Ghost in the Algorithm (How to be a Fiction Writer on Substack)

I made the mistakes so you don't have to

I’ve been building my fiction publication on Substack for just over two months, and it’s been… a ride. I started with serialized fiction, weird stories, horror arcs, and a little heartbreak—genres that don’t always play nice with algorithms.

Like most Substack writers, especially fiction authors, I’ve spent hours trying to figure out how to grow—how to get my stories in front of the right readers without gaming the system.

Turns out, on this platform, quality isn’t always what gets noticed. Sometimes the algorithm rewards what’s loud, fast, or controversial… not necessarily what’s good.

I’ve been reminded me how little we talk about the behind-the-scenes: SEO, indexing, sitemaps, subscriber strategy, platform visibility—all the boring, broken pieces that shape whether our fiction even has a shot at being seen.

These aren’t tips. Not really. Just observations—things I’d say to myself if I could go back two months. Take what you need, leave what you don’t. Do with it whatever feels right.

I’m not turning this into a series (you should absolutely follow

Bradley Ramsey

for some amazing tips).

The Writer’s Guide to Self-Promotion

But for now—this is what it took for me to grow my Substack fiction publication. Not get noticed, or blow up, this is NOT that guide, friend.

Just build something that I love, and barely survive long enough to write the next chapter.

What I Learned | A Post-Mortem

Table of Contents

• Current Substack Stats (Growth, Views, and Open Rates)

• What Actually Helped (The Tactics That Moved the Needle)

• The Hard Lessons (Things I’d Do Differently)

• What Not to Worry About Right Away

Here are my current stats:

How did I get here? What worked? What didn’t? What sucked? Let’s talk about it.

And at the end of this post, there’s a free downloadable Substack Newsletter template. You earned it.

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The Ride (or Die Trying)

First up: My ride here was a disaster. Let’s prevent that for you.
Here are some things you should do right now to avoid screaming into the algorithmic void like I did.

1. SEO (yeah, yeah, I know—you’ve heard it already)

If you’re writing fiction on Substack, the algorithm isn’t looking for you.
You have to teach it your name.

That means:

• Use keywords in your titles and first paragraphs. Repeatedly.

• Choose keywords you’d actually type into Google if you were trying to find your own work.

• Substack may host your words, but Google is the gatekeeper. Speak its language.

Once you’ve whispered the right keywords into the algorithm’s ear, you’ll need to take it a step further—because Google doesn’t just reward content. It rewards visibility.

And visibility? That’s a whole separate ritual.

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2. Google Console, Indexing, and the Stupid Sitemaps That Haunt Me

Get your Substack verified in Google Search Console. Request manual indexing for each post.

Substack doesn’t serve proper sitemaps, so you’ll need to:

• Manually enter URLs to force indexing. (Sometimes using your URL and adding “/sitemap.xml” will work)

• Create a “fake” sitemap by posting your archive on a public Substack post

• (Try not to cry. Cry a little anyway.)

If you want a full “How-To” guide, let me know in the comments.

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3. Even More SEO (Sorry, it’s hard out here)

• Post regularly, even if short. You don’t need to post engagement bait or keywords or anything. Just post.

• Add internal links between your posts (“Want more horror? Read the arc here.”)

• Get at least one backlink from outside Substack—Medium, a writing blog, Tumblr, I don’t care.

That one external breadcrumb tells Google, “This author matters.”

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4. Email Settings: Don’t Drown Your Readers

Personally I don’t email every single post. I’m telling long stories, and my readers aren’t glued to daily updates.

So I:

• Only email major arc entries or announcements

• Publish everything else

• Trust that my readers will come find me when they get their weekly updates the Void starts whispering

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What I’ve learned so far

“Everything in life comes down to a choice. You can be strong, or you can be smart.”

1. Choose smart.
   I’m already holding the L—you don’t need to take one too.

(I would like it clearly documented that I did not set out to “choose strong.” Externally, I am a young woman. Internally, I am a father of three in his mid-thirties who will be damned if I read the instructions. Something’s gotta break first—me, my pride, or a piece of furniture.)

2. “nUmBeRs dOn’T mAtTeR”

Lies.
Lies, lies, lies.

Yes, “write for you.” Of course. We love that.
But also: if you don’t do at least the bare minimum to help your publication reach the people it’s meant for, you’re not being fair—to yourself or the work.

Fiction writers don’t get to ‘cast fireball’ out of this one. Sorry.
We’re building signal fires by hand, baby. Best get the gasoline and SEO ready.

3. You don’t need to do everything all at once.

In fact, some of the advice out there will slow you down, burn you out, or keep you too busy optimizing to actually write. Which leads me to…

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What You Don’t Need to Do Right Away on Substack (Really. Chill.)

1. Find Your Perfect Niche
   Start messy. Start wide. Your niche will whisper itself to you after a few posts. Let it. (Have a general vibe, though. Mess is cute. Incompetence is not. Sorry 🥺)

Start weird → refine later. That’s the magic.

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2. Build a Logo, Branding Kit, and Newsletter Aesthetic

Unless graphic design is your joy, this is a trap. You can launch with a black banner and a default font. Not recommended but we can put the Canva subscription down for a second.

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3. Write a Welcome Post That Explains Everything You’ll Ever Do

Your first post isn’t a thesis. It’s a vibe check.
Introduce yourself like a stranger in a bar. Be interesting, mysterious, leave room for growth and suspicious late-night habits. Have a haunted and traumatic past. Overshare in your Notes but pretend you’re still somewhat mysterious in your newsletters. Baby steps, of course.

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4. Have a Full Content Calendar

You’re not BuzzFeed. You don’t need to plan 30 posts in advance. You need:

• 1 post you’re excited about

• 1 reason to come back next week

• and a little bit of spite for Substack Stats

That’s it.

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5. Be on Every Platform at Once

No. Bad.
Pick 1–2 spaces max, unless you’re a literal god. Then maybe you can handle 3.

Seriously though: YOU. ARE. MORTAL.
YOU SUFFER, BLEED, BREAK DOWN, CRY IN THE CEREAL AISLE—
Point is: you need balance. You need self-care.
And you need to stop creating new emails because you made a branded social account during a 3am panic spiral and then forgot the password when you “gave that up.”

You do not need to juggle Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, Mastodon, Threads, Tumblr, LinkedIn, Reddit (ask me how I got banned) and fucking Myspace to get traction.
You need one place you enjoy. Start there.

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As Promised: Your Free Substack Newsletter Template

Free Substack Email Newsletter Template

91.6KB ∙ PDF file

Download

Download

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For a more in-depth guide to SEO

Until the next story is written in blood & shadows,

—Your Narrator

Being an indie author pays about as well as an unpaid internship—but the hours are way worse and the benefits pretty obsolete...

If you enjoy my work, consider donating to fuel the next chapter.