How Beth Spencer used a sneaky kitty to grow to over $10,000 in gross annualized revenue

This is a guest post from of  talking about a growth strategy she used to grow her publication. The opinions expressed are her own, except where they are mine.

I recommend reading my articles on how to get noticed on Substack, what it really means to get that pretty orange checkmark, and how to go paid on Substack without selling your soul to give this one more context.

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A few weeks ago, posted in Office Hours asking if anyone would be interested in having her write a post about how she grew her publication to over $10,000 in annualized gross revenue, and I leaped at the change.

Often, people tell me that while they love my work, they don’t relate to it because it’s far beyond what they feel they can accomplish. So, I wanted to bring in Beth to talk about her to show you how they grew from nothing to a successful publication in six months, even becoming a Substack featured publication in 2023.

If you like this article, check out Beth’s work.

Every morning, my dog Reggie and I walk around the neighborhood. It's where we do our best thinking.

He can never resist chasing a neighborhood cat. Our relaxing stroll becomes a fierce game of tug of war whenever he gets a whiff of a feline. Before I feel a pair of eyes glaring through the bushes, he's in hot pursuit of the cat, nearly ripping my arm right out of its socket. The cat, a master of hide and seek, always vanishes into a bush or under a car unscathed.

The kitty in question became a source of inspiration for an impromptu marketing launch to grow my Substack audience.

It was time to work. I furiously scribbled this elusive cat into my sketchbook and ideas began taking shape.

The "sneaky kitten" became a character who wandered onto my Substack and caused mischief and typos.

I posted everywhere, begging folks folks to find, capture via screenshot, and share. I rewarded each person who helped with 3 months of complimentary membership.

Every day for a week, I shared a “Sneaky Kitten Update,” teasing a “big announcement.”

I begged folks to help me find this sneaky scoundrel everywhere online. I mentioned it to Substack’s support team in Office Hours. I blamed it for all my typos. It invaded my Instagram page for a day. I got my dogs involved.

Substack had just launched Notes and it felt like the perfect place to recruit sneaky kitten hunters. I mentioned my “BIG ANNOUNCEMENT” in every post, but in reality, there wasn’t even a small announcement.

Watching folks share this imaginary kitten was thrilling. It felt like we were all bonding and it kept my brain buzzing with creative momentum.

The lack of a plan allowed me to let things unfold organically, instead of overthinking every move. I followed my curiosity, continued daily dog walks, and let my ideas unfold in my sketchbook.

As I sketched a companion for the sneaky kitten, an idea for the announcement materialized.

Ideas for starting a club had been dancing around in my head for months, but the thought of a rebranding felt daunting. Since my Substack publication was fairly new, the stakes were low and I knew I needed to push forward.

Since I loved hosting drawing sessions, it felt like an authentic choice to host some silent drawing sessions and rename my newsletter “Introvert Drawing Club.” I wanted to invite introverted artists to “come out of their shells” and draw without mics or cameras.

The reasons this worked for me:

• It was inspired by something real. I molded an experience of my dog chasing a kitten into an interactive marketing campaign.

• It was FUN. People buy your joy. If you’re not enjoying working on a piece of writing, take a break.

• I just got to work, instead of overthinking every move before making it. If you’re new to Substack or have a low subscriber count, you can be a bit wild and free. The best time to make mistakes is when you have low stakes.

Tips to follow your curiosity to market your Substack

• Set aside time to daydream. Walk without headphones, meditate, or practice yoga. Creativity thrives in stillness. Giving yourself space to process your experiences can inspire authentic ideas.

• Limit time spent on devices. I started a weekly tech check-in, so I’m mindful of where my attention goes. This helps craft ideas from genuine experience, instead of being too heavily influenced by outside sources.

• Put your ideas down on paper as quickly as you can. Don’t erase!

• Pause to ask “am I following another writer’s formula for success?” If you’re going in that direction, reshape it your unique voice. Substack rewards authenticity.

I recommend taking advantage of the “Give away paid subscription for free” button. You don’t have to give away every word of your writing. But think about what you might gain from being generous.

I started with 150 subscribers in November 2022, had 300 before the kitten campaign (which grew my count by 250), and am now closing in on 3K.S

Beth Spencer is a picture book artist and illustrator. She writes Introvert Drawing Club and hosts twice-monthly drawing sessions to help artists come out of their shells and connect online. She shares behind-the-scenes of her creative process as she works on her author-illustrator debut, publishing in 2025.

I really love this strategy. Gamifying your publication is a great way to boost engagement and get people excited about what you are doing.

It’s a very smart strategy and it worked great for Beth. If you liked this, then make sure to check out Beth’s awesome publication.

If you have your own story you’d like to share, then you can email russell at wannabepress dot com and send me your story. We prefer articles around 1,000-2,000 words written by creators who have growth strategies to share.

I recommend reading my articles on how to get noticed on Substack, what it really means to get that pretty orange checkmark, and how to go paid on Substack without selling your soul to give this one more context.

If you are not a paid member, you can read everything with a 7-day free trial, or give us a one-time tip.