Does Substack Notes Still Work in 2026? Here's my brutally honest opinion

I still gain 20-30+ subscribers a day from it. Here's why most writers don't.

I get some version of this question a few times a week now.

“Does Notes even work anymore?”

My honest answer is YES.

And I want to say this clearly, because the people asking me this aren’t lazy or looking for a shortcut. Far from it.

Most of them are doing the actual work. Writing daily. Showing up on Notes. Putting in real effort, and still not seeing much move.

I understand that frustration completely, because I’ve been exactly there.

Notes Isn’t What You Probably Think It Is

First, I want to establish what Notes isn’t.

It’s not a free-for-all where anything you post works. It’s not a place to spam other writers with “Great post!” comments (this isn’t LinkedIn).

And it’s not a magic fix where you post for a week and wake up to your Substack blowing up overnight.

It can move fast. It’s not instant.

It’s More Like Substack’s Coffee Shop, Not a Megaphone

Think of Notes like Substack’s coffee shop. You pop in, you see familiar faces, you grab something good to read, you stay a while.

(And if you really want to find a community, you can join my weekly Notes Boost every Tuesday morning inside the Substack Chat. )

When you write the right types of Notes and actually stay consistent, you can genuinely start growing by 10, 20, even 30-plus subscribers a day.

Notes has brought me around 20 to 30-plus new subscribers daily for the past year now, and it’s also just a good place to test an idea before it becomes a full post.

Remember Your Best Post is Still Invisible to Everyone Who Hasn’t Found You Yet

This is why I’d tell any new writer to spend 80 percent of their early time on Notes, and the other 20 percent on actual posts.

A post only goes to your existing subscribers. It doesn’t matter how good it is, the only people who will ever see it already know you exist.

A Note is different. It has the potential to be seen by hundreds, even thousands, of people in the feed who’ve never heard of you before.

That single difference is the whole reason Notes still works in a way posts alone never will for growth.

Posts build depth with people who already found you. Notes are what get you found in the first place.

The Three Types of Notes That Actually Earn a Follow

Now that we’ve covered what Notes is and isn’t, let’s talk about how to write them.

In my experience, there three types to Notes that have consistently worked for me, and most writers are only using one of them, if any.

• Community Notes, the ones that invite other writers to share a tip or a link, still bring in some of my best new readers. It always surprises me how many people show up when you actually create the space for it instead of just talking at your feed.

• Teaching Notes, the kind that hand over one clear idea instead of a whole breakdown, are what usually get restacked and put me in front of people I’ve never met.

• Story Notes, the honest ones about where I actually am, are the ones people remember me by. Not the tips. The moments.

Most writers default to hot takes and clever one-liners instead, the type that gets likes and comments but rarely a single new subscriber.

If you’ve been consistent and still stuck, there’s a real chance you’ve been consistent with the wrong type the entire time.

Most Writers Quit One Week Before This Starts Working

Here’s a gut check...This isn’t instant, and it isn’t guaranteed just because you show up once or twice.

The first few weeks on Notes can feel like nothing’s happening, and that’s normal, not a sign you’re doing it wrong.

The algorithm needs time to learn your voice and figure out who to actually show you to. But the writers who stay consistent past that early stretch are the ones who end up seeing 10, 20, 30-plus subscribers a day like I do now.

If you’re currently gaining a couple subscribers a week, not a day, that gap between where you are and where consistent writers land isn’t about talent or luck.

It’s about having the right system.

Notes still works. It’s just not a lottery ticket. It’s more like a system, and most writers give up right before that system starts paying off.

Let me show you how to grow your Substack with Notes

That’s the short version of what’s worked for me. The full system, the exact types, the timing, and how to build a routine around this that doesn’t burn you out in three weeks, is what I actually walk through inside the Notes Growth Workshop.

When you join the Workshop, here’s what you’re getting:

• The Notes Growth Workshop — the specific Note types that actually convert, not just get likes, pulled from a full year of tracking exactly what worked and what didn’t

• Weekend Bonus: the Notes Writing Playbook — my best-converting hooks and Note structures, so you’re never sitting down with nothing to say (this weekend ONLY)

This is exactly how I was able to grow my Substack to nearly 20,000 subscribers, most of that coming from Notes.

If you’ve been doing the work and still feel stuck, I don’t think you’re the exception. I think you’re missing the system, not the effort. Check it out below:

Question: What’s actually been working for you on Notes lately, or what’s been the most frustrating part?

Drop it in the comments, I’d really like to see where everyone is right now with this.

Keep writing, Wes

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P.S. And if you think your community would benefit from this, would you consider restacking it? This is how we can reach new writers.