Hey creatives,

I’ve been getting ~ out and about ~ more than usual here in San Francisco. I’ve been trying to create parts of the city I wish existed like 3pm yoga classes and romance writing events!

I’ve been reminded of the magic that comes with putting oneself out there. It can be a bit scary (I am an introvert, after all) but every time I do so I’m rewarded with new friends and a deeper sense of meaning and community.

It can feel safe to stay behind our laptops and exist on the online world, but in-person community is what we make it. That’s why I’ve been putting effort in rooting down more here in SF.

If you’re based here or in town I’ve got different ways you can plug in to what I’m up to, linked below!

And if you’re not based here, don’t worry — I’ve got links to author interviews and interesting creator news before to help keep you informed and inspired.

Let’s get into this week’s roundup:

💬 Links I Sent My Fiancé

My fiancé (!!!) Kyle Cords is my co-founder which means DMing him links counts as productive work 💕

• tbh this week Kyle and I have mostly been talking about CozyJobs, our jobs + opps platform for creatives, freelancers, fractional talent, and people wanting interesting full-time work. We’ve also recently built out some improvements for the application tracker so you can better track what you’ve submitted to both for jobs and opps!

🌁 Dispatches From the Bay

What to do and where to eat in San Francisco.

• I’m teaching a romance writing class in support of San Francisco’s newest romance bookstore opening, The Love Potion Library! It’s on June 2nd from 7-8:30pm. RSVP here. The class is for romance writers (and readers!) who want to learn how to use screenwriting techniques to write more cinematic novels. There’s already 25 people registered so sign up soon if you’d like to join!

• It’s official — I’m now teaching a weekly “yoga &” series where I’m pairing yoga with different mindfulness practices! This Wednesday it will be a yoga & tea tasting event at The Commons in Hayes Valley here in SF. RSVP here!

☕️ Content Trends

Trends in social media, content creation, and what’s going on here on Substack.

• I interviewed award-winning author and TV & film writer Jordan Harper about his modern Los Angeles noir novels as part of my ✍️ Make Writing Your Job author interview series. His books are both elevated and fascinating and also can’t-put-them-down pageturners. Check out our conversation and pick up one of his books if you’re ready for a great read:

✍️ Make Writing Your Job

✍️ A Conversation with Author Jordan Harper (Everybody Knows, A Violent Masterpiece)

Jordan Harper is an Edgar Award-winning author and TV writer based in Los Angeles. His credits include The Mentalist and Gotham, and his novels include the Edgar-winning She Rides Shotgun, Everybody Knows, and The Last King of California. She Rides Shotgun…

Listen now

10 days ago · 13 likes · Amy Suto and Jordan Harper

• The TikTok-skits-to-three-book-deal pipeline is now an editorial template. PW’s May 11 issue has a great inside look at how Saga acquired Jaysea Lynn’s Hell’s Belles romantasy series — she went TikTok skits → self-pub → 18K print copies in week one of the trade paperback → 23K week one for the deluxe edition (now in its fourth printing). It just goes to show that self-made authors are able to find different ways to market their work and get in front of their readers. From TikTok Skits to a Three-Book Deal (Publishers Weekly)

• Lena Dunham used Substack as a primary driver of her book tour. Just goes to show that lots of avid readers are on this platform, and this is where future books will be marketed. This is also part of the reason I’ve been enjoying interviewing authors on my Substack ✍️ Make Writing Your Job — I love supporting books and writers while also giving our readers a look into their writing career behind-the-scenes.

💰 What to Watch & Read If You Want to Make Money Online

Resources to make you smarter and richer in the Creator Economy.

• I interviewed writer Julie Clark Robinson as part of my community interview series at ✍️ Make Writing Your Job. We talked about how she sold personal essays for $1,500 and $2,000 per piece and used that to build momentum to get published in anthologies and short story collections.

✍️ Make Writing Your Job

✍️ How to Build a Writing Career From Personal Essays with Julie Clark Robinson (Community Spotlight)

Julie Clark Robinson is a writer and ✍️ Make Writing Your Job community member whose personal essays have been published in Family Circle magazine — where she was paid $1,500 (and $2,000!) per piece. She's here today to talk about how she built a writing career around personal storytelling, and how writers can actually get paid to write from their own l…

Listen now

10 days ago · 11 likes · Amy Suto and Julie Clark Robinson

• Open Tab Episode 2 with Esther Perel just dropped. Hanne Winarsky sits down with Perel at Temple Bar in SoHo on the day of the 20th anniversary re-release of Mating in Captivity. She talks about how she hires and builds her businesses, why work has replaced religion as a source of meaning, whether AI can give good therapy, and how she's making it her life's work to recreate the proverbial village online.

🛍️ Add to Cart

Things that have made my life better or products I have my eye on.

• Wide mouth mason jars have been the best purchase I’ve made for my kitchen. I’ve been prepping overnight oats + celery juice and they’re great for that as well as for random leftovers that would take up too much space in other containers. I also have been getting back to growing my own sprouts for smoothies and salads, and you can get a mason jar kit for that as well :)

  • Sprouts can grow on your kitchen counter without soil (you just rinse the seeds each day — here are the seeds I get), and they’re really good for enhancing the natural detoxification of your body. I inhaled so many sprouts in my journey to reach remission of my autoimmune condition, so they’ve been a staple in my diet during my recovery journey (and beyond, now that I’m healed!)

Questions? Thoughts? Would love to hear what you’re thinking, reading, or making in the comments.

Happy creating,

-Amy

I wanted to open this issue by sharing a conversation I had with author Emma Gannon about the question — do authors still need gatekeepers? Lots to think about here — you can watch it below!

