pleasure. In our time together, she proved incredibly talented in the social media sphere and adept at capturing the voice of multiple executives in both ghost-writing blog posts and increasing LinkedIn presence. I would recommend working with Amanda to anyone either looking for Social Media knowledge/direction or assistance with writing. Two enthusiastic thumbs up! — Kristin Moreno, Experience Manager
Amanda is a breath of fresh air. She is a multi-talented, "go-to" person for marketing, publishing, and business coaching. Possessing ethical discernment and a superb style, Amanda is an innovative and savvy businesswoman. She quickly assesses client input and provides accurate and helpful insights. Truly a great resource for independent professionals and businesses. — Katharine Salem, Global Immigration & Mobility
If you are like me, not all that hip into social media but still understand the importance of it in business, you will appreciate Amanda Bray to make you relevant, interesting, and professional on LinkedIn! Amanda asked incredible questions to better understand who I am, what I do, and the sort of people I love to serve. She was able to help myself and my colleagues at Building Champions really put our story out in LinkedIn as well as make our blog posts much better. I cannot recommend Amanda enough, she is top notch! — Greg Harkavy, Executive Coach