Replay! Go Viral: The Art of Writing Substack Posts That Spread SARAH FAY JAN 21 ∙ PREVIEW

Some of us can’t help but get a tinge of jealousy when someone says, “My post went viral and…” Others respond with disdain because writing with “going viral” in mind is silly at best and shameful and/or selling out and/or unartistic at worst. Either way, these responses come from not knowing how to write a viral essay. What’s the secret? And is it possible (just possible) that writing in the hopes of going viral can make us better writers? Find out! What we cover: What “going viral” means What counts as “viral” The 4 reasons a post goes viral What prevents a post from going viral The 5 things that make long-form posts go viral Viral posting strategies A deep dive into one Substack writer's viral post The one thing we know a post definitely needs to go viral A writing exercise to help you write your next (viral) post As Substack’s Head of Writer Relations Farrah Storr puts it, we do these workshops in good faith that people won’t sign up for the link and then unsubscribe. We’re here to build a community of writers who will come together to grow. If you prefer to purchase the workshop, you can do so here: Purchase this course separately This is part of the Craft of Writing on Substack series, where we take the best creative writing techniques and make them work for us on Substack. Time to write your viral essay… NOTE: Revision of what makes long-form go viral #4: Speak to a specific group/belief & oppose another Please read Kirsten Powers’s essay “The way we live in the United States is not normal”—such a good example. No surprise it went viral. Changing The Channel The way we live in the United States is not normal. I don't remember exactly when it happened for me, but the thought arose with surprising clarity: something is deeply wrong with the United States, and I don't want to live here anymore. When I tell people this, they nod knowingly and say something about the 2016 election. While that critical turning point sped up my timetable, the realization that something fundamental was off in the country of my birth actually began years before that… Read more 2 months ago · 1084 likes · 62 comments · Kirsten Powers Here’s the annotated version with my notes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1tsqAP7s42KJt9mhkpzY0u8Aw3U50zIOKY7jENr41h3I/edit?usp=sharing ✨ Become a paid subscriber to become a better writer on Substack with How to Write Online workshops like this one. Paid subscribers also get access to the Headline Hub chat (so you can write headlines that go viral) and more to help you achieve your goals on Substack... Subscribe to Substack Writers at Work to read the rest. Become a paying subscriber of Substack Writers at Work to get access to this post and other subscriber-only content. Upgrade to paid A subscription gets you: Two on-demand workshops with the keys to success on Substack Bi-monthly workshops with the most current Substack tips to help you create a loyal readership and income Access to the amazing Writers at Work community for Substack support © 2024 Sarah Fay 548 Market Street PMB 72296, San Francisco, CA 94104 Unsubscribe Get the appStart writing One attachment • Scanned by Gmail