The Hyphen by Emma Gannon

Do authors still need gatekeepers?

Amy Suto’s book Write for Money and Power has an arresting cover. It’s bold. It’s not messing around. It asks: can you be an artist — and want money and power? Inside a system that doesn’t often grant artists much power? How many of us have been sold the starving artist myth? That to be an artist, you should be living off nothing, and never ever “sell o…

Listen now

15 days ago · 43 likes · 2 comments · Emma Gannon and ✍️ Make Writing Your Job

I’m also teaching yoga + journaling classes in SF, more on the “why” you should consider doing more yoga (or trying it if you haven’t already!) as a creative below as well as the details of the class:

So I’ve been busy lately but not in a hectic way. I’ve replaced screen time with in-person writing sessions with local writers — I’ve spent more time perusing farmers markets, bookstores, and assembling bouquets of spring flowers.

Because of all that I’ve been feeling more creatively fed and feeling lucky to be able to spend more time in the pages of my next novel.

All of that aside — there are lots of fascinating changes in the landscape for creatives! Here’s what I have for you this week:

💬 Links I Sent My Fiancée

My fiancée (!!!) Kyle Cords is my co-founder which means DMing him links counts as productive work 💕

tbh this is most of the vibe of what I sent Kyle this week:

🌁 Dispatches From the Bay

What to do and where to eat in San Francisco.

• I have mixed feelings about San Francisco, and “San Francisco is Creatively Dying” by Georgia Witchel hits on some of the issues I have with this city. It’s also why I’ve been getting more involved on putting on events here — I’m wanting to create pockets of this city that feel more creatively inspired and fruitful.

☕️ Content Trends

Trends in social media, content creation, and what’s going on here on Substack.

• I talked about this back when I visited LA in April — all of my Hollywood friends are talking about are the rise of verticals (AKA: made-for-social-media content). Disney is doubling down on them publicly. I guess Quibi was a trailblazer all those years ago!

• Netflix has added a clipping feature and a short form video feed, showing that they’re trying to compete more with the likes of YouTube. Looks like the Creator Economy is here to stay :)

💰 What to Watch & Read If You Want to Make Money Online

Resources to make you smarter and richer in the Creator Economy.

• Substack started a talk show/interview series called Open Tab, where they interview top Substackers at bars. Here’s the first episode featuring Emily Sundberg of Feed Me fame.

  • I saw a comment on social media of someone saying this was a good move on Substack’s part — making content they want others to emulate on their video platform.

    • ALSO: this means that they’re putting forth a signal of wanting ~ more video ~ on the platform. So, if you have any video component to your work, it might be a good time to lean into it here on Substack. I talk about this a lot as part of my monthly Substack Lab group workshop, but wanted to continue to reiterate it here!

📕 What I’m Reading Lately

I really enjoyed ’s book A Violent Masterpiece. I discovered his work after reading his LA noir novel Everybody Knows, and his prose is lyrical and cuts to the bone in a way that is so rare to see in this genre!

As a former LA citizen myself, it was also cool to read something that embodies the gritty side of the city so clearly.

📚 buy A Violent Masterpiece

I also finished Emma Gannon’s book A Year of Nothing, her first foray into self-publishing/indie publishing. It’s a raw and emotional look at creative burnout, and it was so fun to be able to chat with her about it in our conversation about self-publishing.

📚 buy A Year of Nothing

🛍️ Add to Cart

Things that have made my life better or products I have my eye on.

• Kyle got me a Ninja Creami as an early birthday present and I’ve been loving making more “healthy” versions of ice cream :) I’ve been eating less dairy these days, so being able to whip up gelato and non-dairy ice cream at home (rather than buying store-bought versions of things full of additives!) has been helpful.

Questions? Thoughts? Would love to hear what you’re thinking, reading, or making in the comments.

Happy creating,

-Amy

If anyone ever comes to you and tells you that “your Substack is too niche!!!” just show them this email I got about how much money community/newsletters on the platform Skool make:

^I’d particularly like to draw your attention to poop scoop millionaire, a community that earns $42,891/month teaching people how to pick up dog poop as a business.

While Skool is a Substack competitor, I think the platform itself is irrelevant here when we’re talking about niche. There are Substack publications that are very niche that are also doing ~ numbers ~ and I’ve broken down some examples in my 6 Week Substack Sprint.

I talked a bit more about niches and what we can learn from these communities at the top of our most recent Substack strategy workshop, Substack Lab, which is open to all Founding Members of 💡 Sutoscience (consider upgrading your subscription if you’d like to join us + gain access to the 6+ hours of content of the 6 Week Substack Sprint + 1:1 Substack Audits as I’ve reopened my books for a limited time!)

Without further ado, here are more of the links, content trends, and other creative news items of interest for you to check out:

💬 Links I Sent My Fiancée

My fiancée (!!!) Kyle Cords is my co-founder which means DMing him links counts as productive work 💕

• Kyle sent me this piece about how Spotify is starting to sell physical books. I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again: physical books are so timeless even tech companies are betting on them.

• Kyle shared this chart with me that is the future of “new media” in the social age.

• A Japanese developer created an app where a fat cat sits on your screen to get you to log off and touch some grass.

🌁 Dispatches From the Bay

What to do and where to eat in San Francisco.

• Kyle and I were both pulled up on stage for magic tricks as part of this great SF magic show with magician Kevin Blake. You enter through a speakeasy and it’s a really lovely date night, so highly recommend if you’re in the city!

☕️ Content Trends

Trends in social media, content creation, and what’s going on here on Substack.

