How Long Does It Take to Grow on Substack? (The Timeline Nobody Talks About)
So you want to know how long it takes to grow on Substack?
Let me give you the answer most “experts” won’t:
Way longer than you think.
I went from 2,000 to 9,000 subscribers in 13 months. And before you think that’s some success story worth celebrating, let me tell you why that timeline is actually misleading – and why yours will probably be longer.
Here’s what nobody tells you about growing on Substack.
How Long Does It Really Take to Grow on Substack?
Let’s start with the uncomfortable truth.
If you’re starting from zero, getting to 1,000 subscribers will take you somewhere between 12 to 16 months of consistent work.
Not 90 days. Not 6 months.
Over a year.
And that’s if you’re actually doing the work. Publishing consistently. Engaging daily. Not taking random breaks because “life got busy.”
The Brutal Timeline Reality
Here’s what the actual timeline looks like:
First 6 months: You’re invisible. Your posts get 3 likes. Your mom is your most engaged reader. You feel like you’re shouting into a void. Because you are.
This is the absolute minimum time you need to stick with the platform to see if it’s even working. Less than 6 months and you’re just guessing.
Getting to 1,000 subscribers: 12-16 months if you’re starting from zero.
Why the range? Because most people screw up in predictable ways:
- They don’t nail down their niche for the first 6 months
- They post inconsistently (3 times one week, then nothing for two weeks)
- They skip the engagement part entirely
- They change directions every time something doesn’t work immediately
Getting to 10,000 subscribers: 2-3 years if you’re starting from absolute zero.
Why does it take this long?
Because you need to write at least 100 pieces to start getting traction. That’s not some arbitrary number I pulled out of thin air. It’s what actually happens when you look at creators who made it.
The first 100 pieces serve two purposes:
- They teach you how to write for your audience
- They give the algorithm enough data to figure out who to show your stuff
Most people quit around piece 15.
Why Most People Quit Too Early
The growth timelines you see online are damn lies.
“I made $10K in 90 days on Substack!”
Yeah, and I bet they started with a 50,000-person email list from somewhere else.
Here’s what actually happens in month 3 when you’re starting from scratch:
- You have maybe 30-50 subscribers
- Half of them don’t open your emails
- You’re wondering if anyone even cares
- Your buddy is telling you about some new AI thing that’s “easier”
This is where 95% of people quit.
They think something’s wrong. That they’re not good enough. That Substack doesn’t work.
Nothing is wrong. This is exactly what growth looks like at the beginning.
It’s supposed to suck.
The Starting Point Problem (And Why I Had an Unfair Advantage)
Time for a confession.
When I “started” on Substack, I had an unfair advantage.
I imported my existing email list of 2,000 subscribers.
That’s why my growth story – going from 2,000 to 9,000 in 13 months – is misleading.
I didn’t start from zero. I had a running start. And more importantly, I had social proof from day one.
Should You Import Your Existing Email List?
Here’s the thing: I actually DON’T recommend doing what I did.
Why?
Because importing your list gives you a false sense of momentum. You start with numbers, but those subscribers didn’t choose to be on Substack. They’re on your list for different reasons.
The better approach: If you already have an email list somewhere else, redirect those people to your Substack. Tell them about it. Give them a reason to subscribe there specifically.
But don’t just dump them into a platform they didn’t sign up for.
If you have an audience on LinkedIn, YouTube, or Twitter? Great. Use those platforms to drive people to your Substack.
But understand this: Starting from absolute zero is a completely different game.
When I went from 2,000 to 9,000, I already had social proof. People saw a number and thought, “Oh, this must be worth subscribing to.”
When you start from zero, nobody thinks that.
You’re building from nothing. Which means your timeline will be longer than mine.
If I needed 13 months with a 2,000-subscriber head start, you might need 2-3 years to hit 10,000 starting from scratch.
That’s just reality.
What Actually Determines Your Growth Speed on Substack?
Not all growth is created equal.
Some people hit 1,000 subscribers in 12 months. Others take 16 months or longer.
Here’s what makes the difference.
Factor 1: Your Publishing Consistency
I recommend posting daily notes and 1-2 long-form pieces a week.
But here’s the thing most people miss: consistency beats quality at the start.
Your first 100 pieces are going to suck. Accept it.
I’ve seen creators run “30-day Substack Sprints” where they publish one long-form article every single day for a month. One guy did this and gained 1,070 subscribers in 30 days.
