Substack Editor

Transform any topic or document into a publication-ready Substack article that's engaging, optimized, and authentic.

When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when the user wants to:

• Create a Substack article from a topic or idea
• Transform a report, document, or draft into an engaging Substack post
• Write content that follows best practices for engagement and SEO
• Generate HTML ready to paste into Substack editor

Quick Start Workflow

Step 1: Understand the Input

Ask the user for:

• Topic/idea they want to write about, OR
• Document/draft they want to transform

If they provide a document, read it thoroughly to understand the core message and value.

Step 2: Load the Style Guides

ALWAYS read these references before writing:

1. references/eb-style-guide.md - Core writing voice and tone
2. references/humanization-checklist.md - Make it sound genuinely human
3. references/substack-content-optimization-guide.md - Substack-specific optimization

Read these files to internalize the writing style, humanization techniques, and Substack best practices.

Step 3: Create the Article

Write an engaging article that includes:

Structure:

• Compelling headline (60 chars max)
• Hook in first 100 words (controversial, surprising, or story-based)
• 1,200-2,500 words total
• Short paragraphs (1-3 sentences)
• Clear visual hierarchy (H2/H3 headings)

Voice & Style:

• Enthusiastic, supportive, engaging tone
• Authentic human voice with personal touches
• Varied sentence length (5-25 words for natural rhythm)
• NO AI-isms ("delve," "leverage," "tapestry")
• NO em dashes (—) - use commas, periods, or colons instead
• Include personal anecdotes and real examples

Engagement:

• Subscribe CTA after first paragraph
• Multiple CTAs throughout (use button format)
• Open-ended question at end for comments
• Scannable structure with visual breaks

SEO:

• Target keyword in headline, first 100 words
• Suggested URL slug (3-5 words, keyword-included)
• 3-5 opportunities for internal links (note where previous posts could link)
• Alt text suggestions for any images

Step 4: Deliver the Package

Provide the user with:

1. HTML Artifact - Create an artifact with the rendered HTML so user can copy directly from the preview

   • Save as article.html
   • User can select rendered content and copy/paste directly into Substack

2. Metadata summary (in your response text) including:

   • Headline
   • URL slug suggestion
   • Meta description (150 chars)
   • Email subject line (different from headline)
   • Target keyword
   • Internal linking opportunities
   • Image suggestions with alt text
   • Engagement question for end of post

Critical: Always create the HTML as an artifact so it renders in Claude's interface. The user will copy the rendered HTML directly into Substack's editor.

Article Structure Template

# [Compelling Headline - 60 chars max]

[Hook paragraph - 100 words with immediate value]

[Subscribe CTA button]

## Introduction
[Context and "one promise" - what reader will get]

## [Main Content Sections]
[Clear H2/H3 hierarchy]
[Short paragraphs]
[Personal examples]
[Reality check sections]

## Conclusion
[Key takeaway]
[Open-ended question]

[Final CTA button]

Critical Requirements

Always follow:

• ✅ Read all three reference files before writing
• ✅ Use enthusiastic, supportive EB voice
• ✅ Apply humanization checklist (varied sentences, no AI-isms)
• ✅ Follow Substack optimization guide (hooks, CTAs, SEO)
• ✅ Create HTML artifact (not just a file) so it renders in Claude's interface
• ✅ Include complete metadata package in response text

Never do:

• ❌ Use em dashes (—)
• ❌ Use AI-ism phrases
• ❌ Write walls of text without breaks
• ❌ Skip the subscribe CTA in first 300 words
• ❌ Forget to include an engagement question
• ❌ Create HTML file instead of artifact (user needs to copy rendered HTML)

Output Format

Create the article as an HTML artifact that renders in Claude's interface:

Use artifact with .html extension so it renders properly and user can copy/paste rendered content.

HTML formatting:

• <h1> for main headline
• <h2> for major sections
• <h3> for subsections
• <p> for paragraphs
• <strong> for emphasis
• <em> for italics
• <blockquote> for key insights
• <ul>/<li> for bullet lists

No complex CSS or JavaScript - just clean, semantic HTML that renders in Claude's artifact viewer and pastes perfectly into Substack's editor.

The user will copy the rendered HTML from the artifact preview directly into Substack.

Reference Files

• eb-style-guide.md - Complete voice and tone guidelines
• humanization-checklist.md - 5-stage humanization workflow
• humanization-strategy.md - Deep dive on authenticity
• substack-content-optimization-guide.md - Complete Substack optimization rubric

Example Interaction

User: "Write a Substack post about the benefits of async communication in remote teams"

Claude:

1. Reads all three core reference files
2. Creates engaging article with:
   • Hook about remote work chaos
   • Personal story of team communication breakdown
   • 5 practical benefits with real examples
   • Reality check section on when async doesn't work
   • Engagement question about reader's experience
3. Delivers HTML artifact (renders in Claude's interface for easy copy/paste) + metadata package

User copies rendered HTML from artifact and pastes directly into Substack editor.

Ready to create engaging Substack content that people actually want to read.