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Find readers on Substack without turning your feed into a billboard.
You’ve been told Notes is where readers find you on Substack. So you open the app, look at that empty little box, and freeze.
What do you even say? You’re a novelist, not a growth hacker. So you post “New chapter is live!” or “My book is out today!” and watch it collect four likes from people who already subscribe. Meanwhile, the feed is full of people posting five times a day about funnels and frameworks, and none of their advice seems to fit someone who writes about a detective, a dragon or the year their father died.
Here’s the hard truth I see in nearly every author audit I do: feeds that are mostly promotion stop growing. The fix is never more promotion. It’s more story.
The good news is that authors have something most people in the Notes feed don’t: characters, worlds, research and a hard-won point of view. Once you know how to use them, Notes stops feeling like a chore. It becomes the most natural way for the right readers to find you.
This guide shows you how.
Twenty-seven pages of practical, author-specific Notes strategy:
How the Notes feed actually works: what Substack has said publicly about reach, recommendations and why likes aren’t the number that matters.
The anatomy of a Note that converts: a simple three-part structure, endings that invite replies, and formatting that suits the feed.
A format library, translated for authors: nine core formats plus ten made for authors, such as character notes, world notes, research rabbit holes and serialised micro-fiction.
More than 25 example Notes across 13 genres, including romance, crime, fantasy, historical, literary and cosy mystery, plus memoir, self-help, business, wellbeing, history, parenting and travel.
A case study of Marylee Pangman, a fiction author who has built a warm, engaged community by letting readers live in her world between books.
Notes before, during and after your book launch: the one-in-five rule for promotion, a sample week, and what to post six months out, in launch week and long after.
Engagement: the half of Notes most authors skip, and a ten-minute daily habit.
Cadence, batching and scheduling: how often to post, how to keep a Notes bank, and timing advice for authors outside North America and Europe.
Where the strategists disagree: my honest view on the contradictory advice out there, and how to run your own 30-day experiment.
A 30-day Notes plan and a checklist to keep you on track.
You know Notes matters but have no idea what to post.
You’re posting, but getting likes rather than subscribers.
You have a book launch coming and don’t want to sound like an advertisement.
You write fiction and you’re tired of advice built for people selling courses.
You want a rhythm you can sustain without losing your writing time.
Most Notes advice is written by creators teaching other creators to grow. This guide is written for authors. Every format comes with a fiction and non-fiction version, and every example is built around books, characters and ideas rather than funnels.
It draws on more than two years of testing Notes every day on my own publications, including The Substack Bookstore, and writing and auditing Notes for author clients across genres. It also draws on what I’ve learned working alongside Kristina God, my Bookstore co-host and founder of The Online Writing Club.
I’m Fleur Hull, founder of Stacks Publishing. I’ve spent more than 25 years in writing and marketing, I’ve published five non-fiction books, and I help indie authors build platforms that sell books without becoming full-time marketers. I’m based in Western Australia and work with authors worldwide.
Notes send curious readers straight to your profile and About page. If those aren’t ready, start with the companion Substack Setup Guide for Indie Authors.
I only have a few minutes a day. Is this realistic?
Yes. The guide recommends starting with one or two Notes a day and builds up only once that feels easy. There’s also a ten-minute daily engagement habit.
Does it work for non-fiction?
Yes. Every format includes a non-fiction version, and seven of the 13 genres covered are non-fiction.
I’d rather someone wrote my Notes for me.
That’s what One Month of Substack Notes is for: 20 ready-to-post Notes, written in your voice from your own posts. Details are in the guide.
Find readers on Substack without turning your feed into a billboard.
You’ve been told Notes is where readers find you on Substack. So you open the app, look at that empty little box, and freeze.
What do you even say? You’re a novelist, not a growth hacker. So you post “New chapter is live!” or “My book is out today!” and watch it collect four likes from people who already subscribe. Meanwhile, the feed is full of people posting five times a day about funnels and frameworks, and none of their advice seems to fit someone who writes about a detective, a dragon or the year their father died.
Here’s the hard truth I see in nearly every author audit I do: feeds that are mostly promotion stop growing. The fix is never more promotion. It’s more story.
The good news is that authors have something most people in the Notes feed don’t: characters, worlds, research and a hard-won point of view. Once you know how to use them, Notes stops feeling like a chore. It becomes the most natural way for the right readers to find you.
This guide shows you how.
Twenty-seven pages of practical, author-specific Notes strategy:
How the Notes feed actually works: what Substack has said publicly about reach, recommendations and why likes aren’t the number that matters.
The anatomy of a Note that converts: a simple three-part structure, endings that invite replies, and formatting that suits the feed.
A format library, translated for authors: nine core formats plus ten made for authors, such as character notes, world notes, research rabbit holes and serialised micro-fiction.
More than 25 example Notes across 13 genres, including romance, crime, fantasy, historical, literary and cosy mystery, plus memoir, self-help, business, wellbeing, history, parenting and travel.
A case study of Marylee Pangman, a fiction author who has built a warm, engaged community by letting readers live in her world between books.
Notes before, during and after your book launch: the one-in-five rule for promotion, a sample week, and what to post six months out, in launch week and long after.
Engagement: the half of Notes most authors skip, and a ten-minute daily habit.
Cadence, batching and scheduling: how often to post, how to keep a Notes bank, and timing advice for authors outside North America and Europe.
Where the strategists disagree: my honest view on the contradictory advice out there, and how to run your own 30-day experiment.
A 30-day Notes plan and a checklist to keep you on track.
You know Notes matters but have no idea what to post.
You’re posting, but getting likes rather than subscribers.
You have a book launch coming and don’t want to sound like an advertisement.
You write fiction and you’re tired of advice built for people selling courses.
You want a rhythm you can sustain without losing your writing time.
Most Notes advice is written by creators teaching other creators to grow. This guide is written for authors. Every format comes with a fiction and non-fiction version, and every example is built around books, characters and ideas rather than funnels.
It draws on more than two years of testing Notes every day on my own publications, including The Substack Bookstore, and writing and auditing Notes for author clients across genres. It also draws on what I’ve learned working alongside Kristina God, my Bookstore co-host and founder of The Online Writing Club.
I’m Fleur Hull, founder of Stacks Publishing. I’ve spent more than 25 years in writing and marketing, I’ve published five non-fiction books, and I help indie authors build platforms that sell books without becoming full-time marketers. I’m based in Western Australia and work with authors worldwide.
Notes send curious readers straight to your profile and About page. If those aren’t ready, start with the companion Substack Setup Guide for Indie Authors.
I only have a few minutes a day. Is this realistic?
Yes. The guide recommends starting with one or two Notes a day and builds up only once that feels easy. There’s also a ten-minute daily engagement habit.
Does it work for non-fiction?
Yes. Every format includes a non-fiction version, and seven of the 13 genres covered are non-fiction.
I’d rather someone wrote my Notes for me.
That’s what One Month of Substack Notes is for: 20 ready-to-post Notes, written in your voice from your own posts. Details are in the guide.