• Grammarly now lets you prove your writing is human. The new Grammarly Authorship feature tracks your keystrokes in real time and generates a report showing what was human-typed vs. AI-generated or pasted. For freelance writers pitching to skeptical clients, or authors who want to demonstrate authenticity, this is the kind of tool that might soon become table stakes. The fact that we now need to prove our own writing is ours is... a vibe, but here we are.

• YouTube expanded deepfake protection to every creator on the platform. All creators can now request removal of AI-generated content that simulates their face or voice. For authors who do content online, this matters — the threat of someone making a fake version of you promoting something is no longer theoretical. Social Pilot

• Instagram Reels can now run up to 20 minutes. The line between Instagram and YouTube is officially blurry. Long-form writing vlogs, process videos, “a day in the life of a working author” — all of these have room to breathe in a way they didn’t before. If you’ve been hesitating on video because you felt like you needed a whole YouTube setup, this might be your moment to start smaller.

• TikTok is now showing your new videos to your existing followers first. If your followers don’t engage, the video doesn’t travel to the For You Page. This is a quiet but massive shift — the “go viral with strangers” era is over, and the “build a community that actually cares” era is here. For writers on BookTok or anywhere: follower count is now a vanity metric. Engagement from real readers is what unlocks reach.

• Two years after selling Simon & Schuster, Paramount is back in books. Paramount Skydance just launched Paramount Global Publishing, a new imprint starting in the U.S. and Canada. The pitch: expand franchises (your SpongeBob novels, your Mission: Impossible tie-ins) and develop original IP to pipeline into film and TV. On one hand — Hollywood continues to treat books primarily as IP farms. On the other hand, that means more acquisitions, more deals, and potentially more money for authors. Silver linings! Variety

💰 What to Watch & Read If You Want to Make Money Online

Resources to make you smarter and richer in the Creator Economy.

• 32 million new Substack subscribers came from inside the platform in a single quarter. The Substack discovery engine — Notes, Recommendations, the algorithm — is genuinely working. Which means if you're not treating Substack Notes like a micro-social platform where you post 1–2 times a day, you are leaving real subscriber growth on the table. Here's a solid YouTube breakdown of what a $400k/year Substack strategy actually looks like right now from newsletter creator Nicolas Cole:

• Kyle and I have launched our CozyJobs — our jobs platform for creatives! — far and wide with a new coupon code for all subscribers to try a week of our paid plan for just $0.99! Get the code and watch the demo here:

  ✍️ Make Writing Your Job

  ✍️ Apply to Writing Jobs Faster with CozyJobs

  Hey writers…

  Listen now

  24 days ago · 1 like · Amy Suto

🎥 Random Pick of the Week: 50 Hours on Europe’s Most Dangerous Island

Personally, I find that some of the best documentary work is being done on YouTube.

I’ve been loving Yes Theory, and here’s a recent video they made about the surprising history of a French island you probably don’t know about:

I really like Yes Theory’s videos because (despite the clickbait-y titles) they take time to really understand a local area and the people who inhabit them. It’s the kind of understanding I’m always chasing as a memoir ghostwriter and (in fictional projects) as an author.

🛍️ Add to Cart

Things that have made my life better or products I have my eye on.

• We just bought a whole pack of disposable cameras for our wedding guests to help us capture our special day. There’s something nostalgic about this bad boys, don’t you think?

Questions? Thoughts? Would love to hear what you’re thinking, reading, or making in the comments.

Happy creating,

-Amy

After my break from coffee for 50 days (!!) I’m back at my usual Blue Bottle haunt.

I routinely take breaks from coffee + caffeine (my current record is an entire year without coffee and caffeinated tea) but let me tell you — the first cup back is better than any drugs on the planet. ☕️

I’m also almost done with 75 Hard (it’s been a busy last few months) and I’ve been marinating on some projects (including CozyApply + CozyJobs which I recently shared with you!) and another fiction project I’m excited to announce soon.

While I’m getting more things prepared to share with you, here’s my dispatch from my creative lab for you in the meantime:

💬 Links I Sent My Fiancée

My fiancée (!!!) Kyle Cords is my co-founder which means DMing him links counts as productive work 💕

• It’s actually more mentally healthy to be optimistic to a delusional degree. I can attest by this — the more insane my goals (and certainty I’ll reach those goals) are, the better and faster my results are. Call it manifesting or just plain positive thinking, I think we operate better from a place of “everything works out for me.” It keeps the demons at bay, y’know?

• I’ve read in the past about why walking has been a staple in the routine of many writers (such as walking around the block before sitting down to write) because of walking’s benefit on creative thought. But new studies suggest it also might be worth it to pick up your pickleball paddle or tennis racquet to get 10+ years added to your life. Think about all the words you could write with 10 additional years.

• Claude Design is crushing it. If you’re a writer who needs some design work done, people are making some cool stuff with this tool. I haven’t tried it yet, but curious if you try it what you think.

🌁 Dispatches From the Bay

What to do and where to eat in San Francisco.

• A guide to some of your matcha options in SF. I personally have been obsessing over Q Specialty Coffee since it opened!

• Love the concept of a startup taking over a coffeeshop. If I took over a coffeeshop for writers and made it a combo bookstore/yoga studio/event space/coffeeshop/mocktail bar would you come and hang?

☕️ Content Trends

Trends in social media, content creation, and what’s going on here on Substack.

• Vanity Fair and Dazed Digital covered the rise of smutty books (and media) in the mainstream. From romantasy as a trend to the explosion of Heated Rivalry, audiences want more sex on-screen and on-page. I have a lot of feelings about this topic as a romantasy/romance author myself, but this paragraph from the Dazed Digital interview captures another driver behind this trend going more mainstream:

“The word ‘smut’, as she outlines on the society’s website, is derived from the Germanic word “schmutzen” which loosely translates to the act of staining, smudging and defiling. This definition alone highlights the unfortunate cultural view of the genre as a whole and the shame its readers can experience. Often, when female pleasure is prioritised – both within these books themselves, and by the mounting numbers of women finding enjoyment in them – it is not taken seriously. In creating community around ‘smut’, readers are reclaiming its meaning and attempting to melt the stigma around the books they love.” - Dazed Digital

💰 What to Watch & Read If You Want to Make Money Online

Resources to make you smarter and richer in the Creator Economy.

