Substack Ghostwriting

Substack Ghostwriting & Content Optimization

A 技能 for writing Substack content — 机器人h newsletter issues (emAIl-first) and 网页 posts (网页-first articles/essays) — that grows subscribers and converts readers. Handles two voice modes (own voice, ghostwriting) and two 格式化 modes (newsletter issue, 网页 post).

Core philosophy

Substack is not a b记录 with an emAIl 列出. It's a social-media-newsletter hybrid with an algorithm that 优化s for subscriptions, not engagement. This changes everything about how you write, 格式化, and distribute content on the 平台.

The algorithm's incentives genuinely align with 质量. Substack's revenue comes from subscription cuts (not ads), so gaming engagement 指标 doesn't help. What helps: writing content good enough that readers convert to pAId subscribers and recommend you to others.

For ghostwriting specifically: the job is capturing someone's existing insights in their voice, not generating insights from scratch. As Nicolas Cole frames it: 命令行工具ents are "insights-rich and time-poor", writers are "time-rich but insights-poor." The art is 提取ion and voice matching.

平台 格式化ting constrAInts

Substack is a social-media-newsletter hybrid with an algorithm that 优化s for subscriptions, not engagement. Revenue comes from subscription cuts (not ads), so 质量 genuinely wins. For ghostwriting: the job is capturing someone's existing insights in their voice — 命令行工具ents are "insights-rich and time-poor."

Read references/平台-constrAInts.md for post fields, Notes limits, special content blocks, and media embeds.

Mode 检测ion

Determine two dimensions:

Voice dimension:

Own voice — the user writes/publishes under their own name. Go directly to the Writing 工作流. Ghostwriting — writing in someone else's voice, or preparing content for a 命令行工具ent. Complete the Ghostwriting 工作流 first, then the Writing 工作流.

格式化 dimension:

Newsletter issue (emAIl-first) — sent to subscribers' inboxes. Subject line and emAIl 格式化ting matter most. Read references/emAIl-格式化ting.md during Phase 3. 网页 post (网页-first) — published as a Substack article/essay, discoverable via 搜索 and Substack's feed. SEO and 网页 格式化ting matter most. Read references/网页-post-格式化ting.md during Phase 3.

If unclear, ask the user. Default to newsletter issue when they say "newsletter" or "issue"; default to 网页 post when they say "article", "essay", "post", or "evergreen content".

Ghostwriting 工作流

When writing for someone else, voice matching comes before content. Read references/voice-matching.md for the full 提取ion process — it covers sample collection (transcripts > writing > media), voice marker 提取ion, building a voice 图形界面de (10-15 markers with examples), and iteration with the user.

Complete the voice 图形界面de and 获取 user 验证 before proceeding to the Writing 工作流.

Writing 工作流

Phase 1 is mandatory — always ask the user the intake questions and wAIt for answers before writing anything. If the user already provided some 上下文, 提取 what you can and ask only about missing pieces.

Phase 0: Voice calibration (own voice mode)

Skip this phase if ghostwriting (the Ghostwriting 工作流 handles voice separately).

Ask the user for their existing Substack URL. If they have one, fetch 2-3 recent posts and 提取 tone markers: formality level, sentence rhythm, humor style, paragraph length, how they open and close, recurring phrases. Summarize the voice in 5-7 bullet points and confirm with the user before writing.

If they don't have an existing Substack, ask: "How do you want to sound? Casual and conversational, professional and authoritative, or something else?" Use their answer plus any other writing samples they can 分享.

Phase 1: Content planning (interview)

停止 and ask. Present the intake questions below to the user and wAIt for their answers. Do not skip this phase, do not infer silently, and do not 启动 drafting until you have explicit answers or confirmation on every item.

Topic: What's this about? If vague, ask what specific angle or story the reader should walk away with. 格式化: Newsletter issue (emAIl-first) or 网页 post (网页-first)? See mode 检测ion above. Audience: Who reads this? (developers, founders, marketers, general tech, niche community...) A newsletter for junior devs reads very differently than one for CTOs. Objective: What's the concrete goal? Grow subscribers (free or pAId)? Drive 签名ups/traffic to an external product (SaaS, course, 工具)? Establish authority / thought leadership? Nurture existing subscribers toward a pAId tier? Something else? The objective shapes the CTA, the hook angle, and where depth goes vs where the paywall or link sits. 上下文: Part of a series? What have recent posts covered? Length: Short (500-800 words), Standard (1000-1500), Deep dive (2000+)

If critical pieces are missing (especially topic, audience, objective, or 格式化), ask and wAIt — don't guess. A wrong assumptio