"Input/Output" Helps Writers Navigate Creative Cycles
Behind the Substack with Caitlin Kunkel
Hello Bleeders,
This issue is giving Mother! One of my favorite people in comedy became a mom right before her book deadline, and I have so many questions! I’m hoping to interview
about motherhood soon—*fingers crossed*—as I’m newly considering it. In the meantime, I’m excited to share a Q&A about her Substack for the latest installment of the newsletter series.As you may be all too familiar, creativity isn’t a constant state; it ebbs and flows. Caitlin explores these cycles in her newsletter
. Having taught writing for years (I’ve been her student; she’s fantastic!), Caitlin realized the need for a broader discussion about creativity and created a space for that conversation. Her posts will give you a fresh perspective on your creative process. I’m so grateful for the insights she shares.
What’s the basic premise and tagline of your newsletter?
CK: My newsletter is called Input/Output, and the tagline is: “Filling up our creative wells so we can draw from them.” I’m very interested in the cycles of creative life and talking about strategies to recognize which season you may be in and what you can do to refresh your writing and/or artistic practice. I don’t really believe in traditional writer’s block, but I do believe you can be creatively depleted and need to refill the well before you can write!
When and why did you start your newsletter?
CK: I started this iteration almost exactly a year ago. Previously, I had a more narrowly focused comedy and satire newsletter that I sent out to an audience of former students and writers in that space, but I wanted to expand the scope of what I was writing about to be more generally about creativity, the writing life, and the ways people find and use the material around them in their work. I’d had the idea for a while, but the timing never seemed right to launch it. But then, last Valentine’s Day, one of the places I taught for, Catapult, abruptly shut down their teaching arm with no notice (I found out via a text from a friend, thanks), and that gave me the righteous fury to go home and write and send out the first edition of the newsletter. Never underestimate the power of pure rage in your writing!
Who’s your main audience?
CK: Writers, still a lot of comedy writers, but it seems like more fiction and nonfiction writers are joining by the week. People who are interested in processes, creative and logistical. Anyone who is interested in thinking differently about the seasons of creativity.
How is your newsletter differentiated from the other newsletters in your niche?
CK: I try to keep it very casual and unexpected, like a conversation you might have with a friend over coffee rather than a written lecture or op-ed. I read and enjoy some highly produced and structured newsletters, but I’m not interested in working in that mode right now. I don’t share my own comedic or fictional writing like some other comedy writers do—I focus more on the behind-the-scenes of writing, which scratches the producer itch in my mind (I used to produce stage shows and festivals).
What’s your editorial strategy?
CK: In order to enjoy the process of writing the newsletter (which is not paid, and I have no plans to ever make it paid), I only write an issue when I have mulled on a topic for a while and have critical creative momentum behind it. As a challenge to myself, I write them all in one session without much editing or overthinking. I purposefully want them to have a loose quality to them, so I stick more with concepts I’m working out myself as opposed to feeling like I have to have everything “figured out” in order to write. That feels antithetical to the spirit of the newsletter to me. It usually takes me about two very focused hours, which lets me get into a flow state. My publishing cadence could best be described as “chaotic and sporadic.”
How many subscribers do you have?
CK: I had 1,200 subscribers when I moved from Mailchimp a year ago, and now I have 2,200. So up 1K in a year, which I’m pretty happy about, especially considering I quit Twitter in November 2022 and don’t use social media platforms outside of Substack and Reddit much at all anymore, so I have limited avenues to promote it.
[Editor’s note: This series of interviews was conducted earlier this year. Input/Output now has over 2.4K subscribers.]
Do you offer paid memberships?
CK: I do not, and I do not plan to. I absolutely believe people should be paid for their art and writing, but I also believe that not all projects have to be paid. If I were writing the newsletter for an entity that made money, I would never do it for free. But since I am writing it for my own benefit, to explore concepts, chat with people outside of my normal sphere, and following not a single best practice in terms of editorial schedule, promotion, or engagement, I don’t feel the need to ask for money from readers. I also think Substack’s co-founders are making some very strange choices, and I don’t need to make them money.
Have you tried any other methods of monetization?
CK: I make money through teaching classes, freelance writing work, consulting jobs, and selling larger projects. To me, the writing in my newsletter is meant to clarify my thoughts on topics I might teach, consult, or write on, and I don’t feel the need to turn it into an income stream on its own. The benefits flow through other paid elements of my career.