• Do you hire freelancers on the Internet? Some of them might not be who they say they are. I loved this incredible piece of investigative journalism because I ran into the same problem when I was trying to hire technical help last year for some of the projects Kyle and I are working on:

🛍️ Add to Cart

Things that have made my life better or products I have my eye on.

• I got the cutest mini waffle maker for $9 on Amazon!!! I had a craving for cute waffles and I made some great gluten-free vegan buckwheat waffles topped with fresh blueberries from the farmer’s market. Sometimes things just taste better when they’re fun-sized.

Questions? Thoughts? Would love to hear what you’re thinking, reading, or making in the comments.

Happy creating,

-Amy

Hey creators,

Entertainment is shifting quickly, and I went to Los Angeles with for the past two weeks to talk to our subscribers and writer friends who are still working in the entertainment industry to get the latest.

What I learned re-affirmed what I’ve been sharing with you. Creatives who own their platform (in the form of self-publishing, a paid newsletter, or freelancing) — or who are adapting to the new way people consume content — are crushing it. Everyone else is falling behind or struggling to stay relevant.

It’s nice to see some of what I predicted in my book Write for Money and Power continue to hold true, and I’m here to help you continue to practice your art form while being mindful of distribution and packaging of your work.

Here’s my dispatch from my creative lab for you this week:

💬 Links I Sent My Fiancée

My fiancée (!!!) Kyle Cords is my co-founder which means DMing him links counts as productive work 💕

• Kyle sent this to me: Hollywood actresses are building AI tools now. The sentiment in Hollywood has reversed — even in my most recent LA trip, AI is becoming begrudgingly accepted or warmly embraced. It’s been surprising to see, but I think it’s an inevitability for the industry.

🌁 Dispatches From the Bay

What to do and where to eat in San Francisco.

• I’m starting a new social club called Creatives ONLY Social Club here in SF. We have a picnic coming up on April 25th (we had to reschedule due to bad weather!) so if you’re a creative in search of more of your fellow writers/artists/creators looking forward to seeing you there!

• I’m also organizing a Bay Area live Substack reading. If you have a personal essay/book excerpt/short story you want to read in front of a small live audience, feel free to fill out our interest form here. Date is TBD for this, and if it goes well we’ll turn it into a series.

☕️ Content Trends

Trends in social media, content creation, and what’s going on here on Substack.

• Microdramas are going mainstream, with Issa Rae working with TikTok on her own vertical. It won’t be long before big screen talent start to move en masse to the small screen. (This is what our LA writer friends confirmed to us as well!)

• This video breaks down the downfall of Hollywood and what is rising in its ashes:

💰 What to Watch & Read If You Want to Make Money Online

Resources to make you smarter and richer in the Creator Economy.

• Substack has rolled out lots of new features recently — read about their post templates, Notes scheduling, new stylized elements like drop caps, and more here.

• Revenue does not equal profit. A lot of creators have high-ticket courses, and Ali Abdaal is a high-profile YouTuber who made millions in revenue (not profit) from his YouTuber Academy Course, but shut it down because it ended up being unprofitable. This video made by one of his fractional team members is eye-opening because it shows that just because you see a big creator making $$$ does not mean they’re taking home all (or any!) of that money.

  • This is also why I believe in very “lean” methods of building your creative business, and I dedicated a whole chapter to this in my book Write for Money and Power.

🛍️ Add to Cart

Things that have made my life better or products I have my eye on.

• I’ve had my Remarkable Tablet for over 5+ years and just recommended it again lately to another writer. It’s a great replacement for the stack of 10 notebooks you have leaning-Tower-of-Pisa stacked on your desk. Still recommend it all these years later — especially if you travel a lot like I do!

Questions? Thoughts? Would love to hear what you’re thinking, reading, or making in the comments.

Happy creating,

-Amy

👋 Hi from Los Angeles! If you missed my emails with my event links, I’m here buying writers coffee and asking them questions about what the creative and writing scene is like here.

☕️ I’m buying coffee for writers today in Hollywood from 10am-noon and tomorrow (Monday) morning in the westside of LA from 11am-1pm — if you want to join RSVP here and check out the details. Right now the coffee and co-working meetups are open to paid subscribers of 💡 Sutoscience or ✍️ Make Writing Your Job.

👇 Be sure you’re following our Luma event calendar for upcoming events in LA, SF, and more cities coming soon.

✍️ subscribe to our luma page for events

Here’s my dispatch from my creative lab for you this week:

💬 Links I Sent My Fiancée

My fiancée (!!!) Kyle Cords is my co-founder which means DMing him links counts as productive work 💕

• AI fruit slop videos are going viral on the internet, and it’s an inevitability that AI video is going to proliferate more widely on the internet.

  • As a sidebar, I’ve been hearing a lot about “vertical video” here in Los Angeles from writers and creators who talk about content “made for social media” — mostly referring to poorly produced soap-opera style romance videos pushed to mobile apps that consumers spend too much money on. One writer I talked to said that “everything is collapsing into itself.” Meaning: Hollywood and the world of content creators/social media is merging into one. Celebrities want to become entrepreneurs and start podcasts — entrepreneurs are having to become content creators and influencers and grow their brand. Seems like the future will be really rewarding to generalists.

