It’s time to show us — a community of other midlife Substack writers — what you’ve been writing.

Here’s what to do:

• Introduce yourself and your Substack in a sentence or two.

• Tell us about what you’re sharing this week and why.

• Share the link.

• Then engage with at least a few other people’s work — comment, restack, like, or share. Subscribe to writers whose work resonates with you.

• And, most of all, come back throughout the weekend and next week to keep the conversation going.

Keep in mind: If an essay or article touches you, think about commenting directly in the comments of the article itself, not just here in the thread.

If you have interacted with an article or note outside of this post, please show that by liking it in the share thread.

💬 Share your latest essay, article, or Note below in the comments and meet other midlife writers.

Quick reminder: Join me and from for a workshop tomorrow, June 20th at 11 a.m. Eastern, on 3 Ways To Help Your Readers Stay. Learn more here.

Amanda will be showing us three ways to make your Substack writing more intentional, while also helping readers stay connected to your writing.

It’s for Midstack writers who want their posts to be read each week, without tiring out their audience or themselves. Register here.

Subscribe now

Register HERE.

A free workshop for Substack writers who want their posts to get read, without burning out their audience or themselves.

In this workshop, you’ll learn three simple ways to make your posts easier for readers to engage with:

1. Mix up your post lengths

Not every post needs to be 2,000 words. Learn how to balance longer, in-depth pieces with shorter, lighter posts so readers don’t feel overwhelmed.

2. Be clear about what you’re asking

Are you inviting a reply? Sharing a story? Teaching something? When you’re clear about what each post is doing, readers know how to respond.

3. Connect your posts over time

Help readers see how your ideas build on each other—so they understand what you’re working on, not just what you published today.

Who This Workshop Is For

This workshop is for you if:

• You’re publishing on Substack but not sure if your posts are landing

• You want readers to truly engage (not just subscribe and disappear)

• You’re tired of feeling like you have to post all the time to stay visible

• You want a simple framework for making your work easier to read and follow

What You’ll Come Away With

• A simple way to think about post variety

• Clarity on what each post is trying to do so that readers know how to engage

• Ideas for connecting your posts over time

This isn’t about posting more. It’s about making what you already publish easier for readers to receive.

Those who register will also receive a recording of the workshop to watch later.

Register for free here

This week has been a busy one for Midstack. We finished our first two-week Substack Foundations cohort, and yesterday began our 5-Day Notes Experiment.

We’ve already got a lively, generous, and creative group of women inside our Notes Experiment Forum who are posting drafts of their Notes, getting feedback from other Midstackers, and sharing their published Notes for us to comment on, like, and restack.

I’m loving reading each writer’s introduction to our group and learning about her unique style and goals.

Here’s a peek inside:

Paid subscribers to Midstack can join the Notes Experiment HERE. You’ll be prompted to create a profile and account for our forum platform. (Please use the same email address associated with your Substack account.)

Now, on to the Midstack Friday share thread….

💬 Drop your latest essay, article, or Note below in the comments and meet other midlife writers.

How it works:

• Introduce yourself and your Substack in a sentence or two.

• Tell us what you’re sharing this week and why.

• Share the link.

• Then engage with at least a few other people’s work — comment, restack, like, or share. Subscribe to writers whose work resonates with you.

• And, most of all, come back throughout the week to keep the conversation going.

New here? This is our weekly Friday tradition where midlife Substackers connect, share their work, and support each other. Jump in.

A couple tips: If an essay or article touches you, think about commenting directly in the comments of the article itself, not just here in the thread.

If you have interacted with an article or note outside of this post, please show that by liking it in the share thread.

“I don’t understand Notes.” “My Notes just disappear into the void.” “It feels like another social media platform I’m supposed to master.” “I have no idea what’s working.”

I get it. Notes can feel like shouting into emptiness: one more algorithm to crack, one more performance to perfect.

But what if we tried something different?

What if, instead of following what so many of the marketing gurus and experts tell us, we just supported each other?

I’m launching a five-day Notes experiment, starting Thursday, and I’d love for you to join us.

