I Make $5K+ Monthly on Substack Working 10 Hours Per Week (Here's My Exact System)
The surprisingly simple 80/20 approach that lets you build a profitable newsletter without burning out or selling your soul
A subscriber asked me last week: "Why do you use AI-generated images for your posts instead of hiring a graphic designer?"
I told him it would make no sense to hire someone. It's making it unnecessarily complicated. It would take longer, cost more money, and create more overhead I don't need.
But his question made me think about something bigger. It revealed this mindset that success on Substack requires complexity, perfectionism, and doing everything the "professional" way.
Here's the thing: I'm running a $5K+ per month Substack (some months more) and I'm working less than 10 hours per week writing and promoting. I use AI-generated images, I write most of my posts in casual language, and I don't overthink every decision.
The subscriber seemed genuinely surprised when I told him this. He assumed that hitting $5K+ monthly required hiring designers, investing in expensive tools, and working around the clock.
It doesn't.
What it requires is finding your 80/20 and focusing relentlessly on what actually moves the needle. You don't need to burn yourself out or "sell your soul" being overly salesy.
The Philosophy: Work Smarter, Not Harder
Most Substack writers are doing it backwards. They're spending hours perfecting their header image while ignoring the fact that their content doesn't solve real problems. They're obsessing over fancy formatting while their audience is telling them exactly what they want to read about.
You don't need to burn yourself out creating content 24/7. You don't need to "sell your soul" being overly salesy or pushy. You don't need to complicate every single process to feel legitimate.
What you need is to identify the 20% of activities that drive 80% of your results, then double down on those activities while eliminating everything else.
The power is in simplicity. The magic is in sustainability.
When that subscriber asked about my AI images, what he was really asking was: "How are you succeeding without doing all the things I think I'm supposed to do?" The answer is that most of those things don't actually matter for growth or revenue.
Common Mistakes That Kill Substack Growth (And Keep You Broke)
Before I share what works, let me tell you what doesn't work—because I see writers making these mistakes every single day:
Mistake #1: Trying to Be Everywhere at Once You don't need to be on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok, Medium, AND Substack. Pick 2-3 platforms max and dominate them. I focus on Substack Notes, LinkedIn, and SEO. That's it.
Mistake #2: Perfectionism-Trapping Yourself Stop spending 4 hours editing a post that could have been published 3 hours ago. Perfect is the enemy of published. Your audience would rather have helpful content with a typo than no content at all.
Mistake #3: Writing What You Think They Want Instead of What They Actually Want I see writers guessing at content topics instead of asking their audience directly. Your subscribers will literally tell you what they want to read about if you just ask them.
Mistake #4: Chasing Every New Growth Hack There's always a new "secret" strategy promising overnight success. Ignore it. Consistency beats tactics every single time. The writers making real money are doing boring, basic things really well.
Mistake #5: Overcomplicating Everything You don't need fancy funnels, expensive tools, or professional designers to hit $5K+ monthly. Sometimes the simplest solution is the right solution.
5-Insight Mini Masterclass: The Sustainable $5K System
I wanted to put together a quick mini-masterclass breaking down how you can create a sustainable newsletter, too.
Something that runs efficiently without hours and hours of effort. We don’t mind hard work. But we don’t like busy work just for the sake of work.
Let’s talk about what really moves the needle and drives results:
#1: Find Your 80/20 and Only Focus on That
I've identified exactly what moves the needle for my Substack growth, and I only focus on these activities:
Writing 2-3 daily Substack Notes (my biggest growth driver)
Writing around 3 posts per week on my newsletter
Writing a few LinkedIn newsletters each week to expand my reach
Creating SEO-focused content so I get subscribers organically from Google
Building relationships with other writers - I now have over 300+ Substacks recommending my newsletter
That last point is huge. Substack's recommendation feature is one of the best parts of the platform. When other writers trust you enough to recommend your newsletter to their audience, that's sustainable, high-quality growth.
Everything else? I ignore it. I don't worry about fancy graphics, complex funnels, or trendy growth hacks. I focus on these five activities and nothing else.