🌁 Dispatches From the Bay

What to do and where to eat in San Francisco.

• 👋 I just launched the creatives ONLY social club — and our first event in San Francisco will be a picnic in the Presidio. I’ll be bringing light bites and non-alcoholic drinks — bring your desire to make new creative friends in the Bay Area! It’s $15, but you can use the code SUBSTACK50OFF to get 50% off 🎟️

☕️ Content Trends

Trends in social media, content creation, and what’s going on here on Substack.

• Will social media companies be held responsible for their impact on the mental health of individuals? A recent ruling said yes. Silicon Valley has always built their social media apps like slot machines (quite literally even hiring slot machine designers to help make them addictive) so I’m curious to see how this plays out.

• I’m kicking off my new Monthly Substack Lab live series on Zoom this upcoming Saturday! Join if you want to put your Substack under a microscope and figure out the alchemy required to help it grow. 🪴

💰 What to Watch & Read If You Want to Make Money Online

Resources to make you smarter and richer in the Creator Economy.

• Unethical advertising is something that has been on the rise — especially in the world of shady affiliate marketing on social media. This great video by Hannah Alonzo breaks down a crazy trend. You won’t believe the rabbit hole she went down based on the videos that kept surfacing to her feed:

🛍️ Add to Cart

Things that have made my life better or products I have my eye on.

• My best purchase lately has been tickets to events I’m finding on Luma and Partiful! I’ve been meeting some incredible creatives, writers, and interesting people in both LA and SF by putting myself out there and just showing up.

  • One trend I’ve been seeing in the Bay Area is that huge companies have been paying multi-six-figure salaries to “event coordinators” whose entire job is to just throw cool events in order to bring awareness to products and companies. As the Internet grows more noisy, IRL is cool again — which is also why I’ve been diving deeper into the world of throwing events again. (More on this soon!)

Questions? Thoughts? Would love to hear what you’re thinking, reading, or making in the comments.

Happy creating,

-Amy

Hey creators,

I’ve been busy overhauling my healthy habits with the 75 Hard Challenge, working on some secret projects, keeping my client projects moving forward, and enjoying weather so beautiful here in San Francisco it feels illegal to be inside at my desk.

Here’s my dispatch from my creative lab for you this week:

💬 Links I Sent My Fiancée

My fiancée (!!!) Kyle Cords is my co-founder which means DMing him links counts as productive work 💕

• Some of the people talking trash about AI in Hollywood are those making money from it — in part because they don’t want other creatives to beat them to it.

• Just because you’re a bestselling New York Times author with over 800,000 social media followers doesn’t mean you make more money than a coffee cart owner. Status does not equal stability — and this is part of the reason why I wrote my book Write for Money and Power.

🌁 Dispatches From the Bay

What to do and where to eat in San Francisco.

• Kyle and I caught the most recent Tech Roast Show, easily one of the best comedy events in SF where former-tech-bros-turned-comedians roast their audience of techies. They also travel to other cities, so highly recommend seeing a show if you haven’t already.

☕️ Content Trends

Trends in social media, content creation, and what’s going on here on Substack.

• Substack is doubling down on video and recently announced their Substack Recording Studio. It’s worth considering in which ways you might want to add more video to your content!

💰 What to Watch & Read If You Want to Make Money Online

Resources to make you smarter and richer in the Creator Economy.

• Vercel was kind enough to give our community $30 off v0 credits to build their website with as part of our writing website class! Watch the class replay here:

  ✍️ Make Writing Your Job

  ✍️ Build Your Writing Portfolio Website in One Click with v0 [ClassStack in Collaboration with Vercel]

  Hey writers…

  Listen now

  2 months ago · 1 like · Amy Suto

🛍️ Add to Cart

Things that have made my life better or products I have my eye on.

• In a continued effort to replace my polyester/plastic-based workout gear with natural fibers, I’m returning again to Pact! I got their bootcut cotton leggings and have been loving those. If you’ve got a favorite cotton-based company you like buying athletic wear from, let me know in the comments :)

Questions? Thoughts? Would love to hear what you’re thinking, reading, or making in the comments.

Happy creating,

-Amy

Hey creators,

I started 75 Hard earlier this past week — a health and fitness challenge done for 75 days that seeks to rewire habits, and includes daily rules like completing two workouts per day, one indoors and one outdoors.

I’m 5 days in and it’s a tough one, but I think physical challenges like this actually benefit creativity in a big way as they get us out of our heads and back into our bodies. Highly recommend giving something like this a try!

Here’s my dispatch from my creative lab for you this week:

💬 Links I Sent My Fiancée

My fiancée (!!!) Kyle Cords is my co-founder which means DMing him links counts as productive work 💕

• There’s a huge demand for in-person events and programming, and companies are spending big on them. If you like hosting events, there’s a lot of opportunity for you — especially if you’re in a big city!

🌁 Dispatches From the Bay

What to do and where to eat in San Francisco.

• The weather has been gorgeous here in SF lately! If you want to take advantage of it, you can join free pick-up pickleball games during the week in the historic Presidio Park.

☕️ Content Trends

Trends in social media, content creation, and what’s going on here on Substack.

• According to the Wall Street Journal, there’s been a 69% increase in people putting “Founder” as a title in their LinkedIn from a year ago and a 37% increase in new business applications. I believe we’re on the cusp of seeing a flourishing not just of founders, but of Creator CEOs: creatives who are learning to turn

💰 What to Watch & Read If You Want to Make Money Online

Resources to make you smarter and richer in the Creator Economy.

• Just a reminder that I’m doing a class on how to generate your website in partnership with Vercel — they’ve got a really cool tool for non-technical creatives, and I hope to see you there.