Tell us about your newsletter’s growth trajectory. What have been the most effective ways for you to promote your newsletter? Did you have any growth spurts, and what did you learn from those?
CK: I had a big growth spurt (+200 subscribers) off one post (the one mentioned below), and that really emphasized to me that voice-driven writing on a somewhat controversial topic is what draws people to read and subscribe. I’ve also seen subscriber growth when I offer resources, like this list I curate of humor and satire sites, or explain creative systems people may not be familiar with, like this post on how to stack creative projects (a process I learned in graduate school).
What’s been your most popular content, and your guess as to why?
CK: This post has been my most read by far! It’s called “Best Practices Are Boring,” and the title came to me first, then the content of what I wanted to say. Basically, I think a drive to optimize your newsletter the “right way” can lead to it feeling same-same, like SEO blog posts. While I pay for many (too many) newsletters and appreciate their value, I do NOT think that all newsletters should be paid, and some writers are doing themselves a disservice by forcing their writing into a certain set of practices to optimize growth and money. The point I made in the post, which people seemed to resonate with, is that a newsletter is a tool, and tools should be used in the way that provides you with the most benefit. I think people also appreciated a funny, somewhat shitty take on all the things that we’re being constantly told to do in order to grow.
How has your newsletter served your career as an author?
CK: I always sell a decent chunk of workshop slots when I list one in my newsletter. I purposefully keep the prices of my workshops quite low (usually $75) in order to maintain some accessibility and provide information to as many people as possible. Like I said above, I think I also work out concepts, phrasings, and what people are interested in via writing the newsletter. I don’t like to work, write, or teach in a vacuum, so it lets me get some feedback and thoughts from others on what they are interested in reading/learning about. I created the Online Satire Writing Program for The Second City in 2015, and that entire class is asynchronous via written lectures and feedback. I came to really like that process of constantly updating my thinking based on the questions that came up repeatedly for students, and my newsletter gives me that interaction again.
What’s your #1 tip for writers who want to start a newsletter?
CK: Consider why you are adding this as a tool to your arsenal: is it to force yourself to write on a deadline? Connect with readers who are interested in the same topics you write on? Form a community with people? Grow a newsletter list as part of your platform? Make money? Each of these has different pros and cons and will inform everything from your publishing schedule to the topics you write on, to the overall concept of the newsletter, to the choice of whether or not to go paid. Don’t unquestioningly commit to a twice-a-week schedule and take off. Do some brainstorming and legwork at the start to really see if this is something that will benefit your longer-term goals.
What’s your #1 tip for writers trying to grow their existing newsletter?
CK: BE INTERESTING! And useful. Think about the value of someone spending ten minutes reading what you’ve written. Is it to inspire them? Give them new information? Create a community? Curate funny or informative links, or put together a list of opportunities you’ve seen. Don’t regurgitate the same things other people are saying. Find and interview fascinating people. Write about a book you love that was published in 1987. Not to be too “Apple in 1997,” but really, think different. So many writing and productivity newsletters can feel the same. But if you aren’t developing your unique voice as a writer, what are you even doing?
Shout-out another writer-newsletter that you admire and enjoy consuming.
CK:
’s is a fantastic look behind the publishing curtain as she builds up to the release of her first novel (a fantastic thriller, we’re in the same writing group!) in January 2025. And I think , beyond being one of the best topical satire writers working today, is also someone who is really good at experimenting with audience and topics in his newsletter, . He’s worked as an engineer as well as a comedy writer, so I love seeing how those two ways of thinking combine!Thank you, Caitlin!
➡️ Subscribe to and check out Caitlin’s website, caitlinkunkel.com.
Sign up for Courtney’s upcoming workshop:
How to Build a “Platform” for Writers Who Shudder at the Thought
Does the word "platform" make you shudder? If so, you're not alone. I used to be right there with you. But I’ve found that building your platform as a writer doesn’t have to be a dreaded task—it can be genuinely fun!
Join me for a three-hour seminar this Saturday, September 7th. I'll help you choose your own adventure to create a savvy, sustainable, joy-filled platform that plays to your strengths without feeling like a chore. We'll dive into newsletters, podcasts, social media, and more. You’ll leave with loads of inspiration and practical strategies to grow your audience and boost your writing career.
(Yes, it will be recorded.)
So… ROLL CALL! 🗣️
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Let’s connect on social media! I’m @courtneykocak on Twitter/X and Instagram. For more, check out my website courtneykocak.com.
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