My Substack Grew 3X After I Stopped Trying to Sound Like Every Other Writer
Why copying successful writers is actually sabotaging your growth—and the counterintuitive approach that led to 3X subscriber growth in 12 months
I had a folder on my desktop called "Newsletter Inspo."
It was packed with screenshots from every successful newsletter I could find. Morning Brew's snappy headlines. James Clear's minimalist wisdom. Tim Ferriss's biohacking insights. Austin Kleon's creative musings.
I studied them like I was prepping for the bar exam.
If they wrote about productivity systems, I wrote about productivity systems. If they used numbered lists, so did I. If they had that casual-but-authoritative tone that seemed to work so well, I tried to copy that too.
I was basically running a tribute band to other people's success.
The problem? My newsletter was flatlining.
I'd restarted my Substack after burning out from seven client calls a day, thinking a newsletter would be my path to freedom. But after months of copying what worked for others, I had maybe 900 subscribers who barely seemed to notice when I published.
Then one morning, exhausted from trying to sound like someone else, I said "screw it."
Instead of writing another post about "5 Career Tips That Changed My Life" (spoiler: they were just recycled LinkedIn advice), I wrote about something I actually cared about - why most newsletter growth advice felt gross to former coaches like me, and what I was figuring out instead.
I wrote it like I was venting to my friend. Used contractions. Included my real opinions about the guru industrial complex. Didn't sanitize my personality to sound more "professional."
That post got more engagement than everything I'd published in the previous three months combined.
That's when I realized I'd been approaching this whole thing backwards.
Why 90% of Writers Sound Like ChatGPT Clones
Here's what's happening to newsletter writers everywhere:
You find someone successful and think, "I need to write like them." So you study their content, analyze their topics, and try to reverse-engineer their secret sauce.
But here's the thing - every other writer is doing the exact same thing.
The result? An endless scroll of newsletters that sound like they were written by the same person using slightly different fonts. Everyone's covering the same topics in the same voice using the same frameworks they learned from the same three "gurus."
Your readers are drowning in content that feels familiar but forgettable.
Meanwhile, you're spending more time analyzing other writers than developing your own voice. You're so busy trying to crack their code that you never discover what makes you different.
Here's the irony: what made those writers successful wasn't following someone else's playbook. It was being authentically themselves in a sea of copycats.
You're studying their output while missing their actual secret weapon: originality.
When I was burning out as a career coach, I was doing the same thing - copying other coaches' frameworks, using their language, following their client processes. And you know what? I sounded exactly like everyone else in a space full of people saying the same things.
The breakthrough only came when I started sharing my real experience - the messy parts, the things that didn't work, the unconventional approaches I'd stumbled into.
The Day I Decided to Write Like Myself
I'll never forget the moment everything clicked…
I was staring at a draft about "How to Network More Effectively" - advice I'd basically pieced together from three or four career coaches. It was technically solid, followed all the best practices, and would probably perform fine.
But reading it back made me feel “meh.”
Every sentence sounded like it came from someone else's mouth. It was the newsletter equivalent of wearing a suit three sizes too big - technically covering everything it needed to, but completely wrong for who I actually was.
I'd spent years as a career coach helping people escape corporate environments that made them feel fake, and here I was... being fake.
So, I deleted the whole thing and started over.
Instead of writing about networking, I wrote about why most networking advice assumes you're an extrovert and what introverted coaches like me had to figure out instead.
I shared my own disasters at industry events…
I talked about the networking strategies that actually worked for people who hate small talk…
I wrote it like I was explaining it to one of my former coaching clients - someone who trusted me enough to be real with them…
The response was immediate. Comments like "Finally, someone who gets it" and "This doesn't sound like every other career newsletter." People started sharing it because it felt genuine instead of manufactured.
But here's what really changed everything: I attracted readers who were specifically looking for my perspective, not just generic career advice.
You're Training Your Audience to Replace You
Here's the strategic insight that shifted my entire approach:
When you copy someone else's style, you're always playing their game. You're a step behind, trying to reverse-engineer something that worked for them with their audience in their context.
But you're not them. Your background is different. Your perspective is unique. Your audience needs what only you can provide.
Plus, readers don't subscribe to topics - they subscribe to people. They want to hear from YOU, not a discount version of someone they're already reading.
When I embraced my natural voice and wrote about what genuinely fascinated me - the intersection of coaching burnout and newsletter growth - I attracted people who were dealing with similar struggles.
They weren't just looking for newsletter advice. They were looking for newsletter advice from someone who understood their specific situation as a service provider trying to escape the time-for-money trap.
