Highlights and lessons from my first two years on Substack

It's been two years of Buhay Copywriter!

Photo via FreePik

This week marks two years since I decided to start writing here on Substack. 🥳

Thank you for being here and for supporting Buhay Copywriter! Whether you’ve just joined or you’ve been here since the beginning, I am honored to have a space in your inbox or Substack app.

As a serial blog-set-upper who has gone from Blogger/Blogspot to Multiply to Tumblr and so on, my wish is that I actually stick to this platform this time around! Because maybe this could be my path towards helping the next generation of copywriters, professional writers, or even those looking to work with me…?

Since I think two years is enough time to learn and explore, I wanted to share some of the highlights and lessons I’ve picked up from writing on Substack. Who knows? A new writer out there might just need a sign like this before they take the plunge and make their own newsletter. :)

Highlight #1: My newsletter is growing!

I now have 318 amazing subscribers. That’s almost as many people as there were in my batch in high school. That’s more people than there are in my current workplace! Thank you so much for being here. Salamat!!!

I’ve also been getting more engagement on average this 2025 versus back in 2024, while open rates have been doing pretty well considering the subscriber count growth.

Here’s how I’ve been tracking my growth since last year: I added open rate, view count, engagement count, and new subscriber counts to my Notion editorial calendar. For 2025, I’ve also stopped counting at the 30-day mark, for better comparison on an article-by-article level.

Speaking of my editorial calendar…

Highlight #2: I have a more refined yet health-affirming workflow

Back in 2023, I wrote on a twice-monthly basis. I switched to a weekly format in 2024, with breaks every quarter or when life caring for my sick mom got too heavy.

This 2025, I retained the weekly format but tried to spread out the pieces that were more research-heavy or emotion-heavy.

I also tried to frontload deep work by using my “Christmas vacation” to perform a content audit, brainstorm topics, draft outlines and promotional post ideas, and arrange my calendar. I’ve also been a bit gentler with myself, skipping a week (or weeks) if my body and mind weren’t in a good place. This lets me focus my energy on my day job and caring for myself, my home, and my loved ones.

Highlight #3: Yay for collaborations and contributions!

Over the past two years, I was lucky enough to be considered for collaborations and contributions. I wrote a piece on libraries as part of

SmallStack Library

’s Seed Pod project.

Niko Batallones

was also gracious enough to let me contribute an essay to

Stack Natin

.

The picture of a thousand choices

Highlight #4: The Substack community is pretty great 💜

Like I mentioned in my 2024 year-end post, the people on Substack make the experience what it is. Features like Chat and Notes have made it easier for us to find our communities on the platform.

That said, you only get what you give. And thankfully, what I’ve found so far on here are generally good vibes or thought-provoking conversations.

Highlight #5: Being here is helping me become a more confident creative

Substack has given me the confidence to go from writing about what I do for a living - copywriting - to starting

A Constant Nostalgia

, a more personal blog.

The people here have also made me feel comfortable enough to start a 30-day Canva creation challenge, years after not doing visual art!

While those highlights were happening, there were also some lessons I picked up along the way. Nothing that warrants major changes — just some caution, I guess.

Lesson #1: Substack isn’t utopia

I’ve read multiple Notes speculating about advertising and sponsored content coming to Substack. As an advertising content strategist, I know that it’s just a matter of time before brands find some way to get in on the Substack hype. Honestly, that sounds awful to me. But the “alternative” in this capitalist society would be to charge “membership fees”. Which sucks, because I think there’s already so many barriers that creators or lifelong-learners have to hurdle.

Then there’s also controversies like this one:

And supporters of those with…questionable morals.

Of course, there’s the issue of free speech. But that doesn’t excuse fake news, misinformation, and support for murderers…right?

And of course, the age-old (?) issue of

Substack Team

not allowing payment/pledge options other than Stripe, so that those in countries like the Philippines can turn on paid subscriptions.

(So for now, let’s do this instead.)

Lesson #2: Baby steps and big-picture stuff BOTH matter

For Substack creators, baby steps can mean tweaking your header/footer, improving your writing workflow, or learning how to do SEO titles. Big-picture adjustments can include overhauling your editorial calendar and conducting a readership survey to refine your approach.

Both aspects matter. And how you go about these depends on your goals.

Since Substack isn’t my bread-and-butter, I can afford to take my time, use free Canva graphics, and publish as regularly as I can. But those who plan to make Substack their full-time job will definitely have different standards, KPIs, and processes.

Lesson #3: We need to keep balancing content consumption and production

Once in a while, I’d see a Note that talks about how Substack folks write and want more readers, but barely read any of the newsletters they’ve subscribed to! Reading (and engaging, if you’re up to it) is part of community-building.

But don’t do it on a quid pro quo basis. Don’t comment generic fluff on 20 pieces.

Be genuine.

Be a real person.

Be a friend.

And connect with that other person and the knowledge or vulnerability they’re sharing through the screen.

Only then, I think, can we have a chance at retaining the #vibes that everyone loves here on the platform. Only then can we keep growing together.