That’s an outlier result. But it proves a point:
Publishing daily is a cheat code for audience growth.
Why?
Because it forces you to stop overthinking. It forces you to ship. It forces you to get feedback from the market instead of sitting in your head wondering if your writing is “good enough.”
Perfectionism kills momentum.
When you’re starting out, your goal isn’t to write the perfect post. It’s to write 100 posts and let the audience tell you what works.
And here’s a realistic benchmark to aim for: 500 new subscribers per month.
That’s the goal I set for my own Substack. Not 10,000 overnight. Not viral growth. Just 500 people who actually want to hear from me every single month.
If you can hit that consistently, you’ll reach 6,000 subscribers in a year. That’s a real audience you can monetize.
But to hit 500 per month, you need to be publishing consistently. Daily Notes. Weekly long-form. No breaks.
The people who take 16 months to hit 1,000? They’re the ones posting twice a month and wondering why nothing’s happening.
If you’re struggling with writing speed, here are some strategies to write articles faster.
Factor 2: Your Engagement Strategy
Here’s the part nobody wants to hear:
Writing great content isn’t enough.
Substack doesn’t work like Medium where you publish and the algorithm does the work. Substack requires you to be social.
That means spending 15-30 minutes daily engaging with other creators.
Not just liking posts. Actually commenting. Adding value. Starting conversations.
The “comment streak” method works like this:
Find 10-20 creators in your niche. Follow them. Read their Notes. Reply with substance. Do this every single day.
Why does this work?
Because Substack’s discovery is broken. Long-form articles don’t get recommended like they do on Medium. The only way people find you is through Notes, comments, and restacks.
If you’re not engaging, you’re invisible.
I don’t care how good your writing is.
One creator told me he spent his first 6 months just writing articles. Zero growth. Then he started engaging 15 minutes a day on Notes. His growth exploded.
And that 6-month mark? That’s not a coincidence. It’s the minimum time you need to give any platform before you can even evaluate if it’s working.
Less than 6 months and you’re just throwing darts in the dark.
Writing quality matters less than you think. Engagement matters more.
Want to know more about how Substack Notes actually work? Here’s a complete guide to using Substack Notes.
Factor 3: Finding Your Niche (The Thing That Adds 4 Months to Your Timeline)
Here’s what nobody tells you:
Most people spend the first 3-6 months figuring out what the hell they’re writing about.
They start writing about productivity. Then pivot to business. Then try personal development. Then wonder why they have 50 subscribers after 6 months.
This niche confusion is why the 1,000-subscriber timeline stretches from 12 to 16 months.
The people who hit 1,000 in 12 months? They knew their niche from day one.
The people who take 16 months? They spent the first 4 months wandering around, testing different topics, changing their bio every other week.
Think of it like this: If you’re trying to build a house but you keep changing the blueprint, you’re not making progress. You’re just starting over.
Here’s how to avoid this trap:
Pick a niche before you start. Even if it’s not perfect. Even if you’re not 100% sure.
Who are you writing for? What problem are you solving? What transformation are you helping them achieve?
Answer those questions on day one. Not on day 180.
Because every day you spend “figuring it out” is a day the algorithm can’t figure out who to show your content to.
If you’re still struggling with this, here’s how to find a niche for your Substack newsletter.
Factor 4: Your Monetization Model
This is where most people screw up.
Substack wants you to enable paid subscriptions. $5-20 per month. Sounds great, right?
Wrong.
Here’s the math nobody talks about:
Only 1-3% of your free subscribers will convert to paid.
Let’s say you want to make $5,000 a month. At an $8 subscription, you need 625 paying subscribers.
To get 625 paying subscribers at a 3% conversion rate, you need about 21,000 free subscribers.
How long does it take to get to 21,000 free subscribers?
Years.
Even if you hit my goal of 500 new subscribers per month, that’s 42 months. Three and a half years.
This is why I treat Substack as a free traffic engine.
I keep almost everything free. I use it to build trust, provide value, and grow my email list.
Then I monetize with high-margin products on the backend: courses, coaching, consulting.
A $1,000 course only needs 5 sales to hit $5,000. That’s doable with 1,000 subscribers if you build the right offer.
An $8 subscription model? You’re grinding for years before you see meaningful income.
Stop chasing paid subscriptions when you have a small audience. It’s a trap.
I wrote a whole piece on why launching a paid newsletter is a waste of your time if you want the full breakdown.
The Real Substack Growth Timeline (Month by Month)
Let me break down what actually happens at each stage.
