Interview Date: May 11, 2025
Table of Content
- Meet Kathleen Schmidt
- Newsletter Identity Card
- Tools she uses to run her newsletter
- Why she started her newsletter
- How she grew over 16,000 subcribers
- Her paid subscription strategies to reach 700 paid members
- Personal & professional impact of running a newsletter
MEET THE CREATOR
With over 25 years in the book publishing industry, Kathleen Schmidt knows the ins and outs of helping authors thrive. As the founder of Kathleen Schmidt Public Relations, she’s built a career crafting powerful media and branding strategies for writers. And in 2023, she added a new piece to her business: Publishing Confidential on Substack.
Originally launched in 2018 during a career pivot, Kathleen relaunched Publishing Confidential to reveal the secrets of the publishing industry, giving authors the insights they usually don’t get anywhere else.
Started as a passion project, it quickly turned into a Substack Bestseller, now with over 16,000 readers and 700+ paying subscribers. Through sharp analysis, candid advice, and direct community engagement, Kathleen’s newsletter became not just a resource, but a major growth engine for her PR business.
In this interview, Kathleen shares:
- How she grew her newsletter from 0 to 16,000 subscribers in less than two years
- Her honest lessons about launching paid subscriptions and reaching 700+ paid members
- Why Notes, podcasts, and a smart content strategy helped her stand out
- Why she thinks that newsletters give authors a powerful way to build connection beyond social media
Enjoy!
NEWSLETTER IDENTITY CARD
TOOL STACK
START
You have over 25 years of experience in the book publishing industry, and you are now a founder of Kathleen Schmidt Public Relations, specializing in creating media and branding strategies for authors and their books. (see here) How and why did you start Publishing Confidential in the first place?
In 2018, when I was between jobs, I started writing Publishing Confidential and used Mail Chimp to send it out. At that time, I was still on X, so I used my platform there to promote it. I think I had about 50 email addresses.
I only sent out three editions of that newsletter before I became a literary agent and had to press pause on writing about the publishing industry.
Fast forward to 2023. I had started my business, and heard a lot about a platform called Substack, where I could host a newsletter. I gave it some thought, and decided I’d start writing analysis of the publishing industry that people wouldn’t find elsewhere.
As my business grew, I decided to give subscribers a peek behind the curtain of the publishing industry. I’ve always felt that authors weren’t given enough information about the book business, so this was my way of filling that gap.
GROWTH
Which strategies did you use to grow over 16,000 subscribers?
0 – 1,000 Subscribers
Most of these subscribers came from colleagues and friends in the industry who either posted a link to the newsletter on social media or forwarded it to others.
1,000 – 5,000 Subscribers
At this point, I was gaining traction and getting the hang of Substack. I subscribed to several newsletters, and made sure I commented, shared them, and recommended them. I started getting invited on podcasts about books.
5,000 – 10,000 Subscribers
My podcast interviews picked up, and people who reported on the publishing industry started contacting me to comment on stories. A link to the newsletter was included in some of the media stories. I also began to use Notes regularly. All of this spurred additional growth.
10,000+ Subscribers
Everything I did to build my audience got me past the 10K mark.
Additionally, other writers on Substack mentioned me in their newsletters or interviewed me. I’ve continued doing podcasts, appearing on panels, attending industry events, and more.
I don’t take my audience for granted, so I am constantly thinking about what to write to keep people engaged.
You are actively using Substack Notes, some of which got more than 100 likes. How does Notes contribute to your newsletter growth?
Notes is a lot like Twitter, and I was a power user on Twitter, so it came natural to me. Notes is a great place to post articles with commentary to show your expertise in a particular topic related to your newsletter. It is also a great way to promote your newsletter within the platform! I always restack mine with a note.
As an expert in the book publishing industry, how do you see the role of building an audience on Substack? In what ways can authors use newsletters to establish a strong media presence and connect with their readers?
Landing in someone’s inbox is a valuable form of marketing. Building an audience on Substack allows writers to engage with a community that is reading their work, which then becomes a natural extension of their books.
As much as technology has allowed us to connect with others on social media, there is something intimate about conversing with a newsletter creator in the comments. Readers appreciate that connection, so authors should tap into it. In my opinion, newsletters give readers a better idea of a writer’s personality than social media, and that can be advantageous when there is a book to promote.
MONETIZATION
When did you launch your paid subscription and how did you decide that it was the right time for you to activate it? How long did it take for you to become a Bestseller?
I’m going to be brutally honest. It was September 2023, and I was worried about revenue streams for my business. People had pledged paid subscriptions, so I decided to take the plunge.
It didn’t take long to become a bestseller because I entered Substack when it was less saturated.
What are your strategies to convert free subscribers into paid ones or gain new paid subscribers? What is the most effective growth strategies that helped you reach the milestone of 700 paid subscribers?
What’s interesting are all the posts in Notes on Substack about growth hacks. Well, there aren’t really any hacks. Your content needs to be great and as unique as you can make it. Paid subscribers are looking for whatever valuable extras you can give them.
I didn’t have a strategy for paid subscriptions except thinking about what “extras” I could offer. Early on, I did a 30-minute Ask Me Anything Zoom session for Founding Members, which worked well, but it was too time-consuming for me, so I don’t offer it anymore.
I’ve also provided discounted subscriptions at various junctures. Allowing paid subscribers to ask me questions about book publishing every Friday has worked well, and I am constantly thinking of what I can do to increase paid subscriptions. It’s challenging because there are so many newsletters and people are limited by budgets.
How did you decide what to offer differently to paid subscribers to make it compelling for them to join as paid members?
I had an idea for a Facebook group called Book Therapy, where people could ask questions about the industry and I’d answer. Instead of doing it on Facebook, I decided to offer paid subscribers a chance to ask me anything every Friday. If time allows, I also send a newsletter on Sundays with a link roundup.
What are the biggest lessons you’ve learned from running a successful paid subscription? What would you do differently if you had a chance to start over?
The biggest lesson I learned is that I should have made the newsletter all paid from the start. It’s very difficult to get people to pay once they’ve been reading for free for a couple of years. If I were to start over, I’d do 80% paid and 20% free.
IMPACT & LEARNINGS
How did building Publishing Confidential newsletter contribute to your life professionally and personally?
Professionally, the newsletter has expanded my business. Most of my clients have come to me because they read the newsletter and can see my expertise on display. It has been a great marketing tool.
Personally, it gives me an outlet to write, which I love doing.
What would you do differently if you had a chance to start over Publishing Confidential?
Besides starting out all paid, I’d be more organized. I have ADHD, so I don’t necessarily plan topics to write about. Most of the time, the newsletter is written on the fly. If my brain worked differently, I’d create a content calendar for myself.
What would it be if you had the right to give one piece of advice to aspiring newsletter creators?
I would say just keep writing and don’t pay too much attention to subscriber numbers and the leaderboard. I see way too many people obsessing over the leaderboard, and that, to me, is not productive.
3 Popular Publishing Confidential Issues
Where to find Kathleen Schmidt
- “Publishing Confidential” Newsletter
- TikTok