Here’s what it is:

• Daily writing prompts designed for Notes (take them or leave them; they’re there if you get stuck)

• Five days of getting real feedback on your Notes drafts before you publish

• Sharing your published Notes with a small army of midlife women ready to engage

• Two (entirely optional!) informal meetups to connect and troubleshoot together on Friday, June 12th at 1 p.m. Eastern and Tuesday, June 16th at noon Eastern

• Tracking what actually works for our community, not what some growth hacker says should work

These five days aren’t about going viral. It’s about testing a theory that I’ve been playing with:

Can we make Notes feel less like social media performance and more like... our community?

I certainly don’t have all the answers. That’s the point. We’re going to try to figure this out together.

Who this is for:

• Midstack subscribers who feel lost or overwhelmed (sometimes or all the time) on Notes

• Writers tired of expert advice that doesn’t fit midlife women

• Anyone willing to experiment, give feedback, and actually show up for each other

Who this isn’t for:

• Writers looking for a magic formula

• Anyone not willing to engage with others’ Notes

Subscribe now

We start this Thursday, June 11th in a private forum specifically built for these five days. The first day will be about introductions and getting started.

After you sign up, you’ll receive an email with next steps.

Interested?

➡️ Paid subscribers can sign up HERE.

(Please use the same email to sign up as the one you use for your Substack account.)

➡️ If you’re not a paid subscriber, and you don’t want to become one, you can sign up HERE.

P.S. Yes, this is only an experiment. I’m hoping we might discover that genuine community beats algorithm hacks every single time.

Share

If you’re new here, Midstack offers a weekly Friday opportunity for you to share your most recent essay, article, or note and to connect with other midlife Substack writers.

Here’s how our Midstack weekly share thread works:

• tell us a little about you and you and your Substack in a sentence or two

• describe the article or note you’ll be sharing in another sentence or two

• share a link to the note or article

• then comment on, restack, like, or share at least a few other posts

• make sure to subscribe or recommend other writers that you especially love

• please return throughout the week to read and connect more

Go ahead and share an essay, article, or note that you’ve written this week in the comments!

One more thing….

You’ll be hearing more details over the next few days… For today I want to announce our first ever Midstack Notes Experiment, starting June 11th.

I’ve heard you loud and clear — in our Midstack meetups, in the surveys that you take when you subscribe, in our two-week May Substack Foundations cohort. You want help, support, guidance, and growth with Notes.

We’re going to try something new (yes, that’s why it’s an Experiment). Here are the basics: For five days in a private group we’re going to share drafts of our Notes and give each other feedback, share each other’s published Notes, and keep track of our progress.

Most of all, in this small army of midlife Substackers, we’re going to observe and notice patterns. What’s working? What’s not? How can we help each other gain traction?

This five-day Notes experiment is for paid subscribers of Midstack.

Again, you’ll hear more in the coming days. For right now, if you’re ready, you can sign up HERE.

This is a weekly opportunity for you to share your most recent Post or Note and to connect with other midlife writers on Substack in the comments of this post.

If this is your first time here joining in (and please make sure to share that too!), here’s how it works:

• tell us a little about you and you and your Substack in a sentence or two

• describe the Post or Note you’ll be sharing in another sentence or two

• share a link to the Post or Note

• then comment on, restack, like, or share at least a few other posts

• make sure to subscribe or recommend other writers that you especially love

• return throughout the week to read and connect more

Although it’s of course entirely up to you, this time I’d especially encourage you to share a recent Note that you’ve posted. Let’s see what happens when a bunch of us like, comment on, or restack a Note. We had an interesting conversation about Notes during a meeting yesterday for our two-week Substack Foundations cohort, which started on Tuesday, and it made me curious about whether the cumulative power of Midstackers could boost a Note in a big-ish way.

Happy Friday, Midstackers! xo Jessica

It’s time once again for our Midstack share thread, a chance for you to share your most recent writing and to connect with other midlife writers on Substack in the comments of this post.