PS - Here’s my Notes strategy in the post below 👇
#2: Solve Your Audience's Problems Authentically
I decided to focus on solving my audience's problems in an authentic way. I listen to my audience and write content that actually helps them.
I'm not just writing whatever pops into my head. I ask them what they're struggling with, I listen to their responses, and then I write more content around those topics.
This approach does two things: it ensures my content is always relevant and valuable, and it builds genuine trust with my readers. When people feel heard and helped, they become loyal subscribers and customers.
The key word here is "authentic." I'm not trying to manufacture problems or create fake urgency. I'm genuinely trying to help people succeed, and that comes across in everything I write.
#3: Use AI to Write Faster (Yes, I Said the Quiet Part Out Loud)
I'm using Claude AI to help me write faster. Yes, I said it. I use AI. ::gasp::
PS: If you're not learning to use AI as a newsletter writer, you're going to be left behind.
But here's the important part: I don't have Claude write all of my content. I have specific prompts I use where it has learned my writing style, my Substack content, my audience, and my voice.
AI helps me outline and draft my posts faster, then I go through to edit and give it more of my personal voice and perspective. It's like having a writing assistant that never gets tired and can help me brainstorm ideas at 2 AM.
The result? I can create more content in less time without sacrificing quality. That's how I can publish 3 posts per week while working less than 10 hours total.
#4: Monetize with Digital Products
I'm monetizing with digital products, and it's working incredibly well. I do plan to turn on paid subscriptions soon, but for now, digital products are my main revenue driver.
I have 3-4 simple products that directly and clearly solve my audience's problems. Nothing fancy, nothing complicated. Just practical solutions to real challenges my readers face.
Here's my system: I rotate every 2-3 weeks talking about a certain topic that surrounds my products, then I unashamedly promote my products at the end of each post. I also use my welcome email and welcome sequence to do the work for me.
The key is being unashamed about promotion. If your products genuinely help people, promoting them isn't "selling your soul"—it's serving your audience.
If you need help creating your first digital product, you can join my Digital Product Masterclass below:
#5: Only Do What's Sustainable
This is the most important insight: I only do things that are sustainable. If I can't keep doing a certain task for the next 6 months, I don't do it.
And I only do the tasks that give me energy and I enjoy. If I'm enjoying writing Notes right now, I'll do that. If I enjoy writing newsletter posts or LinkedIn content, I do that.
Follow your energy because your intuition is almost always right. When you're forcing yourself to do tasks that drain you, it shows up in your content. Your audience can feel it.
Sustainability isn't just about avoiding burnout—it's about building something that compounds over time. Every Note I write, every relationship I build, every post I publish adds to the foundation. But only if I can maintain it consistently.
Learn How to Grow Your Newsletter (the Right Way)
The beautiful thing about this approach is that it's simple, but simple doesn't mean easy. It takes time to identify your 80/20. It takes practice to write authentically. It takes patience to build relationships and see results.
That's why I created my Six-Figure Substack Growth Masterclass—so you don't have to figure out sustainable growth strategies through trial and error like I did.
Inside, you'll get the complete system I've used to grow to over 9,000 subscribers in less than a year, including my exact content strategies, relationship-building techniques, and the sustainable approach that lets me work less than 10 hours per week while generating consistent $5K+ monthly revenue.
This isn't about working harder or adding more complexity to your process. It's about working smarter and focusing only on what actually moves the needle.
Coming Next Week: The Sustainable Substack Workshop
Speaking of sustainability, next week I'm opening up a new workshop focused specifically on how to sustainably grow your Substack without burning out.
It's called The Sustainable Substack Workshop, and it's everything I've learned about building a newsletter business that supports your life instead of consuming it.
How’s this different than my Substack Growth Masterclass? My original class is for beginners…how to refine your niche, how to get your first subscribers, etc.
This new workshop will teach a system that helps amp up your growth in as few hours per week as possible.
Be on the lookout for it.
Another great post, Wes. Looking forward to hearing more about your approach to SEO soon.
What platform are you using for your digital products?