This Non-Perfect Note Shook Substack and Won 5800 Hearts
Make the Substack community feel things
Happy Valentine’s Day! Thanks for being on my list 💌 it really makes a difference.
Quick question: Would you dare to do this?
Let me know!
💌 A Valentine’s Chat with Linda Lebrun from Substack (and a Little Surprise for YOU)
oday, I had the loveliest Valentine’s chat with Linda Lebrun from Substack about Substack Notes—and as a special treat, six tribe members got to join the livestream as our audience!
Here’s something funny
said:
“Thanks for allowing me to take part in the session with Linda from Substack. It was very interesting. Unfortunately, I slept through the first part, quite literally. Nevertheless, it was very interesting and motivated me to continue with Substack and get started.”
Katja dozed off for the first quarter, but hey—the interview still inspired her to keep going and not quit. That’s the kind of energy I love!
Feeling Nervous About Getting on Notes? You’re Not Alone!
Writers in my tribe—whether they are smallstackers and midstackers with 1, 10, 100, 1,000, or 10,000+ subscribers—often feel overwhelmed about getting started with Notes.
Whether they write about fishing, gardening, meditation, sex, cars, family, or pets, the same fears pop up:
❌ Am I doing this right?
❌ What if no one engages?
❌ Is there a secret strategy I’m missing?
Here’s the essence of my interview with Linda, dropping over Valentine’s weekend as a little love letter to you:
❤️ There’s no right or wrong way.
❤️ Forget the “experts” who say “do this, not that.”
❤️ Follow your gut, share what you love, and be yourself.
❤️ Most important: HAVE FUN!
Inside The Notes Club, We Dance, Play, and Most Importantly—Have FUN!
That’s exactly why I created The Notes Club inside my membership last spring—a space to share your Notes, experiment, get feedback, and most importantly, get a response.
I always say:
Dance in the Notes Club and have FUN!
Oh, and speaking of fun... in our chat with Linda, we talked about bird watching (of all things!). You can totally find other bird watchers on Notes to connect, collab, and spark conversations.
NEW: Janet, The Notes Booster!
We now have a Notes Booster with
in the Chat—she’ll be sharing Notes challenges and hosting Boost Parties to help you grow and collaborate. Linda thinks it’s an awesome way to connect and so do I!🎁Your Valentine’s Gift🎁
💓 25% OFF paid subscriptions and finally join The Online Wrting Club
😍 Get 25% off The Substack Notes Bootcamp with the scholarship code:
VALENTINESDAY
And finally, I want to introduce you to Notes Bootcamp alumni
, "an obstreperous ER nurse who retired to become a writer with the same willful bent. My stories might break your heart."
Jo took part in last year’s Substack Notes Bootcamp with ma friend, author and successful Notes writer
and ended up going viral. Her story is a perfect reality check on what “going viral” actually means.If you want, you can use her Note as an inspiration for your own! I’ll be sharing it as an add-on to the guest post at the bottom of the story as a special Valentine’s gift.
Now, let’s hear it from Jo!
61,300 Clicks
5,860 Likes
317 Comments
448 Restacks on Substack
929 Shares on other social media
792 New Subscribers
Viral Means Different Things to Different People
Someone with 100,000 subscribers getting almost 6,000 likes on a Note might not be, well, notable.
But I had 68 subscribers.
68.
I Couldn’t Keep Up With All The Responses
At first, it was slightly disconcerting that I had so many folks to respond to and to follow up with (with whom to follow up, I know). People were very kind in their comments that there was no way I was going to let any of those gems go unanswered.
I was glad that I had time to respond to every single comment. I also looked up the profile for every person that subscribed to me and found quite a few new folks to subscribe to myself.
Some Good, Some Crickets
Since then, my Notes have performed like everyone else’s.
Some good, some crickets.
I’ll write Notes as often as I write them in real life, which is sometimes lots and sometimes not so much.
I chose not to continue nurturing growth, which Kristina covered in her Bootcamp as well, because my goals were more about building community, and I don’t do this full time. So I just continued on my merry way, with many thanks to Kristina for helping me get 800 subscribers.
Another thing that happened with all the new subscribers is because they came from a Note I posted about Nursing, and that’s not my only topic, I lost some over time as my content wasn’t what they expected.
So since September, my subscriber count has remained about the same as I added/lost about 150 subscribers during that time.
This bit of churn is reasonable, I think, because folks are self-selecting who they want to continue following. It’s all good.
Below are screenshots of some of my Substack Stats just to show the numbers in that manner as well.
Enjoy learning from Kristina. She makes it so fun!
Jo Taylor is the author of Postcards: A Collection of Poems and Short Stories. Margaret of Thibodaux is her first novel. She lives in Daphne, Alabama. www.jotaylorauthor.com.
Jo’s Substack is called Characteristically Speaking. She writes Poetry, Short Stories, Literary Fiction, and Historical Fiction, with a bit of silliness. She’s happy to have you along.
Want To Use The Viral Notes Template?
Ever read something that made you laugh, cry, and rethink your entire existence all within 60 seconds?
That’s the magic of Jo’s viral note. It makes me feel things and hit the share button.
Step 1: Write Like You’re Texting a Friend
Forget all that “Notes writing rules” nonsense. You want to write a Note that feels human. Real. Weird. Written in the moment.
Step 2: Flip Between Funny and Heartbreaking
Jo’s viral note messes with my emotions. You should be laughing one second and clutching your chest the next.
Step 3: Say the Things People Think But Don’t Say Out Loud
You know those weird thoughts you have at 4 AM? Yeah. Those are gold. Use them.
Step 4: End With a Gut Punch
Your last sentence should feel like someone just grabbed your soul and shook it a little. Leave them with something that sticks in their brain for hours.
Dare to be real. Be wild. Be you!
In addition to the interview with Linda as a Valentine’s present, you can get:
💓 25% OFF paid subscriptions and finally join The Online Wrting Club HERE
😍 Get 25% off The Substack Notes Bootcamp with the scholarship code:
VALENTINESDAY
Oh and if you use Jo’s viral note as an inspiration to write your own, put it in the comments or chat.
Any questions about the Bootcamp? Hit reply!
 | A guest post by
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Thank you, Kristina, for being so generous and sharing to host my story of my viral note. You are the best!
Jo will also be one of our rockstar session speakers!