Months 1-3: Wrestling With the Basics
What to expect: 10-15 subscribers if you’re lucky.
Maybe 20 if you’re really hustling.
But here’s what’s actually happening during these first three months: You’re figuring out what the hell you’re doing.
- Who am I writing for?
- What’s my voice?
- What topics should I cover?
- Why does this post have 2 likes and that one has 15?
You’re wrestling with the basics. And that’s completely normal.
This isn’t a bug. It’s part of the process.
Think of it like learning to ride a bike. The first few months, you’re wobbling. Falling over. Wondering if you’re even cut out for this.
And if you’re still trying to figure out your niche during these months? You’re adding extra time to your timeline. Because the clock doesn’t really start until you know who you’re talking to.
What you should be doing anyway:
Publish. Engage. Repeat.
Even if nobody’s watching.
Especially if nobody’s watching.
Because the only way to find your voice is to use it. Over and over and over.
Months 6-12: First Signs of Life
This is when things start to shift.
You’re not going viral. You’re not quitting your job.
But you start to notice the algorithm is actually noticing you.
Your posts get more than 5 likes. Someone you don’t know restacks your Note. A few people reply to your emails saying they loved your last article.
These are the “first signs of life.”
And this 6-month mark is critical. Because this is when you can finally start to evaluate whether your strategy is working.
Before 6 months? You’re just building infrastructure. Testing. Learning.
After 6 months? You have enough data to see patterns.
For me, this phase happened between months 6 and 13. Remember, I started with 2,000 subscribers, so I had a head start.
By month 13, I hit 9,000 subscribers.
What changed?
Honestly? Not much.
I didn’t suddenly “crack the code.” I just kept doing the same stuff I’d been doing:
- Publishing 1-2 long-form posts a week
- Posting daily Notes
- Engaging with other creators for 15-20 minutes a day
The difference was volume.
By month 6, I had published enough content that the algorithm had data to work with. People could discover me through multiple entry points.
If you only have 10 articles, there are only 10 doors into your world.
If you have 100 articles, there are 100 doors.
More doors = more people finding you.
Months 12-16: Hitting Your First Thousand
If you’ve been consistent, if you nailed down your niche early, if you’ve been engaging daily – you’ll hit 1,000 subscribers somewhere in this range.
Closer to 12 months if you did everything right.
Closer to 16 months if you stumbled a bit along the way.
And honestly? 16 months is fine.
Because you’re still lapping everyone who quit in month 4.
Year 2+: Building Real Momentum
Once you hit year 2, things get easier.
Not easy. Easier.
You have a back catalog of content. You understand your audience. You know what resonates and what doesn’t.
The 10,000 subscriber milestone becomes realistic.
And this is when monetization starts to make sense.
Not through $8 subscriptions. Through real products.
You can launch a course to 10,000 people and make real money. You can offer coaching. You can consult.
This is when Substack moves from “grinding” to “leveraging.”
But here’s the catch: Most people never make it to year 2.
They quit in month 4.
How to Accelerate Your Substack Growth (Without BS Hacks)
Let’s talk about what actually works.
No magic bullets. No “one weird trick.”
Just strategies that compound over time.
Strategy 1: Nail Your Niche Before You Start
Stop wasting 4-6 months “figuring it out.”
Figure it out before you publish your first post.
Ask yourself:
- Who am I writing for specifically? (Not “entrepreneurs” – that’s too broad. “Solo consultants over 45 who want to package their expertise into online courses” – that’s specific.)
- What problem am I solving?
- What transformation am I helping them achieve?
Write these answers down. Put them somewhere visible.
Every time you sit down to write, check: Does this serve my niche?
If yes, publish it.
If no, scrap it.
This one decision can shave 4 months off your timeline to 1,000 subscribers.
Strategy 2: Quantity Creates Quality (Not the Other Way Around)
Stop waiting to write the perfect post.
Perfection is procrastination wearing a fancy hat.
The creators who win are the ones who publish daily. Not because every post is a masterpiece, but because they’re practicing in public.
Daily publishing is a cheat code because:
- You learn faster (more reps = faster feedback)
- You fail faster (which means you figure out what works sooner)
- You create more entry points for people to discover you
One creator I know did a 30-day challenge where he published one article every single day. He streamed the writing process live to keep himself accountable.
Result? 1,070 new subscribers in 30 days.
That’s not normal. But it shows what’s possible when you prioritize volume over perfection.
