The 8 Substack Notes Archetypes You Need to Know Before 2026 (to Grow Faster and Earn More)
These personalities are taking over Substack's lovely social media network
So I’ve been hearing it everywhere lately.
“Ah, it’s the end of the year. Time to wind down.”
Writers are already talking about Christmas movies and cozy pajamas.
But listen, it’s not over yet.
Not for us. Not for anyone building on Substack!
Because this last stretch of the year?
This is where we plant what’s going to grow in 2026.
And I’ve got some powerful things lined up to help you do exactly that and exciting news from Substack.
Oh and spoiler alert… last year in Q4 Substack shipped multiple new features and also had a Christmas gift surprise (which I could imagine will become a thing again soon!)
What I Learned After Covering “Notes Night”
You might remember, I was the first covering “Notes Night” (without being a participant), Substack’s big event in New York City where I told you about the main 5 types of Notes writers:
Conversation starters
Tumblr girls
Techno optimists
Shit posters
Good vibes all around
And Randa Sakallah, Substack’s editorial lead and head of social media also shared:
“If you don’t share your work, you’ll grow much more slowly.
Notes is the best place to communicate the value of your Substack in an authentic, conversational way.”
Well… a few minutes back, Substack just dropped even more via email, based on their insights and data.
The Updated “Notes Ecosystem”
According to Substack’s latest post, …
“Substack Notes has been around for two and a half years now, and the feed is beginning to resemble a thriving jungle—alive with fascinating creatures who each play a vital role in the ecosystem, helping one another grow and evolve.”
Here’s the expanded lineup:
#1 Shitposters & Satirical Commentators – the funny voices that keep Notes human.
#2 The Tumblr Diaspora – the aesthetic curators, visual storytellers, and vibe-setters.
#3 The Literary Crowd – essayists and poets turning Notes into a modern salon and a “new literary scene”.
#4 Young and Newyorkish – journalists and culture writers defining cool again.
#5 The Artists – sketchers, painters, designers, creators.
I loved this one soooo much:
#6 The Memelords – the ones who make us laugh when we need it most. 😁🤣😂
#7 The Cats – yes, literal cats. It’s still the internet.
Since the beginning of Substack Notes petstack has been a thing. Dogstack and catstack are a thing! Try it and share some photos of your dog or cat 😉
is the master of catstack! But there are more, of course …#8 Good vibes all around
’s post is cozy, lovely and full of goooood energy!
#9 Conversation starters:
This one from
is spot on as I know many parents experience exactly this!#10 Tumblr girls
Since I wasn’t at the “Notes Night” in NYC I can’t tell you what exactly Substack means by this but I asked my hubby and found this by my friend
who’s in New Zeakand on a research vacay. It has this “artsy, vintage, emotional” Tumblr (more senior social media platform) aesthetic and is very Tumblr-coded.#11 Techno optimists
These are people who think tech can make the future better.
is a great example (took a screenshot as the post is too long)
The Creative Energy on Notes Is Unreal
I often stop the scroll and see something fresh and new!
In my opinion, Notes is more and more becoming the place where writers find readers and readers find their people, just as Linda Lebrun from Substack told me in our kick-off interview this year.
And this Thursday, I’ll show you exactly how to make the most of it, to be prepared for 2026 and grow your email list in the next two monhts together with me and Notes!
The Substack Notes 2026 Future-Proof Masterclass
🗓 Thursday, October 30th (yes, the day before Halloween!)
LIVE with me, and yes—I’ll be in 👻costume
@10.30am EST, 7.30AM PT
Here’s what we’ll cover:
All 8 types of Notes writers (and which one you are)
How to use Notes to grow faster than any other growth channel
My 365 Almost Daily Notes Writer with 365 viral templates for FREE (value $25)
How to build your Notes marketing strategy for 2026
All paid subscribers get full access.
👉 If you’re not a paid subscriber yet or can’t afford becoming one, you can register here, 10 people can win access to the masterclass for FREE.
🎧 Also Coming Up in Q4 2025… Big New Announcements
I’m so excited about what’s next:
🎙️ LIVE: The Podcast Bootcamp – with a 7-figure podcaster and influencer who’s going to teach you how to launch, grow, and monetize your show in 2026.
🗓 Monday- Wednesday, starting November 10th
💰 LIVE: Make Your First $1K with Substack: A-Z of Substack Course – with
and , breaking down how to go from zero to your first thousand dollars on Substack, step by step. Everything you need to know (also if you don’t want to offer paid subscriptions!)🗓 Monday- Thursday, starting November 24th
Both coming this season inside the Online Writing Club!
So No, The Year’s Not Done, It’s Just Heating Up
If you’ve been meaning to take your Notes, your Substack, or your creator strategy seriously in starting in Q4 2025 and beyond … this is your moment.
Hit reply and tell me:
what type of Notes writer are you?
what works well for you?
what doesn’t work for you?
Conversation starter, Tumblr girl, techno optimist, shit poster, or good vibes all around?
We’ll talk about it live on Thursday!
Let’s finish strong!
With excitement for what’s ahead,
P.S. Goodnight from Germany! I’m super grateful you’re here.
Tomorrow (October 28, 12.30 GMT) you can meet me in a FREE masterclass with
. Start, grow, monetise and market your newsletters is the title.Melanie and I met today and I can’t wait to talk with you about the LinkedIn+Substack Flywheel and how to earn your first 1K with Substack!
Here’s how I can help you even MORE with Notes
⭐StackBudy Collaborations (FREE tool) no excuses! My husband
built a tool for us to find collab partners in no time. We’re now Substack 200+ writers!
This is so helpful 🙏🏼 thank you! I need to ponder which Notes girlie I want to be bc right now… I have no strategy and I’m all over the place 🤣
All sounds amazing!!
Excited to learn more ✨
More than half of my subscribers are from Notes/the App 💕