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Your behind-the-scenes view into what’s really happening on Substack for real growth in 2026.
Substack changes all the time.
This is the only place where you get the most up-to-date guidance and intel.
I’m the leading Substack Growth Strategist, and every week, I bring you what I’m seeing in real-time with my clients and on the platform.
Everything we do is built on years of pattern recognition across over a thousand 1:1 clients and the nearly half-decade I’ve been on the platform helping them:
double, triple, and 10x their subscribers
significantly increase their revenue
produce their best work
build deep engagement with their subscribers
create incredible opportunities off the platform—including book deals, multiple six-figure businesses, media spotlights, speaking engagements, and more
“Sarah is brilliant and knows Substack inside out.”
—Jeannine Ouellete, Writing in the Dark
Become a paid subscriber to get:
Your behind-the-scenes view into what works and what’s happening on Substack, including the good stuff below the paywall
My minimalist’s guide to Substack to prevent overwhelm
Exclusive access to paid-subscriber-only lives with some of the biggest names on Substack—including Austin Kleon, Jessica de Fino, Emily Kirkpatrick, Mason Currey, and more
My Substack Starter Pack for 2026 for those of you who are brand new to get you going and prevent you from getting bogged down
24/7 Substack community chat for support
Join this month: 25% off—$82.50/year forever ~ 23 cents/day to stay ahead of the curve.
“Sarah is a remarkable expert on Substack. If you’re interested in growing your Substack, she’s your woman.”
—Esmé Weijun Wang, The Unexpected Shape
“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.”
—Kimberly Warner, Unfixed
I started on Substack nearly half a decade ago and fell in love with the platform.
It was so different from other platforms. It felt like someplace real, something I could make my own.
My agent introduced me to Substack’s Head of Writer Relations, who helped me understand Substack’s inner workings.
I immediately wanted to help people like you use Substack to further your writing, career, and life. Substack set me up to see private clients.
I’ve since become the world’s leading Substack Growth Strategist and Founder and CEO of Substack Writers at Work—a top-10 Substack and community of 36,000 Substack writers and creators and thousands of paid subscribers.
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.
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. (All typos in all posts are Baby Theo’s fault.) Note: I’m a part-time dog lover too.
Stay ahead of the curve—always.
All my best,
Sarah
P.S. I help a limited number of writers and creators 1:1—book your Substack Strategy Intensive or Substack Accelerator Package here.
I subsidize a 3-month paid subscription for anyone truly on a fixed income. If this is you, email me: sarah@substackwritersatwork.com.
What people are saying:
“Sarah has the ability to make everything clear. She provides the greatest value for a paid subscription of anyone on Substack.”
—Donna McArthur, The Bright Life
“Sarah Fay knows pretty much everything there is to know about Substack.”
—Linnhe Harrison, Sails on the Horizon
“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
“Sarah is a true expert who I admire and would recommend her 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.
“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
“Before I signed up with Sarah, I was clueless about how my posts were landing on Substack. Sarah taught me things that have been invaluable. 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
“Sarah’s Substack knowledge is deep, considered and so generous.”
—Claire Venus, Sparkle on Substack
“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 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
“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
“More than worth the money. Sarah has an amazing ability to draw clarity out of confusion. Our meeting saved me weeks of dithering and probably going off on the wrong path.”
—Joyce Wycoff, Voices of the Hopeful
“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
“The most valuable part of working together was how Sarah infused me with confidence and a belief that I belonged on Substack and had something valuable to contribute.”
—Elizabeth Coleman, Elizabeth.Ink
“Sarah 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
“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
“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
“Within a very short time, she detected the missing elements that I should’ve injected and highlighted in Substack. I highly recommend meeting her one-on-one. You’ll stop wasting your time and energy on what doesn’t contribute to your goal, and focus 100% on what does.”
—Louisa Wah, Lily Pond
“For the first time since I started writing on Substack a year ago, I have a clear vision about the future of my newsletter. Her feedback is so high-quality. Now I have clarity about what I’m doing, and thanks to Sarah, a practical hands-on plan to execute it, I know exactly how to focus my energy every week.”
—Shaina Read, Kindling
You're so right. I know little about manga except that my niece loves it, but Dickens's novels were all illustrated by his loyal illustrator who went by "Philz." Boz and Philz. The drawings are great. There will be a whole newsletter dedicated to that: How illustrations can work with serialized novels and memoirs (that aren't comics).
Love this!
When we getting started??