Substack Editorial Advisory
for the moment when publishing on Substack stops feeling straightforward and you’re ready to intentionally grow a publication
At some point, publishing on Substack stops feeling straightforward.
You might still be writing. You could be showing up on Notes every day. But something doesn’t quite feel like it’s moving.
If you’ve ever found yourself wondering:
Is it my writing? Is it the topic? Is it the platform?
– this is a place where we can talk honestly about what it actually takes to publish well on Substack.
Most people assume their writing is the problem.
In my experience, your writing or voice is rarely the barrier to growing on Substack.
Nine times out of ten, what I’m seeing isn’t a writing issue.
It’s a connection and momentum problem.
Your publication, your audience and your invitations to engage aren’t quite syncing up in a way that makes intuitive, relational, trust-based sense.
So each time you publish, things reset.
What we need to get right about momentum on Substack
The thing I want Substack creators to understand most about momentum inside a publication is this:
It doesn’t come from doing more. It comes from seeing what’s already happening — and knowing how to respond to that information with an editorial and publishing intentionality.
Because when you can:
read your audience clearly
understand how your posts are actually moving and
shape what comes next accordingly
your publication starts to show signs of life.
Your writing begins to build on itself.
Your audience engagement becomes easier to track and trust.
And your invitations start to actually work.
How Substack creators and I collaborate
Inside a Substack Editorial Advisory, we work together to build that kind of momentum inside your actual publication.
We look at what’s real:
your publishing queue
your audience behavior
your Substack data
And we make decisions from there.
Not from theory or templates that hundreds of other people have used.
We are inside your work, as it’s unfolding.
What growth on Substack looks like when we work together
Over time, you’ll notice:
your posts start to build on each other, instead of standing alone
your audience becomes more responsive and predictable
you understand what’s shifting month to month — and why
your invitations to upgrade or engage feel clearer, more natural and more effective
The goal is simple:
Your publication begins to feel like an intentional experience, not a series of starts and stops.
Who the Substack Editorial Advisory is for
I’ve designed this for people who already love publishing on Substack — and have started to build something here.
If you’re ready for your work to have a sense of continued momentum, you’re likely also ready for your work to function like a real publication.
How to begin
Most people begin by looking closely at what’s already happening inside their publication.
That’s what the Substack Data Audit is for.
It’s a focused, one-hour session where I review your data, your publication and your recent work — so we can see clearly what’s supporting (or blocking) momentum.
From there, we decide whether ongoing Editorial Advisory makes sense.
About Amanda
I’m an editor and publishing advisor with nearly 20 years of experience working across print, digital and marketing environments — helping people translate what matters into language that actually lands.
I’ve spent the past 12+ years as a founder and publish The Publishing Spectrum on Substack, a featured and bestselling publication where I study audience behavior, share publishing tools (including my data analytics platform, SubSight) and offer editorial guidance for people who want to publish in a way that stays true to their voice.
My work blends editorial strategy, pattern recognition and a highly attuned read on where writing comes alive — shaped by my background as a meditation instructor and a late-in-life diagnosed autistic person.
Most clients find me at a threshold: when their work is evolving and their current voice can’t quite hold what’s coming next.
What people say about working together
“Helped me realign fast… to a strategy that felt more like me.” — Claire Venus, founder of Sparkle on Substack
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