• Book clubs are very profitable on Substack! I just interviewed Tarra of Heavy Meta today about her feminist book club, and a few weeks ago I interviewed Jules who runs a Gilmore Girls-themed book club. Both writers are bestsellers here on Substack (meaning they have over 100+ paid subscribers) so if you’re considering starting a book club, now is the time!

• The Sarah J. Maas interview on Call Her Daddy was a fun watch not only because I’m a diehard ACOTAR fan, but I really appreciate the way that Sarah J. Maas talks about her writing as an author and creative. While she’s still being vague about the next books she’s got coming out, I appreciate how she’s bucking the norms of the publishing industry in favor of giving her fans the story that they’ll love the most. I’m all for non-traditional formats in publishing, so looking forward to this! (Also there are spoilers for her series in this interview, so watch at your own risk!)

🛍️ Add to Cart

Things that have made my life better or products I have my eye on.

• I finally got rid of the last of my nonstick cookware in my house (RIP!) and now I only have cast iron and stainless steel pots and pans. There’s a tiny bit of a learning curve, but especially if you’re a woman with an iron deficiency the cast iron pan is a gamechanger. Also, learning how to pre-heat a stainless steel pan has been helpful to get it to have that “nonstick” effect.

  • Tip: when heating your stainless steel pan, toss a little water in the pan. If the water just evaporates, it’s not ready to use. But if the water droplets bounce around, it’s ready to use!

• I’ve been loving the Just Tea I’ve been getting from my local grocery store. It’s been hard to find loose leaf tea brands (if you have a favorite, please let me know in the comments!) I’ve been using their fruity and aromatic Earl Grey tea in my morning London Fog lattes and it’s been a nice way to start the morning.

  • To make a London Fog, just combine two parts Earl Grey tea with one part frothed soy milk. I like a little maple syrup in mine as well!

Questions? Thoughts? Would love to hear what you’re thinking, reading, or making in the comments.

Happy creating,

-Amy

Hey creators,

I’ve been working on a secret project for the last few months with and Founding Members get a first look.

February was a bit of a fever dream — I picked out my wedding dress (!!!) and have been taking my health goals more seriously. I ate this lentil bowl for both dinner and breakfast this week and am starting 75 Hard on March 9th and am really enjoying increasing my step count and getting in more workouts.

As a gemini, I feel excited when I’m working across a number of different projects, and February has been that in spades. From my memoir ghostwriting work to this new project I’ve been teasing, a lots been changing!

If you’re a creative or writer, there’s a lot of opportunity for you.

💬 Links I Sent My Fiancée

My fiancée (!!!) Kyle Cords is my co-founder which means DMing him links counts as productive work 💕

• Anthropic’s Claude model is now writing on Substack.

🌁 Dispatches From the Bay

What to do and where to eat in San Francisco.

• Want a real “under-the-radar” place to grab a bite to eat by the ocean here in SF? Cafe RX is nestled in an office building in the historic Presidio National Park, and their tuna melt sandwiches + morning scrambles are insanely good. Ask Melanie (who runs the joint!) for her spicy chai or homemade lemonade before going on a walk through the Presidio or by the ocean.

• Kyle recently discovered Sandy’s Muffulettas, an Italian-style sandwich known for it’s tangy olive-tapenade/capers toppings. They have both a meat and vegetarian option. This week was a great week for sandwiches.

☕️ Content Trends

Trends in social media, content creation, and what’s going on here on Substack.

• Conversations around who owns what when it comes to use of AI are heating up with ByteDance’s new SeedDance model being able to generate copyrighted characters.

• Creators are taking the stage on Broadway, and more great news regarding trends that Gen Alpha/Gen Z are following on the great Substack After School.

💰 What to Watch & Read If You Want to Make Money Online

Resources to make you smarter and richer in the Creator Economy.

• I recently did a Substack Live on ✍️ Make Writing Your Job with Nicole and Tylor of . They are Financial Independence bloggers, and in this interview they gave our community of writers + creatives tips on how to be financially free and “work optional” so writers can pursue their art.

• I’m doing a class on how to generate your website in partnership with Vercel — they’ve got a really cool tool for non-technical creatives, and I hope to see you there.

• I ran into Ashley Ray at SF’s SketchFest after having her on my 12-hour Substack Live book launch, and today my written interview with her came out on ✍️ Make Writing Your Job, which you can read here.

🛍️ Add to Cart

Things that have made my life better or products I have my eye on.

• Did you know that some of the tension you carry around in your jaw can be relieved by rolling out your feet? I’m obsessed with these yoga balls and I’ve taken several classes on rolling out tight muscles with these things and they’re magic. YouTube is a great place to learn if you don’t know about this already!

• My hikes have gotten a bit too easy lately, and I just picked up this weighted vest to add some intensity.

Questions? Thoughts? Would love to hear what you’re thinking, reading, or making in the comments.

Happy creating,

-Amy

Hey Sutoscientists,

I woke up this morning to find out that Write for Money and Power has officially walloped all of Alex Hormozi’s books on the Amazon bestseller charts (!!!) — and yes, this is the same business guru Hormozi who recently did $100M in book sales and ousted Prince Harry as having the most book nonfiction sales in a single day. Insane.

Thank you to everyone who has shared the book and left a review on Amazon — I can’t stress how much leaving reviews on Amazon (a seemingly simple task!) actually moves the needle so much for authors.

Also shoutout to , Preston Lee, , , and so many others who have been sharing the book on social media and spreading the word. I so appreciate your support during launch month!

Anyways, here’s my creator news and roundups for you this week:

💬 Links I Sent My Fiancée

My fiancée (!!!) Kyle Cords is my co-founder which means DMing him links counts as productive work 💕

• The Stable Marriage Problem is an article that Kyle sent me, and while I don’t usually like reading articles about math, it’s actually a quite fascinating breakdown on how having agency can tilt the world in your favor.

