I tried something new, and here are the results :: Vol. 22

August 2025 recap and numbers

✨ New here? I’m Mika and I love sharing my honest journey of tuning into my creative practice. This is a warm, supportive space for fellow wanderers and writers. So glad you’re here. 💕

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I wanted to share a little update on how things have been going since launching Side Quest Queens in the Subscriber Chat in August.

When I first opened this space, I honestly wasn’t sure how it would go. My hope was that it could become a lovely wee space for queens who feel scattered, forgetful and no longer want to feel shamed for it.

And it’s happening! We’ve been having the loveliest conversations, and it already feels like the safe and affirming space I dreamed it might be.

We ran our very first weekly challenge, and for me it meant getting off my screens before 10pm and actually getting my sleep up from an average of 6 hours to 7 ½! The accountability really helped me.

One of the most encouraging things has been hearing from people in DMs who say that this is exactly the kind of space they’ve been craving. That means so much.

From the beginning, I’ve said to DM me and I’ll gift you a free subscription so you can join us.

So far, I’ve comped 20 people into the group, and two kind souls chose to become paid patrons (thank you Louise Tilbrook 🍁 and Blythe Edwards 💕) bringing our little crew to 36 Side Quest Queens.

In September, I’m hoping to gift some digital art I’ve been creating to members of the group. I’ve wanted to get my art into the world for a while now and I thought this would be a nice safe place for me to launch it.

Thanks so much for being here and for cheering this little dream into life with me. 🫶

Things I tried:

• I tried A/B testing. On the “Publish” screen, you can try different titles (perfect for when you can’t decide between them). I let mine run for an hour, and then Substack automatically picked the one that performed best in that time. Such an easy way to test what lands!

  

  As you can see below, the results were pretty close:

  

What I learned:

• I learned how to comp people. I always had paid patrons, so I’ve never had to comp anyone. Over July and August I found out that it’s actually super easy. You just go to your Dashboard, select the subscriber you want to comp, then select the three dots in the top right corner, and select “Comp”.

  

  You then decide the duration that you want to comp someone. Easy!

  

What I struggled with:

• Making the Subscriber Chat like a Messenger or a WhatsApp group. I want everyone to feel like they can post in our Subscriber Chat, like a girlfriend’s chat. I think we’re still getting used to how to use the Chat, so I’m sure it will come in time. 😊

A new year, a new layout!

Substack Diaries began after I’d been on the platform for eight months and had only written two pieces. I knew I wanted to take my writing more seriously, to commit to showing up regularly—but more than that, I wanted to share the journey with others who were figuring it out too.

That’s why I started Substack Diaries—to document the process, the lessons, and the little wins along the way. If you’re on a similar path, I’m so glad you’re here.

Thank you so much for joining me and supporting this wee publication.💕

This month’s numbers

All my numbers

✍️ Let me know in the comments: How was August for you?

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Want to read what happened before?

June & July 2025: Instead of starting a second publication, I did this

May 2025: The month my numbers shrunk (and my perspective grew)

April 2025: When numbers don’t tell the full story (2 years on Substack!)

March 2025: Easing back in, finding my Substack rhythm again

February 2025: A little unexpected absence

January 2025: Carving out a new chapter

December 2024: What a difference a year makes

November 2024: A year on from the month that changed everything

October 2024: Why I'm keeping musings by mika free

September 2024: Why showing up matters in our creative journey

August 2024: Unexpected delights

July 2024: Why numbers don’t tell the whole story

June 2024: The impact of recommendations

May 2024: How May became a month of transformation

April 2024: One year on Substack (kind of)

March 2024: The power and pressure of celebrating milestones

February 2024: Dashboard detox: Avoid the ups and downs of subscriber growth

January 2024: How the heck did I jump from 27 to 180 subscribers?!

December 2023: What do you do if you're not growing as fast as others?

November 2023: The turning point: Resurrecting and restarting my Substack

April 2023: Did I just have a mini meltdown from setting up Substack?