If you’re new here (and please tell us that this is your first time here!), here’s how it goes:

• tell us about you and you and your Substack in a sentence or two

• describe the Post or Note you’ll be sharing

• share the link to the Post or Note

• then comment on, restack, like, or share at least a few other posts

• make sure to subscribe or recommend other writers that you especially love

• come back throughout the week to read and connect more

Starting next Friday, I’d also like to share opportunities and announcements from the Midstack community.

Do you have something amazing to tell us about?

• Did you just publish a book?

• Do you have an upcoming course, workshop, or program that might appeal to other midlife writers?

• Do you want to announce a collaboration opportunity here on Substack or somewhere else?

• Are you looking for podcast or interview guests?

Click below to submit your opportunity or announcement. Then I’ll include a roundup in next Friday’s post.

tell me about your announcement

• On Tuesday we start the first cohort of our Substack Foundations Cohort, an intimate, collaborative, and hands-on two-week workshop experience for midlife writers of all experience levels. Learn all the details and sign up HERE

💬 Share your most recent post or note in the comments.

In any case, we are due for one of my favorite parts of the month, our monthly Midstack meetup on Zoom.

If you’re new here, each month I host a free gathering of Midstackers, midlife women writing on Substack.

We talk about:

• your Substack goals, challenges, and wins

• your questions about Substack

• possibilities for collaboration

If there’s a particularly large number of us at the meetup, I’ll split us into breakout groups so that everyone has a chance to talk and connect.

Even if you can’t make it, if you register, I’ll send out a recording as well as a transcript of the chat, which is where a lot of the magic of connection and collaboration happens on these calls.

I hope to meet a lot of new faces! xo Jessica

REGISTER HERE

I’m excited to announce a two-week workshop experience to help midlife women writers build the foundations for authentic connection and sustainable growth — by making sure every reader-facing element of your Substack invites people in and makes them want to stay. This is hands-on, collaborative, and designed specifically for midlife women who want to grow their publications in a way that feels aligned with who they are. Sign up HERE and continue reading to learn more.

This weekend, as I was thinking about planning this two-week cohort, I started a Chat thread to ask what growth on Substack means or looks like to all of you, midlife women writing on this platform.

I got over 120 responses, very quickly.

Here’s what some of you had to say about what you’re looking for in terms of growth on Substack:

“Being able to publish without worrying about metrics or having editors tell me something won’t sell. Being able to engage people in whatever makes our minds sing without stressing about performance or editing out the uglier parts.”

“As a midlife woman and nearly empty nester, growth also feels like permission — permission to take up space creatively without constantly needing applause or validation. To write because it makes me feel alive and so deeply myself.”

“Growth for me means finding the women who needed to hear this but didn't know to look for it.”

“Growth on Substack looks like building a community of genuinely engaged readers, not just collecting numbers. It’s people who consistently open my posts, respond, share their own stories, and make the space feel alive and reciprocal. It also feels like momentum.”

“Growth on Substack, for me, would feel like finding my people — the women who are also in the messy middle of figuring out what the second half actually looks like. Not a number. A feeling of ‘oh, she gets it’ in my inbox.”

And here’s what I think you were telling me:

• You’re not here to chase numbers or become a content machine. (I knew this part already.)

• You’re here to find your people. To write honestly instead of performing. To build authentic connection, not just collect subscribers.

• You want engagement and real conversation — not just likes, but women who actually respond, who see themselves in your work, who make you feel less alone.

• You want permission to take up space as a midlife woman without constantly needing validation. To write what’s true, not what sells.

• You want growth that feels sustainable and aligned — where paid subscriptions become natural, not forced. Where your Substack becomes your true home base.

But below the surface here’s what I think I was also hearing:

• You’re not sure how to make that happen.

• You’re getting engagement, but sometimes not enough or the right kind. Or you might have followers, but they’re not converting to subscribers.

• You’re writing from the heart, but you’re not sure if it’s reaching all the people you want to.

• You want organic growth, but you’re not sure what that actually looks like in practice.

• You want community, but you’re not sure how to cultivate it.

• You’re doing this alone, and it’s hard to know if you’re on the right track.

Subscribe now

That’s exactly why of and I created this two-week foundations experience.

None of us are interested in growth hacks or one-size-fits-all formulas.

Instead, this two-week cohort is about building the foundations for exactly the kind of Substack you told me you want, one based on authentic connection with engaged readers, a sustainable writing practice that doesn’t burn you out, and clarity on who your people are and how to reach them.

You can publish heart-felt and beautiful writing, but if your publication doesn’t invite readers into your publication, you might be losing readers before they ever see your best work.

The truth is that you often can’t see your own Substack the way a new reader does.

During these two weeks, you’ll get honest, supportive feedback from us and from other midlife writers on the most important reader-facing elements of your Substack — and transform your publication by making sure it makes the best possible first impressions to prospective subscribers.

Because inviting readers to your Substack doesn’t have to feel gimmicky or sales-y. It can feel just as authentic as the rest of your writing.

For 2 weeks, you’ll get real-time feedback from other midlife women writers on every element of your Substack that readers see first, such as:

• Your About page: Does it invite readers in or accidentally push them away?

• Your profile and bio: Does it make people want to know more?

• Your welcome email: Does it build connection or feel generic?

• Your homepage navigation: Can readers find what they’re looking for?

• and more.

This isn’t another course where you watch videos and do homework alone using checklists or formulas.

This is a hands-on, intimate, collaborative intensive where:

• You’ll be matched into small groups (5-6 people) based on experience level and writing topic

• You’ll see other Substacks and learn what works (and what doesn’t)

• You’ll get honest, supportive feedback from women who are your actual readers

• You’ll implement changes in real-time and see immediate results

• You’ll leave with a Substack that’s ready to greet readers — and ready to cultivate the authentic connection and meaningful conversation you told me you’re craving

These two weeks (May 26 - June 9) will include:

• A launch workshop on Wednesday, May 27 introducing the sequence of your first impressions on Substack at 10:30 a.m. Eastern (If you cannot make it live, it will be recorded, and we will discuss the workshop inside our discussion forum.)

• Co-working and Q&A sessions throughout the two weeks (times to be determined by a survey of participants before the cohort begins)

• A workshop with Amanda on using data to inform your publishing

• A private forum to share your drafts, to connect with other midlife women, and to participate in your accountability group

• Recordings of all workshops. You do not need to be able to attend the workshops live.

Join us here

This cohort will take place off of Substack on a private community platform specifically for our purpose.

Why not just use Substack’s own features? Because the experience you’ll have in a dedicated community space is completely different and much better. (Anyone who’s ever tried to find responses in one of Substack’s disorganized chat threads can attest to this.) Our easy-to-use platform gives you organized spaces for each week’s work, private small group chat rooms where you can share vulnerable drafts and get intimate feedback, and a structure that keeps everything — session recordings, resources, daily prompts, and conversations — in one easy-to-navigate place.

This cohort is for you if:

• You’re a midlife woman building your Substack

• You want authentic connection, not just numbers

• You’re committed to writing honestly, even when it’s vulnerable

• You want sustainable growth that feels aligned

• You’re ready to build something meaningful

Founding member pricing: $47

(Paid subscribers to Midstack get $20 off. See the coupon code at the end of this post.)

We start May 26.

If this conversation resonated with you — if you saw yourself in these 120+ responses — I’d love to have you.

SIGN UP HERE

P.S. One woman in the Chat thread wrote: “Growth for me means finding the women who needed to hear this but didn’t know to look for it.” If that’s you, this is your invitation.

Paid subscribers to Midstack or the Publishing Spectrum. Use the code “SPRINGCOHORT” at checkout.

First I’d like to welcome every single one of our many new Midstack members. We are a community for midlife women who are building their Substacks with intention, support, and collaboration, and I look forward to getting to know you and your writing and to helping you grow and find your people authentically.

You’ll hear more from me in the coming days about new opportunities and offerings.