Your first 100 pieces will suck. That’s fine.
Quality emerges from quantity. Not the other way around.
If you need help with the mechanics of creating content faster, here’s how I use note-taking to create content 10x faster.
Strategy 3: Engagement Is Your Real Algorithm
Substack doesn’t work like Medium.
You can’t just publish and hope the algorithm picks you up.
You have to be social. Actively social.
Here’s the system that works:
- Find 10-20 creators in your niche
- Follow them on Notes
- Spend 15-30 minutes daily commenting on their posts
- Add real value (not “great post!” garbage)
- Turn those interactions into content ideas for your own Notes
This is how you get discovered.
Not through brilliant writing. Through showing up in other people’s comment sections with valuable insights.
Think of it like networking at a conference. You don’t walk in, give a speech, and leave. You talk to people. You build relationships.
Same thing on Substack.
One of my friends spent 6 months writing amazing articles with zero engagement. Then he started commenting on other people’s Notes for 15 minutes a day.
His growth went from flat to exponential.
Why? Because people started seeing his name everywhere. They checked out his profile. They subscribed.
And remember: 6 months is the minimum commitment. If he’d quit at month 5, he would’ve missed the inflection point entirely.
Your writing is the product. Engagement is the marketing.
Strategy 4: Stop Chasing Paid Subscriptions Too Early
I’m going to say this again because it’s important:
Paid subscriptions are a broken business model for small creators.
The economics don’t work.
You need 10,000+ free subscribers to make meaningful income from $8 subscriptions.
Getting to 10,000 subscribers takes most people 2-3 years starting from zero.
So you’re grinding for years just to reach the starting line of monetization.
That’s insane.
Here’s the better model:
Use Substack as a free traffic engine.
Keep your content free. Build trust. Grow your list.
Then monetize with high-margin products:
- Online courses ($200-2,000)
- Group coaching ($500-5,000)
- One-on-one consulting ($2,000-10,000)
This is what I do.
My Substack is free. I use it to provide value and build relationships.
Then I sell courses and coaching to people who want to go deeper.
A $1,000 course only needs 10 sales to hit $10,000. That’s achievable with 1,000 engaged subscribers.
An $8 subscription model? You’d need 1,250 paying subscribers (which means 42,000+ free subscribers at a 3% conversion rate).
Even at 500 new subscribers per month, that’s 84 months. Seven years.
Do the math. Then choose the path that doesn’t require you to grind for 7 years.
If you want to know more about monetizing a small audience properly, here’s the cheat code for monetizing small audiences.
The Bottom Line: Is Substack Worth Your Time?
Let’s be honest here.
If you’re 40+ and starting from scratch, you don’t have years to waste on platforms that might not work out.
So is Substack worth it?
It depends.
Here’s my brutally honest take:
It took me 13 months to go from 2,000 to 9,000 subscribers. And I had advantages you probably don’t:
- I started with 2,000 subscribers already (unfair advantage)
- I had experience writing online
- I understood email marketing
- I had products to sell on the backend
If you’re starting from absolute zero? You’re looking at 12-16 months to hit 1,000 subscribers. Then another 1-2 years to reach 10,000.
That’s a long time. Especially when you have a mortgage, kids, and limited free time.
But here’s why I still think it’s worth it:
Because what’s your alternative?
Keep working your job forever? Hope your offline business magically scales without you building an online presence?
The truth is, there’s no shortcut to building an audience. Whether it’s Substack, Medium, LinkedIn, or YouTube – they all take years.
The question isn’t “Is Substack fast?”
The question is “Am I willing to play the long game?”
If you are, then yes. Substack is worth it.
But you need to commit to at least 6 months before you can even evaluate if it’s working. And realistically, you need to think in terms of 12-16 months to hit your first 1,000 subscribers, then 2-3 years for meaningful scale.
If you’re looking for quick wins and 90-day transformations, save yourself the disappointment.
This is a multi-year commitment.
And most people reading this will quit in month 4.
The ones who make it? They’re the ones who keep publishing when nobody’s watching.
They’re the ones who engage even when it feels pointless.
They’re the ones who nail their niche on day one instead of month six.
They’re the ones who understand that building something real takes time.
So how long does it take to grow on Substack?
12-16 months to hit 1,000 if you’re starting from zero. 2-3 years to build something meaningful. Longer than you want. But probably worth it if you stick around.
If you’re ready to get started with the right foundation, get my free Substack email course below: