If you don’t know Susan Cain, she’s a lovely human and the author of the mega bestsellers “Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking” and “Bitter Sweet: How Sorrow and Longing Make Us Whole.” She was a lawyer before becoming one of the most compelling writers of our time.

In this conversation, we talk about envy and jealousy, how to write your posts/articles as kindred letters, how loving what you do makes a successful Substack and a more enjoyable life, the magic of her candlelight chats (the community feature she offers as an introvert and for introverts), and why “vibe” might just be the word for 2026.

Below are some snippets for you, but do listen to the podcast this weekend when you’re out walking or cooking, gardening, whatever you might be doing.

I love how she views her posts/articles, which she calls Kindred Letters:

“I think about them as letters that I’m writing to kindred spirits who operate on a particular frequency, which is kind of like the frequency of being more quiet, thoughtful, sensitive, bittersweet. I think of them as kind of messages in a bottle that I’m sending out to people across the world who operate on that frequency.”

Think about your subscribers, not in terms of a niche or demographic or even the topic you write on. Think about the person you’re talking to. What are they aspiring to? That could be something like living a quiet life, which our society doesn’t fully embrace.

“The reason I went with The Quiet Life is I think that the quiet life is what many of our readers are aspiring, either do live already and want to think more deeply about how to live that life, or are aspiring to live it."

I asked her about how she creates such a warm vibe on her Substack. Don’t think in terms of topics; think in terms of having your subscribers enter a world:

“One of the most popular posts that I wrote was called something like, 'What to Do When You Need a Mother.' None of it was specifically about the “quiet life,” and yet I knew very instinctively that that topic and that the method of going and looking at wisdom traditions is the kind of thing that my reader really responds to.

I'm not trying to send the message of take a very narrower approach. It's more like take a deep approach to what they're looking for, and to what you want to write about, and then you'll find your subjects.”

We talked about how you can do Substack so many different ways, and so much of “succeeding” on here is your Substack and doing the work and your relationship to the work and, as Susan filled in, who you’re writing to:

“Obviously, the real core to it all is work. It’s not only that it takes a lot of work to do a Substack. It’s also that it takes a lot of consistency and showing up even when you may not be in the mood.

The medium is such that you have to keep putting things out, and the only way you’re going to do that realistically is if you love it.

Or we can modify that. Maybe you’re somebody who’s super organized, super disciplined, and you would do it no matter what, but the only way you’re going to do it well is if you love it.

And as always, I asked her what advice she would give someone just starting out on Substack.

“My biggest advice really is to find an MO of doing this: doing what you truly love and enjoy and what you’re excited to sit down and do.

Some of that is about the nature of the Substack that you build substantively, like what topics you write about and so on.

Some of it is just about building a life around it that you enjoy. For me, every time I sit down, it’s always with my latte and it’s always with a little snack that I love. It’s always in a setting that I love, whether my office or a cafe. Make the whole experience just incredibly inviting for yourself and your readers.”

Thank you, , , , , , and many others for being there!

And stay tuned for Tuesday’s post/article, where I share why Substack isn’t collapsing, but the way people tell you to go about getting paid subscribers is.

All my best,

• Upcoming Substack Lives! Mark your calendars:

  • I have a few brewing, including one with Pangram’s Max Spero and the former Washington Post journalist Karen Attiah. Details to come!

  • Live with Elizabeth Gilbert: When a Substack Becomes a Spiritual Practice: 9/9 at 2 PM CT. Add to your calendar here.

SW@W homepage | Premier homepage | Substack Starter Pack | 24/7 Community Chat | Manage your subscription | Book a 3-Month Substack Growth Package 1:1

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Your books deserve to sell and be read, and Substack is the best untapped resource you have.

Together, we’ll use my proven system and the incredible advantage that Substack gives authors to launch and sell your book—and, perhaps, aim for a spot on the bestseller lists.

Our focus will be on pre-order sales and leveraging your Substack and the Substack network.

Why? Because Substack sells books. I show you how to use the platform to sell yours, for a forthcoming title, a backlisted book, or long-tail sales.

We complement what you might be doing with an in-house or independent publicist.

The Substack Book Launch Strategy Package is step-by-step guidance for your launch based on my deep knowledge of the platform and book sales and publicity after using Substack to get my own book on the USA Today bestseller list.

What we’ll do:

• Outreach to Substack writers and creators for potential collaborations

• My personal (not AI-produced) templates to help you draft emails and write book sales pages that convert

• 3 sessions, 45 minutes each, with my expert guidance customized to you and your book

  • A detailed overview of each session with step-by-step directions on what to do next, plus access to the transcript and replay

• Feedback from me every step of the way to help you troubleshoot and get all your questions answered

• Full email access to me throughout our time together

How it works

Session #1:

• Highlight your goals and vision for the book launch

• Catalogue your existing connections on and off Substack

• Discuss any publicity your team has planned and how our work might complement it

• Audit your current Substack growth and metrics with an eye toward any quick opportunities

• Create your Substack book launch calender, including what and when you’ll bring your subscribers into the pre-order process on Substack each month from the cover reveal to the pre-order announcement to blurb reveals and reviews as they roll in to pub week events

Email support: Creating your book launch sales page and sales emails

Session #2: Tapping into the Substack network

• We’ll continue to grow your Substack throughout the book launch using Notes. Notes is a place to bring in subscribers who might buy your book and not a place to sell your book.

• We’ll create an email list of 100,000 subscribers by tapping into other Substack writers’ lists:

  • We’ll compile a list of 25-100 Substacks that are the right fit for your book and the collaboration or publicity opportunities there

Email support: Drafting pitch-letters for each type of opportunity

Session #3: Pub month events and sales opportunities

• Map and schedule bulk-buy and BILF opportunities

  • Traditionally, book in lieu of fee applies to an author exchanging their speaking fee for sales of their book, but Substack offers its own opportunities for bulk buys and sales in exchange for bonuses related to your Substack

• Create a pub-week street team: Map out a plan to mobilize your most engaged subscribers (sometimes that means paid subscribers, but not always) to promote, recommend, and sell your book because they believe in it too via:

  • Goodreads (and Amazon) reviews

  • Notes and their Substacks

Email support: Full email access during pub month and week, plus a celebratory email the likes of which you’ve never seen.

Investment: $3400

Book now

*Book your first session and I’ll reach out with next steps.

Substack book launch and book sales success stories

• Melinda Wenner Moyer sold 25,000 copies of her book—with her publisher crediting Substack for driving continued sales.

• Virginia Sole-Smith became a New York Times bestseller, stating, “There is no doubt in my mind that this happened because of Burnt Toast [her Substack].”

• Maggie Smith credited her subscribers for helping her very literary collection of essays hit the New York Times bestseller list.

About me

Sarah Fay (MFA, MA, PhD)

I’m the leading Substack Growth Strategist and a national bestselling author at HarperCollins.

I started my author Substack in 2021, much the way other authors do. HarperCollins said I should start a Substack, so I did and grew my author Substack to 6,000 subscribers. My memoir Pathological was an Apple Best Books pick, received a rave in The New York Times Book Review, and sold well. But it didn’t hit the lists.

Three years later, I got it onto the USA Today bestseller list using only Substack. No outside media. No publicist. Just my 6,000-subscriber author Substack and the strategies I teach.

How I know this works:

• 1,800 copies sold during relaunch week.

• 12% of my readers bought after the full campaign.

• Number one on HarperCollins’s Bookshop page for several weeks.

• Guest posts and Substack lives reached an additional 90,000+ subscribers across collaborating Substacks.

I’m now Founder and CEO of Substack Writers at Work, where I help writers and creators double, triple, and 10x their subscribers, get real engagement, and substantially increase their revenue. I’m the Fortier Public Relations Substack Consultant and on the faculty at Northwestern University. My work has appeared in The New York Times, The Atlantic, and The Paris Review, where I was an advisory editor.

This is for you if:

• You have a forthcoming or backlisted book, traditionally, hybrid, or self-published.

• You’re expected to sell your own book and you want a real plan for it.

• You’d rather sell through relationship and connection than a hard pitch.

• You have a book in progress, and you want to show agents and editors you can sell your own book.

This may not be a good fit if:

• You’re looking for how to set up a Substack from scratch. This isn’t about setting one up.

• You want a general book-marketing course rather than a Substack-specific one.

• You’re expecting a guaranteed spot on a bestseller list. The strategies are proven, but results vary.

What authors are saying

So many author marketing trainings ignore Substack or treat it like just another email list. But this approach is fresh, smart, and actually doable.” — Anton Volney

“Don’t hesitate if you’re an author. Sarah is a fantastic teacher, knows her stuff in the Substack world and in publishing. I’m so glad to have made the investment.” — Dana Killion

“Sarah is brilliant and knows Substack inside out.” — Jeannine Ouellette

Authors are expected to use an independent publicist, which runs $20,000 or more without guaranteed results.

Our work together empowers you with a system to use again and again to sell this book and all books past and future. It shows you the value of your own book and how to attract and cultivate your readers. It’s yours to keep and use to get the kind of results an expensive independent publicist can’t.

Your books deserve to sell and be read. Substack is the best untapped resource you have.

Book now

Please reach out if you have any questions: sarah@sarahfay.org

All my best,

* Additional sessions can be purchased as needed.

FAQ’s

Does the Substack team help authors sell their books? Not officially beyond giving us each a Substack to do it on.

How many collaborations with other Substack writers are guaranteed?

If I don’t see the results I want, can I get a refund? We’ll determine a reasonable goal at the start of our work together. If you follow through on every point in the process and we don’t achieve your reasonable goal, we can discuss next steps.

Will someone who doesn’t have a Substack newsletter and has solely a profile see results? Yes but primarily to help you build your email list to get subscribers who will buy your book.

Can authors with upcoming and backlisted books do this? Yes. We breathe new life into backlisted titles and upcoming releases, so you can apply the techniques to both existing and future books.

Is this suitable for self-published authors? Self-published authors can use everything we do, though my focus is on traditionally and hybrid-published books.

Do I need to already have a Substack? It’s better if you already have one, but authors who are interested in Substack are welcome. If you want help setting up your Substack, book my 3-Month Accelerated Growth Package 1:1.

Will this get me on the bestseller list? Perhaps. I give you specific strategies for targeting the USA Today and The New York Times bestseller lists but results vary based on implementation and other factors. It will change the trajectory of your writing career in terms of opening up opportunities you never imagined.

What makes this different from a book-marketing course? This isn’t a generic book-marketing course. It’s a concierge, bespoke package. customized to your Substack, and the wider Substack network, to sell your forthcoming or backlisted book. Everything I teach is based on what I actually did to get my book onto the USA Today bestseller list.

Investment: $3400

Book now

*Book your first session and I’ll reach out with next steps.

Welcome to our 2026 Weekly Notes Boost for paid subscribers and Premier members—where you find community on Substack and growth on Notes.

» For a step-by-step guide, FAQs, and tutorial video on the Su…

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Substack has been a feisty (and exciting) place these days.

These dispatches are where I bring you news about Substack and intel based on what I’m seeing, hearing, and sensing on the platform.

This week

Why everyone’s freaking out, Substack’s best new feature, setting up your Perks page to convert subscribers, good news about the Substack algorithm, and more.

Signals

What to pay attention to

1. Substack introduced the best new feature.

(No, not that one.)

Audience-Specific Content will make keeping, growing, and converting paid subscribers so much easier. It’s a way to create sections in your posts that only free, unsubscribed, paid subscribers or founding subscribers can see.

It’s a way for us to create relationships with our free subscribers in one way and our paid subscribers in another, and to avoid paywalling because bonus content can be contained in a little section of your posts while still leaving the comments open, which helps with engagement, which helps with growth.

Find out the basics here. Tip: These don’t work in emails, only articles/posts sent as emails.

2. We have Perks pages.

Perks pages are where you can offer discounts, exclusive links, special posts, and PDFs/other digital tools, and brand partnership perks for paid subscribers. The best part: they’ve given us a way to discern between perks for annual and monthly paid subscribers. Here are the basics on how to set up yours. Here’s ours for paid subscribers, including Your 2026 Starter Pack, the 15 Rules of Paywalling on Substack in 2026, The Ultimate Guide to Launching or Relaunching Your Substack, and 20% off all SW@W merch.

3. Good news about the Substack algorithm.

Substack’s head of engineering, , was interviewed about the Notes algorithm and what really leads to growth on Substack. The good news: it’s exactly what I’ve been saying. If you’re not doing Notes Hour One, it’s time to start:

Noise

What to tune out

1. Steer clear of all the brouhaha about Substack’s new AI detector.

You may not have heard :), but we have a new AI detection tool via Pangram and people are in a tizzy. Everyone and their brother is posting about it on Notes (including yours truly) and writing articles. It’s sparking much-needed conversation about the kind of writing we value and what it means to be transparent and authentic, and it’s a bit of an overreaction.

Why are people reacting so strongly and what they’re getting wrong?

• It’s understandable that they really, really don’t like being told what to do, but no one actually is being told what to do because the AI detector is optional when you go to post.

  

• People don’t understand how Pangram, LLMs, and Grammarly work, which is understandable because AI is complicated and threatening, and so is the world, but…

  • Some writers mistakenly believe that because LLMs were trained on our books and articles, it means that Pangram will flag our posts as AI-generated. Pangram scans for AI’s default voice (diction and syntax), which makes everyone sound like a tech bro. That voice comes from a post-training process called Reinforcement Learning from Human feedback (RLHF), not our books and articles.

  • People don’t know that Pangram detects AI writing any time you use an LLM as an “editor” (including includes Grammarly Pro), you are subjecting your writing and your voice to AI speak, i.e., phrases and words particular to AI, which Pangram picks up on even if you think you aren’t using AI.”

• Even if you are the victim of a false positive, Substack has provided a “How I Make This” statement, so you can just disclose how you use AI, and it’s not a problem. I take you through how to write yours here:

2. Ignore all other merch.

The best merch in the world is here and created by our own . I never thought I’d have merch or want merch, but then I saw it as a way to promote Substack artists. Check out the Peter Moore collection here.

3. Don’t hyperfocus on your Substack.

The best part about Substack is the people and connecting with them on here. I’ve loved getting to know everyone in our amazing thread, so I’m extending it in the hopes that I’ll be able to meet all of you. It will probably take me a couple of weeks, but get in there.

Come meet your fellow Substack writers, especially if you’re new to Substack. I’m trying to make my way through every single comment. Yes, all 500 of them.

Who’s here

• One of my favorite musicians , who became ultra famous because of this video of Pharrell Williams discovering her and continues to be just so cool and an ultra talented musician. If you do one thing today, watch this.

• , former Washington Post journalist and former Columbia University faculty member, is here. I had the pleasure of meeting her at Substack’s Forum in New York, and she is standing up to the powers that be, creating her own courses, in writing at The Golden Hour. We have a Live in the works. Hopefully in August, just trying to pin down a date.

All my best,

P.S. I just opened slots for my 3-Month, 1:1 Substack Accelerator Growth Package—a bespoke, three-month, one-to-one mentorship with me to build your platform, amplify your expertise, and earn the income you deserve. I just opened the calendar. I work with a limited number of private clients. Find out more and book here.

• Upcoming Substack Lives! Mark your calendars:

  • Live with Susan Cain: On Building a Substack That’s Thoughtful, Sensitive, and Quietly Massive: 7/31 at 1 PM CT.

    • Add to your calendar here.

  • Live with Elizabeth Gilbert: When a Substack Becomes a Spiritual Practice: 9/9 at 2 PM CT.

    • Add to your calendar here.

• This week’s Notes Boost Community. Note: The Notes Boost was created for a different algorithm. You’re welcome to do it to meet each other, but it’s not what I recommend for growth right now.

SW@W homepage | Premier homepage | Substack Starter Pack | 24/7 Community Chat | Manage your subscription | Book a 3-Month Substack Growth Package 1:1

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Exciting news: We have merch!

I never thought I’d have merch or love the word merch quite so much, but then I saw it as a way to promote Substack artists in our community.

Each limited edition collection is commissioned from a Substack artist.

Our inaugural collection is from the amazing artist .

WRITER@WORK

PETER MOORE COLLECTION

Shop

All my best,

P.S. Subscribe to Peter’s Substack, Road2Elsewhere!

• Upcoming Substack Lives! Mark your calendars:

  • Live with Susan Cain: On Building a Substack That’s Thoughtful, Sensitive, and Quietly Massive: 7/31 at 1 PM CT. Add to your calendar here.

  • Live with Elizabeth Gilbert: When a Substack Becomes a Spiritual Practice: 9/9 at 2 PM CT. Add to your calendar here.

Subscribe now

I just used it to scan this post before sending it to you, and here are the results:

What you need to know:

• People can now click the three dots on any post or note and use Substack x Pangram’s AI detector to see if it was written with the help of AI, according to a certain percentage of text that was detected.

  

• Pangram detects syntactic sequences that characterize text written by AI models, a.k.a. LLMs, like Claude, ChatGPT, etc.

  

  • It won’t detect an author’s writing if LLMs were trained on said author’s works. Interestingly, large language models don’t get that particular AI speak from training data. They get it during post-training, where they’re taught those annoying AI tics.

  • It’s not 100% accurate. Nothing on planet Earth is.

  • If you use Grammarly purely as an editor, not generative AI, it will not flag your writing, but if you’re using Grammarly Pro, then that’s generative AI (the yellow line) and that’s having a machine write for you and change your voice and natural syntax, not correct errors.

• Where to find it Substack’s AI detection tool: Under the three dots of any post or note unless the writer turns it off.

  • Yes, you can disable it on a post-by-post basis.

  • It’s free.

• now has a Substack, and you can read all about how it works here.

I’ve heard people decry the “witch hunts” that are bound to ensue and writers’ careers that will be ruined and (rightfully) ask about people with disabilities and others who rely on it for assistance.

This is not a threat:

No matter how many false positives may arise from Substack’s AI detection tool, it isn’t a threat if you write your AI policy, or what Substack calls your How I Make This statement.

• Substack has created a pop-up for every post to display your How I Make This statement. When someone goes to scan a post or note for AI, they see this:

• Create your “How I Make This” statement by going to your dashboard Settings → Details → Edit How I Make This statement.

It’s all about transparency and using AI in a way that is integrity for you. If you don’t want people to know you’re using it, then it’s time to check in with yourself.

If you want to go all in and create a full AI policy, here’s how to do that exactly.

I’ve made these accessible to free subscribers for the next few weeks.

Here’s also my amazing conversation about how to write your AI policy, so you can get a sense for how other Substack writers have approached theirs, including Rosana Francescato, Matthew Long. With wisdom and examples from AI expert Katie Harbath.

Why is Substack doing this?

I’ll let explain:

“The core problem is not people using AI, or the quality of its output. Not everything made with AI is slop, and not all slop is made with AI. The problem is when there is a mismatch between a reader’s expectation and reality, especially when they unwittingly invest their attention in something with no human thought on the other end.

Chris said that he spoke with a lot of writers who use AI heavily when they were coming to the decision to use Pangram. Many of them were worried about the amount of AI slop that was appearing on Substack, even though they use AI themselves.

“When content made by no one takes over parts of the internet that are supposed to be human, it pollutes the commons and makes it hard to discover and hear human voices. When readers have to wonder if what they’re reading is real, it undermines trust in authorship and threatens the livelihood of writers—including those who use AI tools thoughtfully to produce work they believe in. Platforms that reward fakeness will create a race to the bottom.”

For those of you who want to go deep in writing your AI policty, here’s an entire workshop on you, Substack, and AI with the great AI expert :

All my best,

P.S. I’m loving our newbies thread—and remember, a “newbie” is just anyone who feels new to Substack. I’m going to keep it open because I’m trying to get through as many of the 400 comments that are on there as I can. There’s still time. Come join us. Meet! Mingle! It’s a party.

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Welcome!

This thread is about you meeting each other. No information to take in, nothing to do except tell us about your Substack and who you are:

• Newbies, introduce yourselves!

• Veterans, welcome those new to Substack!

What does it mean to be a Substack newbie? It doesn’t necessarily mean you started yesterday. It means you feel new to the platform.

» Think of this as a party. I’ll try to get through all the comments, but it’s probably going to take me a couple of weeks.

Leave a comment

This is your chance to meet and help each other. Substack is all about the genuine connections you make, and my job is to connect you.

Go to it!

All my best,

P.S. After you’re done here, I really want you focusing on Notes right now and doing Notes Hour One:

SW@W homepage | Premier homepage | Substack Starter Pack | 24/7 Community Chat | Manage your subscription | Book a 3-Month Substack Growth Package 1:1

• Upcoming Substack Lives! Mark your calendars:

  • Live with Susan Cain: On Building a Substack That’s Thoughtful, Sensitive, and Quietly Massive: 7/31 at 1 PM CT. Add to your calendar here.

  • Live with Elizabeth Gilbert: When a Substack Becomes a Spiritual Practice: 9/9 at 2 PM CT. Add to your calendar here.

• This week’s Notes Boost Community. Note: The Notes Boost was created for a different algorithm. You’re welcome to do it to meet each other, but it’s not what I recommend for growth right now. I really want you focusing on Notes Hour One—it works.

Subscribe now

Welcome to our 2026 Weekly Notes Boost for paid subscribers and Premier members—where you find community on Substack and growth on Notes.

» For a step-by-step guide, FAQs, and tutorial video on the Su…

Read more

Our work together will save you from wasting years flailing around trying to figure out what works and what’s become a very crowded Substack landscape.

Over the past four years, I’ve helped thousands of Substack writers and creators:

• Double and triple and quadruple and 100x their subscribers

• 10x and 20x their revenue

• Make Substack part of their overall business model and use it to fuel or build a five- and six-figure business

• Build platforms with loyal, engaged subscribers

• Attract the attention of literary agents and editors

Jeannine Ouellette’s paid subscriptions (at $50/year) increased from 560 to 953 in 70 days.

“Sarah is brilliant and knows Substack inside out. She also listens deeply and gets to know you and your goals for your newsletter, both short and long term. Sarah earned my trust in the first five minutes. Her guidance is not cookie-cutter; it’s very precisely tailored based on your specific publication and vision.”

—Jeannine Ouellette, Writing in the Dark

David Roberts became a featured Substack, a Substack bestseller, and grew by 4000 subscribers in just one year.

“Before I signed up with Sarah, I was clueless. The result has been an improvement in the quality of my posts and a surge in subscribers. I’m also having a lot more fun as a Substack writer. She is a superb teacher.”

—David Roberts, Sparks from Culture

My clients include:

• CNN political analysts and commentators Kirsten Powers and Chris Cizzila

• Organizations: PBS, Zibby Owens Publishing, and Resolute Square

• Influencer Ajiri Aki and thought leader Shannon Watts

• Bestselling author and entrepreneur Joy Sullivan and Publisher’s Weekly editor Maya Popa

• Author, podcaster, and viral TED speaker Sarah Knight

I’ve helped those who’ve been on Substack for years and those with no following who are just starting out.

Everything we do is based on my Substack DNA Growth Framework™️—built on years of pattern recognition and case studies across 1000+ clients and tens of thousands on Substack Writers at Work.

My gift as a Substack Strategist is the ability to spot your Substack DNA and guide you step-by-step to apply it on Substack for maximum growth.

Your 3-Month Substack Accelerated Growth Package

• 3 monthly sessions, 50 minutes each, with my expert guidance personalized to you

• A detailed overview of each session with step-by-step directions on what to do next, plus access to the transcript and replay

• My personal (not AI-produced) templates based on my deep knowledge of the platform and my work with 1000+ Substack writers over the past three years

• Feedback from me every step of the way to help you troubleshoot and get all your questions answered

• Full email access to me throughout our time together

Who it’s for

Substack writers at any stage and experience and for you if you’re ready to invest in your Substack for real, sustained, engaged growth.

How it works

Our three-month consultancy is customized to you and your needs, but here’s a general view of what to expect:

Month 1: Pinpointing Your Substack’s Strengths and Opportunities

• A strategic assessment of your Substack from me, the leading Substack strategist, to discover the strengths and opportunities of your Substack

• If you’re just starting, we map out exactly what your Substack will be

• A full view of your Substack DNA—my proprietary method to help you discover the strengths of your Substack → Most Substacks fail because they miss this key component

• An analysis of your metrics—we go behind your dashboard and see what’s really happening

Month 2: Executing Your Platform Growth Strategy

• An implementation plan for immediate growth, including Notes and recommendations, the two biggest drivers of Substack growth

• Connecting with other Substack writers and creators for long-term growth

• Identification of audience engagement opportunities

Month 3: Implementing a Revenue Strategy that Fits Your Business Model and Career Goals

• An examination of your career goals and/or whole business model to map how to create the kinds of opportunities my previous client have, including book deals, media bylines, speaking engagements, using Substack to sell their published books and build or fuel 5- and 6-figure businesses, and more

• A detailed map for what to do next

Investment $1875

*Space is limited. I work with a limited number of 1:1 clients to ensure each receives my full attention and expertise.

Book now

“Sarah paid for herself before we met. What she does is so valuable. I feel like Substack has been the easiest, funnest way to make money. It’s all because of Sarah.”

—Cassidy Frost, Dedicate Your Life to Music

“More than worth the money. Sarah has an amazing ability to draw clarity out of confusion. Our meeting saved me from dithering and probably going off on the wrong path.”

—Joyce Wycoff, Voices of the Hopeful

Single Substack Strategy Session

I work with a limited number of single sessions. Some people prefer to work with me for one session because they’ve already been on the platform and have momentum and want that extra fuel to really achieve their goals in terms of building a platform and creating revenue. Others just want the chance to work with me once before investing in the 3-Month Substack Accelerated Growth Package.

$625 | 50 minutes | You can find out more and book here

“A power-packed 50 minutes! I’m implementing it all.”

—Bryce Tolpen, Political Devotions

I started on Substack four years ago and fell in love with the platform. It was so different—someplace real that we could make our own and actually get paid for our work.

My agent introduced me to Substack’s Head of Writer Relations, who helped me understand Substack’s inner workings. I built my first bestselling, featured Substack.

Immediately, I wanted to help others do the same and more. Substack set me up to see private clients, and I’ve since become the world’s leading Substack Growth Strategist with clients ranging from CNN correspondents and organizations like PBS to those just starting out and everyone in between.

I founded Substack Writers at Work—a top-10, featured Substack with 36,000 subscribers and thousands of paid subscribers—to help people like you build an audience, produce your best work, and earn the income you deserve.

Over the past four years, I’ve devoted my life to Substack and to helping people like you.

As the world’s leading Substack Growth Strategist, I pour all my experience—including my work as a national bestselling author at HarperCollins; a freelance journalist at The New York Times, The Atlantic, The Paris Review, et al.; and the twenty years I’ve taught in MFA programs at Northwestern University, The University of Iowa, and elsewhere—into helping you build something real, something that’s entirely you.

A bit more about me (the short version):

• Faculty at Northwestern University

• Fortier PR’s Substack consultant

• Mentor to thousands of Substack writers and creators

• Award-winning, national bestselling author at HarperCollins (Pathological: The True Story of Six Misdiagnoses)

• Freelance writer at The New York Times, The Atlantic, et al.

• Former advisory editor at The Paris Review

• PhD, MFA

• Lover of all things cats and Substack

I live in Chicago with my two beloved cats—Sweets and Baby Theo. More than anything, I want a t-shirt that says, Ask me about my cats.

What past clients are saying

“Sarah takes her in-depth knowledge of how Substack works and truly personalizes her advice. She is able to home in on not only where you can improve your content, but how. Each time I talk to her, I leave with a unique and actionable insight to make my Substack better for my subscribers, in a way that is also very reasonable and do-able for my mental health. Sarah is a true expert who I admire and would recommend to anyone trying to find their voice here on Substack, whether it’s purely for writing for yourself or kickstarting a business.”

—Evelyn Skye, Creative. Inspired. Happy.

“Within 24 hours of executing Sarah’s suggestions, my subscription base expanded to include countless new readers who not only pressed the ‘subscribe’ button but also took the time to engage with the material and write encouraging and insightful comments on the posts. Sarah helped me see a more holistic, comprehensive vision of my work on Substack. She provided clear, actionable steps to bring this expanded vision into reality.”

—Kimberly Warner, Unfixed

“I cannot overemphasise what a pleasure it’s been to work with Sarah. I dilly-dallied about booking in for quite a while, wondering if I ‘deserved’ to make such an investment. I’m so thrilled I went for it! I feel so much more confident than when I started, with a clearer idea of not only what I’m writing about, but also my very identity.”

—Emma Vivian, Attempts at Optimism

“Although I am a seasoned entrepreneur and writer, I knew I needed help to navigate this new environment. Sarah has been my guide and my wing-women throughout. She is an amazing person to brainstorm ideas with, and has the knowledge and experience with Substack I needed. Working with Sarah helped me develop a clear and impactful strategy.”

—Lisa-Marie Cabrelli, Call for Heroines

“Sarah has decades of experience and insider knowledge of what it takes to make a Substack newsletter work. Since working with her I’ve revamped my entire newsletter and started seeing results in just a few days with a large increase in subscribers.”

—Leon MacFayden, Trauma to Strength

“Our one-on-one sessions have been an invaluable resource in bringing my best work to Substack in a smart and professional way.”

—Mary Roblyn, Writer Interrupted

“If you want to refine, clarify and expand your Substack — Sarah is an expert coach, sounding board, and cheerleader all in one! She has a sharp eye, tons of practical advice, real insight and examples to inspire. She helped me see my newsletter with renewed clarity and gusto!”

—Madeleine Dore, On Things

“Seeing Sarah really supported my commitment to my Substack. She gave suggestions that helped me unify and clarify what I was doing, and make that easily understandable to a potential audience. She worked with me on my terms and goals, not a uniform set of ideas about what success means.”

—Katie Cowan, The Living Library

“My original goal when I first started working with Sarah was way, WAY smaller than what I’ve achieved. She’s shown me how much more is possible.”

—Tiffany Chu, The Untangling

“First—Sarah is warm and kind and knowledgeable. She offers a clear and concise orientation that is a GAME CHANGER. Her and her resources helped me to understand where to focus my attention.”

—Kristin Kaye, Write Your World Awake

I work with a limited number of 1:1 clients to ensure each receives my full attention and expertise.

If you’re ready to transform your Substack, your platform, and yourself, book now.

Book now

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—Gregg Easterbrook

This week:

Substacks making news, newsletter dating, Substack in Japan, why you don’t have to go viral on Notes anymore, it’s okay to ask for what you want, the new way to restack your posts, and who’s here.

Signals

What to pay attention to

1. Substacks making news

It happens a lot now, but I still get a thrill every time a Substack makes the news—not the person or the Substack but the article. This is probably because I spent so many years trying to explain to people what Substack was before people knew what Substack was. It shows Substack’s influence in media and in the culture.

This happened recently with ’s Substack Inside Medicine in the Boston Globe, in Business Insider, and ’s Substack in The Atlantic.

2. Dating newsletters

(yes! founder of Jezebel) wrote a piece in The Atlantic about Substacks that have inspired a kind of dating scene in their comments, posts/articles, and in real life.

She mentions only two ( and ), but so many of you have created such cool communities that playing matchmaker is, for some, a paid subscriber opportunity. (No, we will not be doing that here on SW@W.)

3. Substack in Japan

Substack recently named Oki Ito, a former news director of Japan’s public broadcasting network, as head of partnerships for Japan. Ito said Substack interested him because it’s “a place where depth and trust matter.”

Substack’s only rival in Japan is a platform called, ironically, Note, which sounds like it’s a much smarter, philosophical, and substantive version of LinkedIn—minus the icky networking vibe, corporate speak, and with longform posts.

This means Substack will, I hope, corner the market on manga, great writing, fiction chock full of magical realism, video essays, and at least one Hello Kitty-fandom Substack.

I mention this because we forget that Substack is a global phenom, and we’re part of it. It’s easy to get into a silo and just be thinking about subscribers and who you see on Notes.

Also, I love Japan. I don’t travel unless I have to, but Japan is a place I’d go back to. Any country that originated the sushi conveyor belt, was home to Basho, and is obsessed with cats is the one for me.

Noise

What to tune out

1. There’s no need to go viral on Notes

About six months ago, someone wrote about how a Note of his had gone viral and he’d gotten a thousand subscribers, but they were totally inactive and unengaged. That doesn’t happen to everyone who goes viral, but virality and low quality tend to go together.

When my clients go viral—and I’m happy for them—it makes them feel like it should and needs to happen again. Slow and steady, my friends. Slow and steady. You don’t get the dopamine hits, but it works.

Do this instead: Notes in one hour a week. If you aren’t doing it, please, please, please start. Notes leads to growth when you engage with others—not by posting all the time. That’s how the algorithm works. I created a system for you: Notes Hour One.

2. Don’t expect people to guess what you want them to do

Notes isn’t hospitable to outright promotion or anything that feels like outright selling.

But it’s okay to ask for what you want, and I’m seeing a bit of a shift in the effectiveness of posting about yourself and what you do and asking people to subscribe on Notes. You can also send an email asking free subscribers to upgrade, not because you’re having a sale but by sharing who you are, what you do, and why their support is important.

Announcements work well. Thank-yous work well. Genuinely letting people know what you do and who you are can work very well.

It should go without saying not to post on Notes one of those “Dear Substack, show me…” or “Drop your link below, I want to subscribe to you.” And avoid super salesy Labor Day sale-ish emails.

Here’s ’s recent Note, which works very well:

3. The new restack

I’m not sure if it’s Substack’s media assets or what, but restacked posts/articles rarely get traction on Notes. It’s a shame because we want people to click on our posts so they can come and be more deeply invested, which is more likely to turn them into a subscriber and a paid subscriber than just a bunch of Notes.

Do this instead: Restack your post as usual, then go to the restacked Note and add the first comment. This has been working particularly well, both for my clients and others. You may try adding your first comment to a standalone Note too.

Who’s here

• The fierce Naomi Klein, who’s had a presence on here for some time but just launched her Substack in earnest. We have the same (wonderful) agent, who tells me that Klein’s new book End Times Fascism (out in September) is a dark, stunning must-read.

• launched “Where’s Hunter?” and his hero/welcome post is fantastic—so compelling, reminding us that people in the news are humans with lives.

• Music phenom (!), who might be the most interesting young musician on earth, just posted even though she’s on a massive world tour.

• , founder of the iconic website Jezebel, Atlantic contributor, and author of the upcoming book The Power of No (also out in September).

All my best,

P.S. If you appreciate all I do here on Substack Writers at Work to keep you up to date and ahead of the curve, please share it with others, comment, or like the post below. (See that’s me asking for what I want.)

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• Upcoming Substack Lives! Mark your calendars:

  • Live with Susan Cain: On Building a Substack That’s Thoughtful, Sensitive, and Quietly Massive: 7/31 at 1 PM CT.

    • Add to your calendar here.

  • Live with Elizabeth Gilbert: When a Substack Becomes a Spiritual Practice: 9/9 at 2 PM CT.

    • Add to your calendar here.

• This week’s Notes Boost Community. Note: The Notes Boost was created for a different algorithm. You’re welcome to do it to meet each other, but it’s not what I recommend for growth right now.

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You can find all past recordings, links, and dates on the the Premier homepage here.

This was such a great call, as always.

There’ve been some amazing wins from Premier members, most of whom have adop…

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Today’s live was phenomenal! Over 150 people showed up to learn how to write our Substack posts and articles using letter writing as a tool.

Listen to the podcast version while you’re cooking this weekend or walking or running or whatever.

My interest in letter writing as a craft tool for Substack writers started during my live with the amazing —who reminded me that on Substack, we’re writing news-letters.

Today, offered a window (or an open door) onto on how we can use the act of letter writing in many different ways to nurture our subscribers and write better Substack articles. (You can subscribe to her Substack here.)

Be sure to listen, too, because the story she tells in the beginning will (if I have anything to do with it) someday be a viral TED Talk.

Her mother’s letter writing advice:

• Approach them like an Oreo cookie: top=love, filling=the hard thing, bottom=love.

Letter-writing structure to follow:

1. Opening: Set the tone

2. Middle includes:

   • Landscape of where you’re coming from

   • Heart of the letter—vulnerability

   • Care and gratitude for the person

3. Ending: Close with a direct send off, keep it short

Writing a Substack post/article as a letter or writing a letter to generate material can:

1. Help you get clear on audience and how to talk to an audience

2. Channel your voice (experience) and emotions—human in a world of AI writing

3. Create a softness

4. Nurture a closeness with your subscribers

5. Access to what’s going on within yourself on a deeper level

» Approaching your article as a letter can turn what might feel like it was written in a vacuum into an article that feels like it was written to us, your readers.

Lindsay shared her work as a writing coach and her program The Letter Writing Project and the types of letters that she works on with people, which are so fascinating:

1. Launch letter: A letter to be written at a moment when you know there’s going to be a clear before and after. This doesn’t have to be graduation or marriage. It could be the before and after when someone has a book comes out or when someone publishes their first post or gets their first paid subscriber.

2. Legacy letter: An end-of-life love letter to loved ones—I also just love the idea of it being just about your legacy and what you feel you’re leaving behind.

3. Life letter: What she calls a time-capsule love letter that preserves a phase of life that’s ordinary but will one day be precious in our memories.

4. Leader letter: A letter written to a community or workplace professionals that communicates sensitive information about a transition or a circumstance. I thought of it as just any time.

5. Listen letter: This is a personal letter of something we need to say to someone.

And don’t miss our upcoming lives:

• Live with Susan Cain: On Building a Substack That’s Thoughtful, Sensitive, and Quietly Massive: 7/31 at 1 PM CT. Add to your calendar here.

• Live with Elizabeth Gilbert: When a Substack Becomes a Spiritual Practice: 9/9 at 2 PM CT. Add to your calendar here.

If you appreciate all we do here at Substack Writers at Work, please share it with others.

Share

All my best,

P.S. New! My 3-Month, 1:1 Substack Accelerator Growth Package—a bespoke, three-month, one-to-one mentorship with me to build your platform, amplify your expertise, and earn the income you deserve. I just opened the calendar. Limited spots available. Find out more and book here.

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You’re here! Which is exactly where you need to be.

I created the Starter Pack to help you navigate the Substack landscape in 2026.

Even if you’ve been on Substack for a while, you’ll want to travel this path with me.

Why?

Because this isn’t generic How-to-do-Substack information you could get from ChatGPT and other places; the Starter Pack is taken from my Substack DNA Growth Framework™️ built on years of pattern recognition across 1000+ private clients and tens of thousands on Substack Writers at Work.

Go to it, knowing you have the support of someone you can trust—an expert with nearly half a decade of experience helping tens of thousands of Substack writers and creators like you double and triple and 10x their subscribers, substantially increase their revenue, and build a platform with real engagement (not a dead email list).

Become a paid subscriber to begin.

Invest in yourself and your Substack for one year with my guidance and watch your Substack become what you want it to be.

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Click on each step below…

STEP 1:

STEP 2:

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STEP 4:

STEP 5:

You’ll be redirected to this Starter Pack homepage at the bottom of each step.

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Enjoy!

Your Substack Strategist,

Sarah

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The One Thing That Makes a Substack Succeed ~ Know Your Substack DNA

» If you’re on the 2026 Substack Starter Pathway, this is step 1, where I introduce you to the one thing that all the top Substacks have: They know their Substack DNA. (Just joining? Start here.)

I was asked to write Substack for Dummies.

And I turned it down.

Many reasons, of course, but here are the main three:

1. There’s no such thing as a “dummy” on Substack—or anywhere, to my mind but mainly on Substack because Substack is maddeningly unintuitive.

2. And the platform changes soooo quickly that a book is too static to keep up.

3. And because what makes Substack great—and what you’re doing on here great—and what actually helps you get subscribers and earn an income and what makes this your internet home—instead of another platform to game and place where you’re not doing enough or you aren’t enough—has very little to do with whatever would be in a book like that.

What your Substack is

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As always, the Premier is your ongoing group membership program, where you get the most up-to-date actionable steps, dedicated time to implement them, and guidance from me.

Each quarter, we cycle thro…

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Substack growth still primarily happens on Notes and most people are getting distracted by the wrong things.

There are many ways to get likes and even comments and restacks (i.e., dopamine hits) but only one way to get quality subscribers who become engaged readers who become paid subscribers, and this is it.

Notes in 1 hour a week. Exactly as I outline below.

This Notes system isn’t an idea I dreamed up or something you could get from ChatGPT or that worked for me or one person. It’s working across the board for my clients and my Premier members:

• gained 137 subscribers (including paid) in 2 weeks.

• grew from 603 to 777 subscribers in 2 weeks.

• Another client grew by 1,000 subscribers in two months—even though his Notes feed was crickets—because he focused on exactly what I give you here.

Who this is for:

• It’s for you if you want engaged, paying subscribers you actually want to be in conversation, make Substack more of your home, and spend your time making your Substack one of the elite few who produce substantial revenue.

1. How this works

Below, I take you through exactly what you need to do step by step in a video tutorial—plus, you get my Notes in one hour a week, a cheat sheet and checklist to make sure you’re on track

2. Getting started

If you’d like to get Notes Hour One without upgrading, you can do so here for $35. You get the full tutorial, all the steps exactly how to attract quality subscribers, my cheat sheet, and accountability checklist.

Purchase Notes Growth for $35

Or commit to my guidance for one year by becoming a paid subscriber. You and your Substack are worth it.

Subscribe now

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When they do, they take off.

To show you exactly how this might play out (in real life, not Substack-growth-hacker-nonsense land) here’s what happened with two of my clients.

Your Substack DNA may be narrower than you think: Petya Grady

Petya K. Grady is the creator of .

• Petya changed her Substack from Lifequakes, about life transitions, to A Reading Life—a wonderful Substack about how we can reclaim our intellectual and reading lives and take responsibility for our inner landscape.

With your Substack DNA comes growth:

• Within a year of figuring out her Substack DNA, she went from 400 subscribers to over 7500.

• In the eight or so months following, she was also featured by Substack three (3!) times.

(If you’re interested in a basic overview of how Substack decides whom to feature, read “How to Be a Featured Substack.”)

• A key moment came during one of our sessions when she realized she should focus on who she wants to be “talking with” rather than “talking to.” (I love this too.)

• It happened when she stopped asking What am I an expert in? and instead focused on What am I most interested in? and (I love this) What activates my gossip nerves?

• Once she identified her core interest in reading despite having a busy life, she simply decided to talk to the people who shared that interest.

• That clarity made everything fall into place so easily. The logistics took care of themselves.

Your Substack DNA may be broader than you think: Emma Vivian

Emma Vivian is the writer behind .

• Her story of being diagnosed with breast cancer at 29, shortly after her best childhood friend was also diagnosed, and being the only one to survive it is remarkable and the topic of her memoir.

• Her Substack, as we discovered while working together, is larger than that.

• Initially, her Substack was called Am I Cured Yet? but then realized she didn’t want to write about cancer all the time.

• We talked through what her posts had in common. As Emma put it, “I had cancer. I am not cancer.” The experience shaped her outlook, which was far more interesting for a Substack.

• The DNA, the core, of her Substack is her outlook on life: attempting optimism despite our natural human pessimism (and without toxic positivity).

• Emma had two Notes go viral, which came after we pivoted away from her posting about cancer and instead tapping into her life more generally and the essence of always trying.

• Viral Note #1: Introducing herself and her “new” Substack:

• Viral Note #2: She had been posting Notes about cancer. When she went broader and more in line with Attempts at Optimism, her Notes got engagement and reached more people:

Having clarity about her Substack DNA gave her a framework that generated new ideas and made her excited about writing again. She didn’t worry about running out of things to say each week.

It didn’t change what she was writing; it just made her Substack clearer to readers and subscribers.

The noise about Substack growth “hacks” is exhausting. They’re also a waste of your time. Real growth, long-term growth, joyful growth comes from knowing your Substack DNA—and loving it.

If you want deep, customized help with your Substack DNA, I see a limited number of private clients—book your Single Strategy Intensive here or 3-Session Substack Accelerator Package here.