One of the regular features of this community is a semi-weekly Friday share thread. This is a place where we share what we’ve written this week and then support each other by commenting on each other’s posts, restacking them, and sharing with the writer how we personally connected with the essay. I’ve watched friendships blossom and collaborations begin in these threads.

This week — again, because we have so many new members here — I’d like you to tell us a little bit about you, in addition to sharing a recent piece of writing.

Tell us (in the comments):

• a general category or theme that your writing fits into. This might be Substack’s own categories — Literature, Health and Wellness, Culture — or it might be something else that you feel better describes your writing (Poetry, Reinvention, Perimenopause, Grief, Feminism,…). If you could choose your own category or theme on Substack, what would it be? If you’re not sure or are overwhelmed by the idea of choosing one theme or category, feel free to leave it out.

• a short description of you and your Substack

• a short description of a recent post or note

• a link to the post or note

Here’s my own example using Midstack’s sister publication, Midstory:

After you post your short introduction and your recent post link, please make sure to comment on, like, restack, share in a Note at least a few other writers’ posts.

Have a wonderful weekend! Keep coming back to this thread during the week and supporting each other.

Also, don’t be shy! If you find another writer in the comments that you connect with, reach out to her (in the comments, in a DM) and propose a collaboration (a cross-post, an interview, a guest post, etc) or tell her that you’d like to add her to your recommendations.

This series of three free workshops is a collaboration with of .

Amanda’s Substack is a truly special place, designed for those of us who want to write creatively and authentically on Substack and find readers but are not interested in algorithm hacks or content formulas. Amanda’s publication is one of the first I followed when I realized that much of the advice about Substack growth I was finding wasn’t resonating with me and my values and goals. I’ve recommended her publication to many other midlife writers like us since then.

You are invited to our first workshop together on Thursday, May 14th at 1 p.m. ET/ 12 p.m. CT.

Get the registration link

Session 1: WRITE: Your Voice, Your Pace

Many writers on Substack are writing — but expecting publishing results.

These are two genuinely different modes, and mixing them up creates a particular kind of frustration: you’re working hard, your writing feels meaningful, but nothing seems to be moving.

This session helps you understand the difference, reflect honestly on what you’re here to do on Substack, and stop measuring yourself against the wrong thing.

You’ll leave with clarity about where you actually are — and real relief from where you thought you should be.”

— Read more from Amanda about the other two workshops HERE.

I also encourage you to explore and to subscribe to Amanda’s Substack.

The Publishing Spectrum

A tactical lighthouse for craft-forward writers. Data tools, editorial insights and hard-won perspective to help you build a flourishing Substack publication without losing your creative voice.

By Amanda N. Bray

And be sure to register for our workshop on Thursday, even if you can’t make it live. We’ll email a recording of the workshop to those who register.

Sign up here

Today (Friday, May 8th) is our last Midstack co-working session of this week.

Write and connect with us — a Zoom room full of midlife women on Substack — today at noon Eastern. We’d love to meet you and learn about what you’re doing in your writing life.

Sign up for the Zoom link

Our Midstack Share Thread is a semi-weekly opportunity to share your writing with other midlife women writing on Substack. It’s a chance to discover other women writing about midlife themes, to find collaborators and writing friends, and to support each other.

This thread is where you can find your people.

I also choose several essays from this thread to include in our semi-weekly round-up, Midstory Reads. ( is Midstack’s sister publication and publishes original writing by midlife women.)

Here’s yesterday’s Midstory Reads:

Midstory Magazine

Midstory Reads: Awe, Grief, Joy, Healing, and Desire

A few times each month I curate essays and articles published on Substack by our Midstack community, particularly our weekly Midstack share threads. (Midstory and Midstack are sister publications; Midstory publishes personal essays and other writing about the midlife experience, and…

Read more

a month ago · 8 likes · 9 comments · Jessica Smock

Here’s how our weekly share thread works:

💬 Share a recent Post or Note below in the comments.

• Write a brief introduction (a sentence or two about what the writing is about) to your post or note. Feel free to say a little about your Substack and about you as well.

