How I Make $100/Day on Substack by Writing to Fewer People (Not More)
Why chasing more subscribers is keeping you broke (and what to do instead)
Picture this, just a few months ago: I was staring at my Substack analytics dashboard, and something didn’t add up.
5,000 subscribers. I'd grown from absolute zero to nearly 5,000 people in just over six months. The growth was working. The content was resonating. People were sharing my posts.
But here's the number that actually mattered: $700.
That's how much I made the prior month from my newsletter. From 5,000 people.
I was doing everything the "experts" recommended:
Posting consistently
Growing my list
Creating "valuable content”
But despite the subscriber count, the effort I was putting into the newsletter wasn’t worth the outcome.
Then someone sent me an email that got my attention:
"Hey Wes, I love your newsletter, but I'm confused about who it's actually for. Sometimes you write about marketing, sometimes about newsletters, sometimes about career coaching. I'm a newsletter writer trying to grow, so I only read those posts. Maybe focus on one thing?"
That email changed my thinking.
I'd successfully grown to 5,000 subscribers, but I wasn't writing for anyone specific. I was writing for everyone. And when you write for everyone, you connect with no one.
The "More Subscribers = More Money" Trap That's Keeping You Broke
Here's what nobody tells you when you start a newsletter: big audiences don't automatically mean big paychecks.
Trust me, I’ve seen creators with 100,000+ followers on LinkedIn who don’t make a dime. And then there’s new creators with a few thousand who make a solid salary.
I'd proven I could grow an audience. Zero to 5,000 subscribers in half a year isn't luck—that's real growth. But I was making less per subscriber than writers with 500 people on their list.
The math was mathing.
Every post was designed to appeal to the widest possible audience. Career advice for everyone! Newsletter tips for all! Business insights for anybody!
The result? A newsletter that was perfectly generic and profitably worthless.
People don't pay for general advice. They pay for specific solutions to specific problems.
When you try to serve everyone, you serve no one. Your content becomes watered down. Your audience becomes confused. Your revenue stays stuck at embarrassing levels.
But here's the part that hurt: I was working harder than ever. Writing more. Posting everywhere. Trying to please an audience of 5,000 people who didn't even know what they wanted from me.
The growth-at-all-costs mentality had turned me into a content hamster, running faster and faster on a wheel that led nowhere profitable.
Maybe you've felt this too. The exhaustion of creating content that gets decent engagement but doesn't move the needle on your income. The frustration of having "successful" metrics but an unsuccessful bank account.
I get it. Because I lived it.
Here's What Really Clicked for Me
I know what you're thinking. "Wes, are you seriously suggesting I should ignore most of my subscribers? That sounds insane."
I felt the same way. Everything in my brain screamed against it. Smaller focus = less money, right?
Wrong.
What if I told you that writing to fewer people could actually make you more money? That targeting 200 to 300 engaged readers is more profitable than broadcasting to 5,000?
Stay with me on this.
The problem wasn't my audience size. The problem was audience clarity. When you know exactly who you're writing for, everything changes. Your content becomes sharper. Your offers become irresistible.
Your income becomes... well, let me show you what happened next.
The Day I "Fired" 4,500 Subscribers (And Made More Money Than Ever)
After that email I got, I did something that felt a little scary: I decided to ignore most of my 5,000.
Not literally. But mentally, I stopped writing for the career changers, the entrepreneurs, the side hustlers, and everyone else who'd found their way onto my list.
I wrote exclusively for newsletter writers who wanted to grow and monetize their Substack.
That was it. One specific group with one specific goal.
Within a few weeks, something interesting happened. My open rates jumped from <30% to nearly 50%. My replies tripled. People started sharing my posts and tagging their friends.
But the real magic happened when I sent a simple survey to my most engaged readers:
"What's your biggest challenge with growing your newsletter?"
30 people responded. And their answers were gold:
"I don't know what products to create."
"I can't figure out how to monetize without being pushy."
"I'm consistent with content but my audience isn't growing."
For the first time in months, I knew exactly what to write about. And more importantly, I knew exactly what people would pay to learn.
Two weeks later, I launched a simple $47 masterclass: "The Six-Figure Substack Growth Masterclass”
I sold 30 spots to the masterclass in 72 hours. $1,410 in revenue.
More than double what I'd made the entire previous month from 9,500 subscribers.
Then, I took that live masterclass, packaged it up into a digital product, and it still sells today on demand.
Why Writing to Fewer People Actually Makes You More Money
Here's the business logic that blew my mind:
Specificity creates demand.
When you solve a specific problem for a specific person, that person will pay you specific money. When you solve general problems for general people, nobody pays you anything.
My audience of 5,000 random subscribers generated $700 because they didn't know what I was selling. My focused approach to less engaged newsletter creators generated more than 2X because they knew exactly what they needed.
The math is simple: 30 customers paying $100 beats 600 customers paying $5. And it's infinitely easier to find 30 people with a specific problem than 600 people willing to pay for general advice.
Plus, targeted content compounds. When you consistently solve problems for newsletter creators, the algorithm shows your content to more newsletter creators. Your audience grows, but it grows with the right people.
The 5-Step "Fewer People, More Money" System
Let me walk you through the exact process I used to transform my newsletter from a hobby that cost me time into a business that pays my bills.
Step 1: Identify Your Core 300 to 500
Stop writing for your entire list. Start writing for your most engaged readers.
