Zachary Zane on the Wet Hot Success of His Erotica Newsletter
Making Substack slutty one post at a time with BOYSLUT
Hello Bleeders!
is one of my favorite sexperts. If you’re not already familiar with his work, Zach is a Brooklyn-based columnist, sex expert, and activist whose work focuses on sexuality, culture, and the LGBTQ community. He is the author of Boyslut: A Memoir and Manifesto and co-author of Men’s Health: Best. Sex. Ever. He writes “Sexplain It,” the sex and relationship advice column at Men’s Health, and “Navigating Non-Monogamy,” the polyamorous relationship column at Cosmopolitan. His work has been featured in The New York Times, Rolling Stone, Washington Post, Playboy, and more.Zach has also been a recent guest on the podcast. He gave a great interview, taking us behind the scenes of his debut, so check that out if you haven’t already. (Here’s the minisode and here’s the full interview on YouTube.)
But today, we’re not talking about Boyslut the book; we’re talking about
the newsletter, which I’m obsessed with and recommend subscribing to immediately. It’s the perfect act of self-love on this sexy Sunday. There’s no better way to spend the Lord’s Day than reading wild orgy erotica. (God bless you, Zachary Zane! 🙏)Since Zach is the writer of one of my favorite Substacks, I had to ask him how the sausage is made. 😏 Enjoy the second installment of our newsletter series.
What’s the basic premise and tagline of your newsletter?
ZZ: In short, my newsletter, BOYSLUT, publishes first-person, nonfiction erotica essays. It isn’t just “smut,” though it is very raunchy. Every story speaks to something larger about the intersection of sex and another topic, like modern dating, non-monogamy, technology, community, and so on.
My tagline: “An erotic publication featuring real accounts of intimate and wild sexual experiences curated by Zachary Zane.”
When and why did you start your newsletter?
ZZ: I started my newsletter in May 2020 and started monetizing it, offering exclusive content for paid subscribers a year later, in May 2021.
I began it for a few reasons. One, I knew I had a book coming out in 2023 titled Boyslut, and I wanted to have a list of contacts that I could email directly about my upcoming book and events. Two, I feared that I was going to get kicked off on Instagram for my sex-positive content, and I wanted a way to stay in direct contact with my followers and readers.
Who’s your main audience?
ZZ: I wish Subtack provided more data on my subscribers’ demographics. I’ve reached out to them, and they provided very little useful information.
But if I had to guess, it’s a mix of all genders, though predominantly queer, sex-positive, and kinky individuals who also love to read more traditional (fiction) erotica.
How is your newsletter differentiated from the other newsletters in your niche?
ZZ: For the first five months, my newsletter was more of a “traditional” newsletter where I shared my thoughts on current events and provided insight into my personal dating life. In October 2020, for the 20th “issue” of BOYSLUT (i.e., post), I wrote a piece titled, “All the Dirty Details of My Threesome With the ‘King of Bi Porn.’” That piece changed everything. Traffic on it was incredible and that’s when I changed the content of the newsletter into a nonfiction erotica publication.
Honestly, there aren’t that many newsletters or zines like mine. Yes, some people share stories of their hookups, but they don’t share the work of other writers, and there isn’t often a larger takeaway from their stories. It’s more smut to jerk off to (which I love, but that differs from the content that I’m putting out).
What’s your editorial strategy? Including: What kind of content are you focused on offering? What’s your publishing cadence? How far in advance do you plan your content calendar?
ZZ: I publish one to two pieces a week, though each essay is between 1,500 and 3,000 words long, so often, I only get to publish one a week. I publish at least one free essay a month (without a paywall), though all my articles, even the locked ones, allow you to read the first half of the piece.
I pay queer artists to illustrate each piece. Because of that, I usually have to plan my content three to five weeks in advance. Additionally, if something comes up, I like to be ahead of schedule, so there’s never a week I miss posting.
How many subscribers do you have?
ZZ: I have a total of 6,700 subscribers, 800 of whom are paid subscribers.
Do you offer paid memberships? If so, do you have any takeaways from going paid?
ZZ: I do offer paid memberships, and I started offering paid memberships one year after launching my newsletter.