• Post the link.

• Read through other posts. Pick a few with which you connect.

• Restack, write a comment, or even cross-post. Even better, you can also subscribe to publications that interest you and follow other midlife writers.

• Keep checking back over the next few days to show support for other Midstack writers.

I’m by nature more of an observer, especially on social media. Social media feeds overwhelm me, and I hate the expectation that I need to share, share, share (the details of my life, my inner thoughts) to succeed on them.

There are weeks when I spend a lot of time on Notes — posting my own, commenting on others’, restacking. Then there are weeks when I don’t want all the noise.

I recently had a series of semi-viral Notes, which led to thousands of new subscribers, and I’ve spent a lot of time wondering why these Notes resonated and why certain Notes are impactful more generally and some are not.

Here’s one of them:

I didn’t say anything that particularly profound or personal.

I just said something that I felt was true, deep in my bones, in that moment.

Soon I couldn’t stop noticing: The Notes that I was pulled to when I was scrolling — like these from , , and — were often the same ones that others responded to because they said something true, simply and honestly.

They weren’t written with the help of a Notes hack or a formula or a piece of marketing. They weren’t a link drop. (Not that there’s anything wrong with posting links on Notes; I do it!)

I wrote each of the semi-viral Notes in a matter of seconds — not as carefully constructed marketing attempts — because I felt each of these sentiments deep in my bones.

Maybe your feed is inundated with Notes growth strategy advice or Notes formulas from Substack gurus.

Instead, try writing one thing on your mind that you believe in your heart, or that you question, or that you want others to know.

Share

💬 Share a Note of yours below, or an example of another writer’s Note that resonated with you. And then take a minute to comment on or share another Note.

You’re invited to share your writing in our semi-weekly Midstack Friday share thread.

This is an opportunity for you to share a recent post or note with us, a community of other midlife women. Besides posting your writing, I encourage you to introduce yourself and connect with each other in the comments. I love to see the collaborations and connections that continue to come from these threads.

➡️ Also a reminder that you’re also invited to our Midstack week of co-working. Write — or work on other tasks — together with us.

Monday, May 4th at noon, Eastern

Tuesday, May 5th at 2 p.m. Eastern

Wednesday, May 6th at 1 p.m. Eastern

Friday, May 8th at noon, Eastern

Sign up for the co-working Zoom link

💬 Share a recent Post or Note below in the comments.

• Write a brief introduction (a sentence or two about what the writing is about) to your post or note. Feel free to say a little about your Substack and yourself as well.

• Post the link.

• Read through other posts. Pick at least two or three with which you connect.

• Restack, write a comment, or even cross-post. Even better, you can also subscribe to publications that interest you or follow other midlife writers.

This is where co-working with us (other midlife women) comes in.

Co-working sessions are structured blocks of focused work time spent virtually alongside others. They can be quietly transformative for writers, creators, and anyone doing deep work. It’s a simple concept: when we work together, even silently and remotely, we work better.

Here’s why co-working works, especially for midlife women

Accountability without pressure: When you show up to a co-working session, you’re making a commitment. There’s something powerful about knowing others are there, doing their work too. It’s gentle accountability that doesn’t feel like a burden.

Structured time in an unstructured life: Many of us in this time of life are juggling multiple responsibilities. Co-working sessions give you a dedicated container for your writing and other tasks related to your creative life: a beginning, middle, and end. You’re not just “finding time” to write; you are claiming it.

The power of presence: Even though we’ll be working independently, there’s energy in shared focus. You’re not alone in your struggle to get words on the page (or edit, brainstorm, or read). Everyone in that virtual room is doing their own hard thing, and somehow that makes your hard thing feel more doable.

Permission to focus: In a co-working session, you have permission (actually, an expectation) to turn off notifications and just write. The structure gives you permission to protect your attention in a way that’s harder to do on your own.

A community that understands. When you co-work with other Midstack and Midstory writers, you’re with people who understand what you’re trying to do in writing about your midlife experience and why it matters. There’s no explaining, no justifying, just a feeling of shared purpose.