• has shared his theory before about how software is going to be the new content creation. This is because the skill of coding has been made so much easier with AI tools and now creatives can build really interesting software, but for now I’ll just leave you with this guy who is livestreaming his vibecoding journey to $1,000,000 and he doesn’t code — he just tells AI agents what to do and then does pushups in between.

🌁 Dispatches From the Bay

What to do and where to eat in San Francisco.

• While San Francisco has an insane number of bakeries, my favorite is Khanfections because they have an egg biscuit breakfast sandwich that’s crispy and fluffy and buttery. Basically? Heaven — and a menace to my fitness goals. 20/10 recommend.

• Are you going to the Feed Me party in SF this Thursday? If so I’ll see you there 👀

☕️ Content Trends

Trends in social media, content creation, and what’s going on here on Substack.

• Substack Video is here — and you can now watch it on your TV. I’ve made free tutorials in the past about How to Go Live on Substack Live and in the 6 Week Substack Sprint I’ve also shared how writers and creatives can approach video content in a way that feels authentic to you and your unique interests. Video is here to stay, and while not every creator has to “pivot to video,” it does help if you have an interest in livestreaming, interviewing others, or doing readings of your work. (Or, a million other applications of using video to build community and your Substack!)

• I love how Rachel Karten breaks down the livestreaming trend of “fly-on-the-wall” content in Link In Bio. Bringing viewers into your day-to-day life is becoming more of a thing, going beyond day-in-the-life content to livestreamed content that is taking viewers moment-to-moment with creators. Going live is going to be a huge trend this year, so it’s something to think about if there’s something you want to do live with your audience.

💰 What to Watch & Read If You Want to Make Money Online

Resources to make you smarter and richer in the Creator Economy.

• I’d love to introduce you to our friends over at Freelancing Females: a newsletter + membership for female freelancers across multiple niches. ( is here on Substack, too!)

  ✍️ Join Freelancing Females

  💌 I first found them when I was searching for more support early in my own freelance career, and their emails are still in my inbox years later. That’s saying something.

• I loved this interview with Alex Hormozi and Tony Robbins, mostly because Tony dismantled Alex’s notions of the idea that happiness shouldn’t be prioritized. Some good stuff in here:

🛍️ Add to Cart

Things that have made my life better or products I have my eye on.

• I’ve been using the new AI Dia Browser for the past few months and I’ve been loving it. It allows you to chat with your tabs, which comes in handy. I also love having the tab layout on the side instead of on the top of the browser. Highly recommend.

Questions? Thoughts? Would love to hear what you’re thinking, reading, or making in the comments.

Happy creating,

-Amy

Happy holidays, Sutoscientists!

I’ve been enjoying some time off this past week with family — I made some homemade gnocchi from scratch for Christmas! — but I’m also on the eve of my new book launch (!!!) for Write for Money and Power.

🎁 BTW, if you pre-order for $0.99 before the book comes out on January 12th, 2026, you get a free gift — details here.

Also thanks to for writing this incredible review of the book:

Simply Writing

Book Review of Write For Money & Power by Amy Suto

The first thing I’ll say about Amy Suto’s new book, Write for Money & Power: The Anti-Starving Artist’s Guide to Becoming a Seven-Figure Writer (available January 12, 2026), aside from the catchy title, is that it reads like a call to arms for writers…

Read more

5 months ago · 4 likes · 2 comments · Jessica Leibe

It’s been so wonderful to hear the kind early reviews rolling in — thank you for your support. As an author, the lead-up to launch and the launch itself is critical for a book to get traction, so every review and share helps so much.

Now let’s get to the creator news roundup!

💬 Links I Sent My Fiancée

My fiancée (!!!) Kyle Cords is my co-founder which means DMing him links counts as productive work 💕

• We’re closer to living in a VR-powered future than we think.

• Business owners like this Pistachio cafe are using AI to generate fake news reports to drive business and it’s working.

🌁 Dispatches From the Bay

What to do and where to eat in San Francisco.

• Since I’ve been away from the city for the holidays this past week, I haven’t done anything cute in the city. But I did avoid the city-wide blackout that caused a bunch of Waymos to get stuck!

☕️ Content Trends

Trends in social media, content creation, and what’s going on here on Substack.

• The Oscars will be streamed on YouTube next year. The Creator Economy is more legit than ever — so when will you be joining it?

• What are the most popular book genres in your state? Check out this report by Reader’s Digest to learn more.

• The AI music app Suno signed a deal with Warner Music to use the likeness of musicians in the creation of AI music. Seems like the beginning of a wave of creatives getting royalties for what AI generates based on their work.

💰 What to Watch & Read If You Want to Make Money Online

Resources to make you smarter and richer in the Creator Economy.

• is one of my favorite YouTubers who makes lovely content about creativity and productivity — and finding the balance with it all. I love this post that kicks off her New Year's Reset. She also makes Notion templates that are very cute if you’re needing some extra resources for getting organized in 2026.

• It’s not too late for you to join our 6 Week Substack Sprint! Upgrade to Founding Member here at Sutoscience, join the chat, and catch up on week one here. Looking forward to helping you grow your Substack in the New Year.

• crushes it yet again with an incredible Brand Social Report for Q4 that has some of the best social media trend analysis that I’ve seen on the internet. This is absolutely worth buying a paid subscription to Link In Bio.

