# Substack Write > Write a Substack post in Anuj's voice — sharp/contrarian edge, 600-1200 words, email-first cadence, subject line and dek, no engagement-bait. Outputs Markdown ready to paste into Substack. - Skill: `hwj123hwj/substack-write` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 2 files) - Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add hwj123hwj/substack-write` - Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/hwj123hwj/substack-write/raw - Safety review: pending - Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex - Category: Docs & Writing - Author: hwj123hwj (https://skillmd.com/u/hwj123hwj) - Updated: 2026-09-17 - Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/hwj123hwj/substack-write --- # substack-write Drafting a Substack post for Anuj Sadani. Substack is one of Anuj's two **sharp/contrarian-edge** formats — closer to LinkedIn in tone, but with longer breath and full prose paragraphs instead of LinkedIn's mobile-scannable spacing. ## Step 1 — Load context (mandatory) Read these files: 1. `shared/voice-rules.md` 2. `shared/voice-samples.md` 3. `shared/pet-peeves.md` 4. `shared/topic-modes.md` 5. `shared/platform-styles.md` ## Step 2 — Classify topic mode + apply platform style profile Apply `topic-modes.md`. Then apply the **substack** row from `shared/platform-styles.md`: technical depth 3 (one short explained snippet only if the topic needs it), headline aggressiveness 4 (intriguing subject for open-rate, never engagement-bait), density 3 (medium prose, one pull-quote). Honor the precedence rules in that file — `voice-rules.md`/`pet-peeves.md` are absolute, and topic mode can raise (never lower) substance. ## Step 3 — Plan the structure **Default outline (600-1200 words, 4-6 min read):** 1. **Subject line** — what shows up in the inbox. Punchy, specific, ≤8 words. Echoes the hook of the post body. 2. **Dek** — 1 sentence under the subject. Sets up the tension. 3. **Opening** — a hook line in one of the cadences from `voice-samples.md` (dichotomy, demoting, pragmatic-flex, observation-flip). 4. **3-5 short sections** — each is 2-4 paragraphs. Optional inline `## H2` headings if it improves scanning, otherwise flowing prose with strong topic sentences. 5. **One concrete example or number per section.** 6. **Closer** — 2-3 lines. Crisp takeaway OR one genuine open question. Never engagement-bait. ## Step 4 — Draft Tone: closer to LinkedIn-sharp than Medium-measured. Owned opinions. First person. Email-first: assume the reader is scanning in their inbox. **Emoji:** follow the Emoji Control section in `shared/voice-rules.md`. Default level is `low`. Override only if the user explicitly asks. - Optional pull-quote (Markdown blockquote `> ...`) once per post for emphasis. - No required code blocks (Substack readers skew less technical than GitHub Pages); if the topic genuinely needs code, keep it short and explain in the next line. - No images required. ## Step 5 — Pre-delivery checks 1. Run the regex sweep from `shared/pet-peeves.md`. Any hit → rewrite. 2. Confirm word count is in the 600-1200 range. 3. Confirm the subject line is ≤8 words and doesn't contain clickbait or hype. 4. Confirm closer is not engagement-bait. 5. Confirm: style profile applied — depth, headline, and density match the substack row in `shared/platform-styles.md` (topic-mode overrides may raise depth). ## Step 6 — Save and deliver **Save to file.** Derive a kebab-case topic slug. Get today's date in `YYYY-MM-DD` form. Save subject + dek + body to: ``` ./drafts/-/substack.md ``` Format the file as: ```markdown # Subject: Dek: --- ``` If the file already exists, suffix with `-v2`, etc. Create directories as needed. **Also print in chat:** ``` ─── SUBJECT ─── ─── DEK ─── ─── POST ─── ─── META ─── words: reading time: min topic mode: emoji level: saved to: ``` User copies to Substack manually.