Next week (May 4-8), I’m hosting 4 daily co-working sessions for our community. Whether you’re drafting your next post, editing a piece, brainstorming ideas, or finally tackling that essay you’ve been avoiding, come work alongside us.

Bring your coffee, your messy drafts, and your determination. We’ll do the rest together.

Here are the dates:

Monday, May 4th at noon, Eastern

Tuesday, May 5th at 2 p.m. Eastern

Wednesday, May 6th at 1 p.m. Eastern

Friday, May 8th at noon, Eastern

Show up for one day of the week or every day.

Here’s how it’ll work in a one-hour Zoom session:

• Greetings. Say hi. (5 minutes)

• Share your goal. Set your intention for the hour: a small goal accomplishable in one hour.

• Work silently. (45-50 minutes)

• Debrief. Celebrate your progress with a short discussion of progress. (5 minutes)

SIGN UP HERE

After you sign up, you’ll be emailed a Zoom link for all of the co-working sessions.

💬 Any questions? Let me know in the comments. Feel free to invite others!

Here at Midstack, our community for midlife women writing on Substack, I host a Friday Midstack share thread three times each month.

Our share threads are chances for you to share a recent piece of writing from Substack with us. Besides posting your writing, I encourage you to connect with each other in the comments. I love to see collaborations and friendships bloom from these threads! We are here to support each other and to grow together.

Midstory Magazine

Our Spring Midstory Magazine Writing Guidelines

Our call for submissions is now open to both free and paid Midstory subscribers…

Read more

2 months ago · 36 likes · 11 comments · Jessica Smock

Here’s how to join our Midstack Friday Share Thread:

Share a recent Post or Note below in the comments.

• Write a brief introduction (a sentence or two about what the writing is about) to your post or note. I’d love for you to tell us a little big about your Substack, especially if you’re new here!

• Post the link to your Substack post or note.

• Read through other posts. Pick a few with which you connect.

• Restack, write a comment, or even cross-post. Even better, you can also subscribe to publications that interest you or follow other midlife writers.

• Return to the thread during the week to keep the conversation and sharing going.

Enjoy your weekend! xo Jessica

Subscribe now

If you’re new here, our meetups are informal get-togethers for midlife women writing on Substack to talk about their Substacks, ask questions, share their challenges and get support, and find opportunities for collaborations.

Through our Midstack meetups, I’ve met some of my absolute favorite people on Substack. After these meetups, I’ve watched collaborations and friendships bloom. There’s something magical about a group of women in this messy middle of life getting together to talk about their creative and professional goals on Substack. I always learn something new and leave the meeting feeling inspired and grateful for this Midstack community.

I’d love for you to join us next Friday, April 24th at 1 p.m Eastern.

Once you sign up and register, you’ll be sent a Zoom link.

If you can’t join us live, I’ll send out a recording of the meeting as well to anyone who signs up.

Sign up for the Zoom link

Now time for our Friday share thread.

At least twice a month on Fridays, I host a Midstack share thread. We just had a share thread last Friday, but there were so many comments that I thought I’d give more writers a chance to share this week.

This share thread is an opportunity for you to share a recent piece of writing from Substack with us, a community of other midlife women. Besides posting your writing, I encourage you to connect with each other in the comments.

Here’s how to join:

Share a recent Post or Note below in the comments.

• Write a brief introduction (a sentence or two about what the writing is about) to your post or note. Feel free to say a little about your Substack and about you as well.

• Post the link.

• Read through other posts. Pick at least two or three with which you connect.

• Restack, write a comment, or even cross-post. Even better, you can also subscribe to publications that interest you or follow other midlife writers.

• Return to the thread during the week to keep the conversation and sharing going.

Have a wonderful weekend! xo Jessica

My family and I have been on vacation for the past week. My brother, sister, and our families rented a place in the Florida Keys. Here’s been my view:

It’s good to be home and to welcome lots of you who are new to Midstack.

At least twice a month on Fridays, I host a Midstack share thread.