Export your subscriber list and look for people who consistently:
Open your emails in the last 30 days
Click your links regularly
Reply to your messages
Share or restack your posts
I found 300 to 500 people out of my 5,000 subscribers who fit this criteria. But here's the crucial part: I also paid attention to WHO these people were. I looked at their email signatures, their questions, and what content they engaged with most.
The pattern was clear—most of my engaged readers were newsletter writers struggling with growth and monetization. They weren't random subscribers; they were people who actually cared about what I was teaching.
This is your core audience. These are the people who will buy from you.
Step 2: The Problem Discovery Survey
Instead of guessing what people wanted, I asked them directly with one simple email:
Subject: Quick question (30 seconds)
"Hey [Name], you're one of my most engaged readers, so I'm hoping you can help me. What's the #1 thing you're struggling with when it comes to growing your newsletter? Just hit reply with a quick answer—even a few words helps."
That's it. No long survey. No multiple choice. Just one open-ended question.
I got 30 responses. The answers clustered around five main problems, with "I don't know how to grow my newsletter" mentioned just about every time. That became my first product focus.
Your readers will tell you exactly what they'll pay for—you just have to ask.
Step 3: Create One Focused Solution
Here's where most people mess up: they try to solve every problem at once. Don't do that.
I focused solely on the product creation problem and created a simple one-hour masterclass video, with an accompanying guide.
No fancy course. No complicated tech. Just actionable solutions to one specific problem.
I set it up on Stan Store with a simple info page to sign up. I priced it at $47—substantial enough to be taken seriously, affordable enough for most newsletter writers, high enough to filter for serious buyers.
Keep your first product simple. Solve one problem really well rather than trying to be comprehensive.
Step 4: Content That Converts
This changed everything for me. Instead of random newsletter tips, I spent one full week educating my audience about the specific problem I was solving.
I wrote five posts & emails that week (more than normal):
Why most newsletter creators never feel seen (highlighted the problem)
The story of my first successful newsletter (made it feel achievable)
5 ways to consistently grow your newsletter (gave away valuable free content)
Each post got more engagement than usual because it spoke directly to my core audience's biggest challenge. People were commenting, sharing, and asking for more help.
By the end of the week, I had people messaging me: "Do you have a course on this?"
The content created demand for the solution.
Step 5: The 72-Hour Launch
I sent one simple email on Sunday:
"This week I've been writing growing your newsletter because so many of you said it's your biggest challenge. I kept getting asked for the complete system, so I built exactly what you requested. The Six-Figure Substack Growth Masterclass is available for 72 hours to join the live class, with a bonus guide. After Tuesday, the live class closes."
No high-pressure tactics. No fake scarcity. Just a natural next step for people who wanted deeper help.
Results: 30 sales in 72 hours.
The key is positioning your product as the logical solution to the problem you've been educating about all week. It doesn't feel like selling—it feels like helping.
I Know This Feels Scary (But It Works)
You're probably thinking, "What if I limit my growth potential? What if I miss out on opportunities by focusing so narrowly?"
I felt the same fear. What if focusing on newsletter creators meant missing out on the career changers who might hire me for coaching? What if niching down actually hurt my income?
Here's what I learned: When you're known for solving one specific problem really well, people refer you for everything.
My subscribers started recommending me to other newsletters. They shared my masterclass with people looking to grow. The word of mouth started taking off.
Plus, something interesting happened to my growth. By focusing on newsletter writers, my content started attracting more newsletter writers. My audience kept growing, but now it was growing with the right people.
You don't need 10,000 subscribers to make $10,000. You need the right subscribers who see you as the solution to their specific problem.
Your Next Step: The Six-Figure Digital Product Masterclass
Everything I've shared today came from one realization: the money is in the specificity.
But knowing the strategy and implementing it successfully are two different things.
How do you identify your core audience when your analytics are messy? What questions should you ask in your survey? How do you create products people actually want to buy? What if nobody responds to your launch?
I've spent the last year perfecting this system and helping other creators implement it successfully. I've taken everything I learned—from growing my newsletter from zero to 9,500+ subscribers to generating consistent $5K+ monthly revenue—and put it into the Six-Figure Digital Product Masterclass.
Inside the masterclass, you'll learn:
✅ The exact system I've used to generate $60,000+ in digital product sales in just 9 months without running expensive ads or having a massive audience
✅ How I built an automated sales machine that generates 80% of my revenue while I sleep, travel, or focus on creating new content
✅ My 7-day product creation process that eliminates overwhelm and gets high-quality products to market fast
✅ The marketing system that attracts eager buyers automatically so you never have to feel pushy or chase customers again
✅ How I scaled to $5K+ monthly revenue without doubling my workload or sacrificing my freedom (this is the key to sustainable growth)
This isn't theory from someone who's never built a digital product business. This is the exact system I've used to generate over $60,000 in digital product sales in the last 9 months—by writing to fewer people, not more.
Stop trying to please everyone. Start serving someone. I’d love for you to join us inside the class below:
Do you have a digital product you offer? Drop a link in the comments and let’s help you get some new eyes on your product.
Question: What’s the one thing holding you back from launching your next product?
📌 PS - If you found this post helpful, would you please consider restacking it and sharing it with your audience?
Focusing on a smaller niche is a great idea. I am trying this out with my first ever ebook. We’ll see if it ends up making sales after the initial push or not.
Thanks for this post, Wes! I’m not sure what I’m going to do - I’ve been on Substack for a little over a month and my focus has been branding, poetry and a series based on my teenage diaries. I love all the pieces and it is too early to see what will be popular. I did get your course, though, and will be launching a digital course this Friday ✨