• Alex Hormozi did a $100,000,000 book launch this year. Love him or hate him, but it’s still worth checking out his strategy for social media for 2026:

I know the Hormozis lean further on the “hustle bro” side of business advice, but I’ve seen noticeable jumps in my creative business when I’ve taken their advice. This video breaks down some really fundamental concepts of influence online that most creatives aren’t thinking about, so it’s worth watching.

Also, in the end of the video Alex talks about doubling down on live video. It’s worth watching what’s shaped his opinion here, but I’ve seen that my Substack Lives have been both really enjoyable and a way that has moved the needle for me when it comes to my metrics here on Substack.

I also believe that in 2026 you need to be going live on Substack specifically, since you “own” the email addresses of your audience here, so it’s more valuable to go live here. I’ll be creating guides for paid subscribers on how to go live on Substack soon so stay tuned!

🛍️ Add to Cart

Things that have made my life better or products I have my eye on.

• My brother gave me a Roomba robot vacuum for Christmas, and they’re 50% off right now if you want to gift one for yourself. The more you can automate the better, and I’ve had an off-brand Roomba in the past and it did a great job cleaning up little crumbs. A lifesaver for busy writer/creators!

Questions? Thoughts? Would love to hear what you’re thinking, reading, or making in the comments.

Happy creating,

-Amy

After a week of battling a random illness that laughed in the face of my immune system, I’m finally crawling out of the DayQuil fog and back into my inbox — and just in time, because this week has been stacked.

Between rescheduling our ✨Substack Sprint Workshop Series✨ (now kicking off this Tuesday!) and wrapping a developmental edit for one of my memoir clients — who, by the way, nailed her second draft — it’s been one of those weeks where I’ve been in the zone and still somehow behind on everything. Classic December.

But I’ve got some seriously juicy links for you today:

• A sneak peek at Substack’s upcoming native sponsorships (and how you can potentially get in early)

• A legendary presentation on social media trends from this year with some great inspiration for you

• Why Feed Me is crushing the branded content game

• Where to sweater-shop in SF right now

• And a wild update on Disney’s $1B OpenAI play that actually affects creators like us

Also: friendly reminder that if you upgrade to Founding Member here at Sutoscience before Tuesday at 6pm PT, you’ll get a 60-minute 1:1 Substack audit with me (normally $1,000) as part of the 6-week growth sprint and workshop series. These sessions have been so fun to do with the Substackers I’ve been working with — lots of big vision clarity, monetization maps, custom content strategies. It’s like newsletter therapy, but with actionable next steps for how to build your creative HQ here on Substack.

Okay, let’s dive into the creator news roundup:

💬 Links I Sent My Fiancée

My fiancée (!!!) Kyle Cords is my co-founder which means DMing him links counts as productive work 💕

• Feed Me broke the news that Substack is launching native sponsorships. She got a comment with Substack co-founder Hamish Mckenzie, who drops that if Substacks want to be considered for this pilot program you can shoot your shot and email sponsorships@substackinc.com. Go get your bag, creators.

  • This is especially cool because I think Feed Me is one of the leading Substacks that does the best job integrating branded content seamlessly with great storytelling. Her recent piece “The morning routines of New York City college students” was sponsored by Rhode and it’s still a great read — it doesn’t feel like an advertisement at all. If that’s what’s on the horizon for branded content on Substack, I think we’re in a good spot — and it’s good inspo for you and your publication.

• A guide to going viral on X.

🌁 Dispatches From the Bay

What to do and where to eat in San Francisco.

• Marine Layer is doing a super cute popup called “Custom Club” on Fillmore Street in Pac Heights where you can create custom sweaters with 100% cotton sweatshirts, sweatpants, t-shirts, and more. You go in, pick out some patches, pick the color of your stitching and item, and then they’ll customize it for you. I picked a canary yellow sweater as I’ve been on a lookout for a piece of clothing in this color ever since a stylist in Korea who did my color matching told me this was one of my best colors. My sweater was ready in about 2-3 days, and it makes for a cute gift!

• The San Francisco Botanical Gardens are doing a Lightscape holiday light event at night through January, and it was very cool. Warning: it does get quite busy so if you can go on off-peak hours or during weekdays, I’d recommend it. The giant sequoia trees look very otherworldly with the fog machines and moody lighting.

☕️ Content Trends

Trends in social media, content creation, and what’s going on here on Substack.

• This legendary presentation buy Matthew Stasoff breaks down top social media trends from 2025 — a must read if you post or consume anything on the internet, ever. I walked away from this feeling incredibly inspired — lots of great food for thought when it comes to culture and what people want to see on social media — and the rise of in-person events.

• Kamala Harris, Lizzo, Charli XCX, and The New Yorker are all recent newcomers to the Substack scene. We’re about to see the golden age of Substack — so if you haven’t started your own publication, consider joining my 6 Week Substack Sprint Workshop Series this Tuesday :)

💰 What to Watch & Read If You Want to Make Money Online

Resources to make you smarter and richer in the Creator Economy.

• Disney is investing $1B in OpenAI — but this is actually a huge ripple in the Creator Economy. Read why in ’ great post here.

• I’ve got two Substack Lives this week, one with Maria Papacostas where I’ll be talking about my upcoming book Write for Money and Power (out so soon!!) and one with from How to Go Freelance about — you guessed it! — how to go freelance and what to think about for 2026 as a freelancer. Feel free to tune in live and drop your questions in the chat.

🛍️ Add to Cart

Things that have made my life better or products I have my eye on.

• If you’re looking for a gift for a health aficionado in your life, I recommend giving a Consumer Lab subscription. Kyle found this company, and they do third party testing of different supplements, pantry staples, and more so you can make informed purchasing decisions and avoid harmful compounds.

Questions? Thoughts? Would love to hear what you’re thinking, reading, or making in the comments.

Happy creating,

-Amy