“Good writing is simple writing. I think that goes for the curation part, as well. I will try and strip myself from the equation as much as possible. You’re like a spider with your tentacles out everywhere, looking and pulling in things from different reader recommendations, dashboards and things you know about the company, and trying to spin it into something really interesting.” — Hannah Ray, Substack 

The firehose of great things to read has only become more overwhelming since Substack came on the scene in 2017. The platform is home to so many excellent newsletters on topics like the history behind today’s politics, inspiring images and ideas, music and culture, and even beloved pets. As of May 2023, Axios reported over 17,000 writers earning money there, with the top 10 making more than $25 million annually.

With so many editorial options, it’s helpful to have a guide to help you find the worthy stuff. Inside of Substack, that’s Hannah Ray, Storytelling Lead. Hannah’s job is to find and elevate amazing writers, especially the ones who might not naturally toot their own horns. Hannah brings experience from The Guardian and Instagram to the role.

Other highlights, inspiration and key learnings from the conversation:

• How Hannah approaches curating newsletters for Substack
• Tools she uses to discover writers
• Her advice for how writers can grow and get featured
• Curation guardrails at Substack
• Why having an editorial background can serve in-house curators

👋 Say "hi" to Hannah. 
🔎 Browse the companion Storyboard to get the episode, plus Hannah’s own favorite culture picks.
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