That authenticity advantage is simple but powerful: no one can compete with you being strategically yourself.
How to Stop Copying and Start Connecting
If you're ready to find your authentic voice and grow by being yourself (just more strategically), here's exactly how to do it:
Stop Reading Other Writers (Yes, Really)
This might sound counterintuitive but unsubscribe from the writers you've been unconsciously copying.
I know what you're thinking: "But I need to stay informed about what's working!"
Here's what's really happening: you're filling your head with other people's voices right before trying to find your own.
When I was copying other career coaches, I was consuming their content daily. Their frameworks became my frameworks. Their language became my language. I couldn't hear my own voice over the noise of everyone I was trying to emulate.
Give yourself 30 days of competitive silence. Your authentic voice needs space to emerge.
What You Think About When Nobody's Watching
Make a list of what you actually think about when you're not "working on your newsletter."
What topics come up when you're talking to friends?
What makes you lose track of time when you're reading?
What are you naturally curious about, even if it seems off-brand?
For me, it was the intersection of service provider burnout and building scalable income. Not the sexiest topic, but it was authentically mine.
These interests aren't distractions from your newsletter - they're the ingredients that make it uniquely yours.
How to Unlearn Everything You Think You Know About Writing
Write your next post like you're explaining it to someone who already trusts you.
Use the contractions you actually use. Include the opinions you normally keep to yourself. Share your actual thought process, not the cleaned-up version you think sounds more professional.
If you naturally say "here's the thing" or "look" or "honestly," include those phrases. They're not unprofessional - they're you.
When I stopped trying to sound like a "thought leader" and started writing like someone who'd actually been through the struggle, everything changed.
The "Would I Say This Out Loud?" Rule
Before hitting publish, ask yourself: "Does this sound like something I'd actually say out loud?"
If you can't imagine yourself explaining these ideas to a friend over coffee, it's probably still too sanitized.
The slight discomfort you feel about being "too casual" or "too personal" is actually your signal that you're getting closer to your real voice.
30 Days of Refusing to Sound Professional
Commit to writing authentically for 30 days straight.
Track your engagement compared to your copying era. Watch how your ideal readers start finding you naturally instead of you having to chase them with someone else's tactics.
I went from 900 disengaged subscribers to 12,000+ engaged ones in less than a year, not because I got better at marketing, but because I got better at being myself.
Your Weirdness Is Your Competitive Advantage
I get it. This feels risky because you're going against everything you've been taught about "modeling success."
But think about the writers you actually remember and look forward to hearing from. They're not the ones who sound like everyone else. They're the ones with distinctive perspectives, unique backgrounds, and authentic voices.
When I was a burnt-out career coach, I thought my struggles were weaknesses I needed to hide. But it turned out that my experience with service provider burnout was exactly what my audience needed to hear about.
The readers who connect with my story of escaping the coaching trap aren't just subscribers - they become advocates. They share my content because it speaks to their situation in a way that generic productivity advice never could.
Your background, your struggles, your unconventional path - these aren't bugs in your system. They're features that make you irreplaceable.
The Complete System for Authentic Newsletter Growth
This voice shift was just the beginning for me. Finding my authentic angle unlocked everything else.
It led to 12,000+ engaged subscribers and over $5,000 in consistent monthly revenue. But it wasn't just about being myself - I had to be strategically myself.
I needed systems for turning authenticity into sustainable growth. Content strategies that worked with my natural interests. Monetization approaches that felt generous instead of extractive.
That's exactly what I teach in my Six Figure Substack Growth Masterclass - the complete system for building a successful newsletter by being more authentically yourself, not less.
This isn't about turning you into a generic content creator. It's about showing you how to leverage your unique background and perspective into consistent growth and revenue.
Plus, when you join this weekend, you get exclusive access to my brand new “Authentic Writer's Growth Workshop.” This is where I walk you through the exact process I used to find my voice, plus advanced strategies for turning your unique experiences into compelling content that attracts your ideal readers.
You'll learn how to identify your "Writing Truth," develop content that feels effortless to create but valuable to read, and build an audience that genuinely wants to hear from YOU specifically.
The workshop is *only available* as a bonus for Masterclass students who join through this weekend.
When you’re ready to start growing, you can join 100’s of writers inside the masterclass (and get the new workshop as a bonus, too):
Remember: Your authentic voice isn't something to overcome - it's your unfair advantage.
100%, Wes.
True that! Your post is an eye opener when it comes to writing genuine abd unique content!