Why Recommendations Deserve Starter Minutes
Substack recommendations might be the most slept on growth tool on the platform. Most writers know the tab exists, turn it on once, then forget about it and go back to grinding Notes and posts.
That is a missed opportunity. Substack has shared that a huge share of new subscribers across the platform arrive through recommendations, not social media links or search. When another writer recommends you, your publication gets surfaced right after someone hits “subscribe” on theirs, inside onboarding flows, and in follow suggestions. That is warm traffic from people already in “yes, I want to read more” mode.
This newsletter walks you through a clear, sports creator friendly recommendation system you can start running this week.
Step 1: Research Your “Neighbor” Publications
You do not want random recommendations. You want neighbors. These are publications that
Cover a similar topic or niche
Share overlapping audiences
Operate at a quality level you are proud to stand next to
Substack’s recommendation feature works best when the reader moving from one publication to the next feels like they are exploring a “scene” rather than jumping into a totally new universe.
Practical moves
List your main topics. For example
NBA, fantasy basketball, sports media careers, women in sports, college prospects
Search Substack and your own Notes feed for creators in those lanes
Pay attention to “Suggested to follow” and “Recommended by others” sections, since Substack already surfaces likely fits based on categories and reader behavior
If you can, build a simple directory for your own scene like we did with Sport Stackers. Group creators by sport, subtopic, and angle so it is easy to spot overlap.
Step 2: Make Your Publication Easy To Recommend
Before you worry about getting recommended, make sure you are recommendable. Another writer should be able to glance at your publication page and instantly answer
Who is this for
What do they write about most of the time
Why would my readers care
Recommendations work best when writers are confident their readers will genuinely like the other publication. That means your brand has to be clear.
Do this audit
Is your title and tagline specific
Does your About page explain who you serve and what they get
Do your last five posts all feel roughly aligned with that promise
You can and should inject your personality. You might be “NBA fantasy points league sicko, girl dad, snapback collector, and health journey guy” all in one. That is the charm. Just do not bury the core promise under endless side quests.
Step 3: Use The Recommendations Tab With Intention
The Recommendations dashboard on Substack lets you
Choose who you recommend
See who has recommended you
This is not about chasing big subscriber counts. Some creators get a meaningful share of their subs through recommendations even when they are still “small.” The real filter should be
Does this publication consistently deliver value
Would my readers feel like I put them on to something good
Start by recommending at least five publications you truly enjoy and that align with your audience. That is usually enough to make the network effects start working in your favor.
Step 4: Write Real Blurbs, Not Fluff
Most writers skip the blurb or write “Great newsletter, highly recommend.” That is a wasted chance. Blurbs are part of how recommendations stand out in onboarding screens and in the sidebar.
Better blurbs
Name the reader
“If you are a fantasy hoops nerd who lives in your league’s group chat, this is for you.”
Name the value
“Breaks down game film in a way that makes you smarter without needing Synergy access.”
Name the reason
“This is where I go when I want to feel like I am in the press box, not on the couch.”
Two or three specific sentences beat a vague compliment every time.
Step 5: Lead With Reciprocity, Not Transactions
The temptation is to treat recommendations like a trade. “I will recommend you if you recommend me.” That energy turns a trust based feature into a weird cold DM exchange and it usually backfires.
A better approach
Recommend people whose work you love with zero expectation
Assume most will never recommend you back
Treat any return recommendation as a bonus, not a condition
This keeps your recommendations page honest and protects your readers. It also quietly builds goodwill. Other writers see that you send them real subscribers, not just ask for favors, and that makes them much more open to collaborating later.
Step 6: Turn Kind Words Into Social Proof
When someone recommends your publication, they often write a short note about why. Those blurbs are marketing gold.
Use them by
Taking screenshots of the best blurbs and sharing them in your newsletter, About page, or Notes
Pulling one or two key phrases into your bio
Mentioning “recommended by X, Y, Z” when you introduce your publication to new readers
This is not about proving you are “real.” You already are. It is about reducing friction for someone who has just discovered you and is deciding if they should trust you with their inbox.
Step 7: Treat Recommenders Like Colleagues
Recommendations are not a one off transaction. They are the start of a relationship. Writers who get the most from the recommendation network often behave like they are building a roster, not chasing shoutouts.
Support your recommenders by
Reading and engaging with their new posts
Restacking their best work, especially when it helps your audience
Mentioning them in your own pieces when their ideas help shape yours
Push their content like it is yours. Over time, that creates a little “scene” where readers bounce between your publications and everyone’s lists grow together.
Step 8: Build A Weekly Recommendation Ritual
The writers who win with recommendations do not treat it as a once a year task. They treat it as a rhythm. Some growth case studies show creators adding hundreds of subs by deliberately cultivating just a handful of strong recommendation relationships and guest posts.
Here is a simple weekly ritual
Block 20 to 30 minutes on your calendar
During that window
Look for one or two new potential neighbor publications
Check if any existing recommenders have new work you can highlight
Refresh blurbs if needed so they still reflect what you love about a publication
This keeps your recommendation network alive instead of static. It also ensures you are not only hunting for new names but nurturing the relationships that already send you subscribers.
The Ninja Move: Show Your Impact, Then Ask
If you have been recommending someone for a while and notice they have not recommended you back, it might be because they do not realize how much you have helped. Substack’s stats let writers see how many subs arrived via a specific recommendation source.
After you have sent them a meaningful number of subscribers
Send a short, respectful DM
Let them know exactly how many people subscribed to them through your recommendation
Make a low pressure ask
Example
“Hey, just wanted to share something cool. We have had about 40 readers subscribe to your newsletter through our recommendation over the last few months. Our audiences seem to overlap a lot. No pressure at all, but if you ever feel like recommending Sport Stackers in return, it would mean a lot. Either way, big fan of what you are doing, and let me know if I can support you in any other way.”
This works because you are leading with value, you are showing data, and you are explicitly removing pressure. Many larger publications simply have not noticed where their subscribers are coming from until someone points it out.
Your Recommendation Game Plan For This Week
To make this actionable, here is a simple one week challenge you can run right now
Day 1
Make a list of 10 neighbor publications in your niche
Day 2
Add at least 5 genuine recs with real blurbs
Day 3
DM one os the writers you rec’d simply to say you appreciate their work, with no ask
Day 4
Audit your About page and homepage so they clearly show what new readers get
Day 5
Share one screenshot or quote from someone who recommended you as social proof
Day 6
Read a recommended publication and restack one of their best posts with a thoughtful Note
Day 7
Look at your stats and set a simple goal, for example
“I want a healthy chunk of new subs to come from recommendations over the next 90 days.”
Recommendations work in the background once they are set up. The more intentionally you curate them, the more they quietly send you the exact kind of readers you want: people who already love the kind of work you do.
-Robbin Marx