My goal is to write my newsletter and books. (And that’s it!) I would LOVE to quit writing boring SEO pieces for money, but alas, I’m not making enough dough quite yet. Really, the point of monetizing my newsletter was that I was able to spend time working on it. I spend most of my time writing my newsletter, and if I didn’t monetize it, I wouldn’t be able to write it. It’s really that simple. I need to focus on what pays me.
Have you tried any other methods of monetization?
ZZ: I’ve dabbled but have been hesitant to. Several sex toy companies have reached out asking me to review or write about their sex toy in an essay of mine. I’ve done it a couple of times and was very honest that this was a paid collaboration at the beginning of the post. When this happens, I make the post free, available without a paywall, so it supplements my income for free posts. That said, I MUCH rather not have any brands muddling with my work. I prefer to make money exclusively from paid subscriptions, and that is how I’m proceeding.
Tell us about your newsletter’s growth trajectory.
ZZ: I wish Substack provided more helpful data. Honestly, figuring out what type of piece will gain new paid and unpaid subscribers has been challenging. I just keep posting content that I’m proud of, sharing it wildly, and hoping that it will continue to increase subscriptions over time.
What’s been your most popular content, and your guess as to why?
ZZ: Typically, when I write a piece about having sex with a famous porn star (who also shares the story with their audience). So, I’m getting their audience’s eyeballs and not just mine. Additionally, and this is pretty funny, my audience LOVES stories about me subbing (i.e., sucking cock and getting completely annihilated in an orgy)—like this piece.
While at least once a month I have a guest post, meaning someone else wrote the piece, they tend to do less well traffic-wise than when I write a piece. Still, I think having different voices for the newsletter/zine is important.
How has your newsletter served your career as an author?
ZZ: My newsletter currently provides the largest portion of my income, which allows me to work on projects that I am not getting paid for (yet). For example, you have to write an entire novel before submitting it to publishers, and I wouldn’t be able to work on my novel if I wasn’t making money from my newsletter.
It also helped solidify the Boyslut brand and lets me stay in touch with my audience/readers. It’s also very direct from my brain to my readers’ laptops. I write a piece, and no editors alter my work. It’s uniquely my voice and my thoughts.
It was also monumental in sharing updates and tour dates for my book Boyslut: A Memoir and Manifesto. The hard copy was released last year, and the paperback comes out in May of 2024.
What’s your #1 tip for writers who want to start a newsletter?
ZZ: What are you writing about that isn’t already out there? If someone is writing the same type of content as you are or has the same takes, you’re not really “adding” anything to the conversation. What makes you unique? What do you have that is different, exciting, and special? That’s what you need to write about to separate yourself from the influx of writers starting newsletters.
What’s your #1 tip for writers trying to grow their existing newsletter?
ZZ: Keep putting out content! I can be somewhat of a perfectionist, which slows me down when publishing work, and I’ve learned that not every post will be an A+. That’s just the truth of it, and that’s okay. That said, some of the articles I thought were the weakest have been the most beloved by my readers, so you never know!
Shout out another writer-newsletter that you admire and enjoy consuming.
ZZ:
by : I consider him one of the greatest thinkers of our time. I don’t agree with him on everything, and that’s the point. But he does challenge my belief system in a very thought-provoking manner, which I appreciate immensely. by : Allison Raskin is a comedian, New York Times bestselling author, and mental health advocate. Her work is clear, relatable, inspiring, and helpful in navigating my own life.Thanks for sharing, Zach!
➡️ For more, check out Zach’s website zacharyzane.com, and follow him on Instagram @zacharyzane_.
➡️ Definitely subscribe to BOYSLUT, the newsletter. I also recommend his new book, Boyslut: A Memoir and Manifesto.
💌 P.S. I'm back at Pandemic University with a brand new class called Newsletter Launch Pad. If you’ve been wanting to start a newsletter or take your fledging newsletter to the next level, this is the perfect kickstart. The class starts on Tuesday, March 19th.
ATTENTION NOVELISTS: I want to share two compelling opportunities that I came across recently:
Good luck!
So… ROLL CALL! 🗣️
Do you have a newsletter? If so, let’s connect! Drop your link in the comments below.
Let’s connect on social media! I’m @courtneykocak on Twitter and Instagram. For more, check out my website courtneykocak.com.
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