This is an opportunity for you to share a recent post with us, a community of other midlife women. Besides posting your writing, I encourage you to connect with each other in the comments. Lots of collaborations and connections have been created in these threads. (Let me know if there is anything I can support here at Midstack!)

Here’s what to do:

Share a recent Post or Note below in the comments.

• Write a brief introduction (a sentence or two about what the writing is about) to your post or note. Feel free to say a little about your Substack and yourself as well.

• Post the link.

• Read through other posts. Pick at least two or three with which you connect.

• Restack, write a comment, or even cross-post. Even better, you can also subscribe to publications that interest you or follow other midlife writers.

Welcome to Midstack!

We’ve had a lot of new people join us here at Midstack during the past week. Welcome!

If you are new around here, welcome to your first Share Thread! Two or three times a month I host a comment thread for you to share your latest Post or Note.

This week let’s try something a little different: share a Note with us. (I know for some of you Notes aren’t really your thing. Feel free to share a recent Post instead!)

I’m not going to claim to be an expert in whatever algorithm is happening right now with Notes. However, one thing is clear: the more readers interact with your Notes, the more people start to see it in their feed. And the more people interact with your Notes, the more likely you are to find readers and subscribers.

So the purpose of our Notes share thread is to:

• write comments on each Midstackers’ Notes

• restack or “quote restack” others’ Notes

Here’s what to do:

• In the comments, begin with a short description of your Note — or quote the Note itself.

• Post the link to the Note. To find the link to a Note, click on the three little dots on the right side of the Note and click on “Copy link.”

Make sure to find at least two or three Notes that resonate with you to interact with by commenting or restacking. It might be a good idea to come back to the thread over the next several days to find more Notes.

If you don’t participate much in Notes — or don’t have a Note that you’d like to share — you’re more than welcome to post a link to your latest essay or article instead.

Happy posting! Let’s connect and help each other grow!

It wasn’t until the last week or two that I decided to figure out how to put one on my own. (I have never branded myself as a “Substack expert” who’s on the cutting edge of the latest Substack updates. I prefer to think of myself more as a community builder and connector 😀 )

Here’s an example of the banner from our own Midstack member ’s :

Typical of Substack, I had trouble finding out how to add the banner on my own. As many of you have probably already discovered, many Substack features are not easily located inside the dashboard.

With a little googling and poking around, I figured it out.

Then I wondered if many of you, Midstack writers, also hadn’t discovered this banner. I went to dozens and dozens of homepages from Midstack subscribers, and I can assure you that you are not alone if you have not used this feature. (I’d estimate only about 5% of you have.)

So here’s why you should add this banner:

1. It looks professional and pretty.

2. It’s a excellent way — the best way? — of directly inviting any visitors to your Substack to subscribe.

Here’s how to do it:

1. Go to your Publication’s Dashboard. Scroll down to “Settings.” Then go to “Website.” Then to the website editor. (“Dashboard” > “Settings” > “Website” > “Edit Theme” or “Website Editor” )

   It should look something like this:

   

2. Next, you need to make sure your Homepage theme is set to “Custom.”

   

Then you need to activate the “Custom Body Layout” by toggling it on. Scroll down the right side of the screen until you see this.

4. Next, click on “Posts and Modules” on the left-side menu.

5. Click on the little three dots to the right of “Posts and Modules” to get this menu. Then click on either “Insert block below” or “Insert block above,” depending on where you want to put your banner.

6. Click on “Subscribe block.”

7. Write a “call-to-action” for each tier of your subscribers. Hit save.

You’re done!

Subscribe now

What should you write for your call-to-action?

Invite your subscribers to join your publication or community. Don’t just describe it. You might also share what your subscribers get out of joining your community.

Here are a few examples that I did find from Midstack members:

• by

  

• by

  

by

Do I think this homepage glow up is a make-or-break for your Substack? Absolutely not. But it’s a way to speak directly to your potential subscribers and ask them to trust you to subscribe. Why not try it?

💬 Were you successful? What did you write as your call-to-action? Tell me how it went in the comments!