Create Substack Note

Overview

This orchestrator creates Substack Notes by sequencing content-strategy:research for strategic context and writing:copywriting for content generation. It handles newsletter context awareness, note type selection, and output management -- all actual content generation and strategy are delegated to the foundation skills and their references.

Core Principle: This is a thin orchestrator. Strategy lives in content-strategy:research via references/substack-notes-strategy.md. Templates and formatting live in writing:copywriting via references/substack-notes.md. This skill manages the workflow sequence, newsletter context, and user decisions only.

When to Use

Use this skill when:

Writing a standalone Substack Note for audience engagement
Promoting a newsletter issue through Notes
Building engagement between newsletter issues
Sharing insights, hot takes, or behind-the-scenes content
Creating any short-form Substack content

Prerequisites

Optional: A recent newsletter issue directory at ./newsletter/issues/[issue_name]/ with a plan.md file. This is only needed for issue-linked notes. Standalone notes do not require an issue directory.

Workflow

Execute all steps below in order.

Step 0: Newsletter Context Check

Check if the user has specified a newsletter issue or if an issue directory exists at ./newsletter/issues/[issue_name]/.

If issue directory exists:

Read plan.md for issue topic, title, and context
Suggest a lifecycle phase based on context:
- Issue not yet published -> pre-newsletter
- Issue just published -> issue day
- Issue published 3-7 days ago -> post-newsletter
Use this context to inform the research invocation in Step 1

If no issue directory:

Default to between issues mode
Notes will focus on engagement, authority-building, or value delivery
Any note type is available

Content Bank Check:

Also check if ./substack/notes/ideas.md (the content bank) exists:

If it exists and the user did NOT specify a topic, read the bank and present pending ideas organized by type as topic options
If it exists and the user DID specify a topic, check if the topic matches a pending idea in the bank — if so, note the match for status update in Step 5
If the bank does not exist, proceed normally — the user provides a topic directly

Step 1: Invoke `content-strategy:research`

MANDATORY: Invoke content-strategy:research with references/substack-notes-strategy.md to determine the strategic context for this note.

Provide:

The lifecycle phase (from Step 0 or user input)
The topic
The user's stated goal (engagement, promotion, authority, connection, quick value, transparency, positioning)

The research skill will apply the strategy framework to determine:

Optimal note type ranking for the context
Cadence awareness
Strategic rationale for the approach

NOTE: This is a lighter research invocation -- the orchestrator is asking research to apply the strategy framework to the user's context, not to do full competitor analysis.

Step 2: Present Note Type Options

Based on the research output, present the ranked note type options to the user:

Single-Punch Wisdom -- one sharp insight
Income Proof Story -- results-driven credibility
Pattern Observation -- trend or pattern spotted
Contrarian Statement -- against-the-grain take
Problem -> Solution -- actionable fix
Build-in-Public Update -- transparency and progress
List-Based Tactical -- quick-hit value list
Vulnerable Personal Story -- authentic connection
Newsletter Teaser -- drive issue reads
Direct Advice -- straight recommendation

Include the research skill's recommendation for which type best fits the context. User selects their preferred type.

Default to Short (3-5 sentences) unless the message demands more.

Step 3: Invoke `writing:copywriting`

MANDATORY: Invoke writing:copywriting with references/substack-notes.md to draft the note.

Provide:

The selected note type from Step 2
The strategic context from Step 1
The newsletter context from Step 0 (if applicable)
The lifecycle phase and user's stated goal

The writing:copywriting skill will automatically invoke writing:voice for voice consistency. The reference file contains all templates, formatting rules, and structural formulas.

Step 4: Quality Checklist

Verify the drafted note against all eight criteria before presenting to the user:

Follows structural formula for chosen note type
Opens with strong hook (first line grabs attention)
Length matches type guideline
Ends with engagement hook (not formulaic)
Specific, not vague (numbers, examples, concrete details)
Standalone value (interesting without clicking any link)
NOT a generic link dump
Note type matches the stated goal

If any criterion fails, request a revision from writing:copywriting before presenting to the user.

Step 5: Save Output

Present the final note to the user for approval.

If issue directory exists:

After user approval, append to ./newsletter/issues/[issue_name]/notes.md

If no issue directory:

Present the final note inline to the user

Content Bank Update:

If the note was based on a content bank idea:

Update the idea's status from pending to drafted in ./substack/notes/ideas.md
Recalculate the Quick Stats header (pending/drafted/published counts, types needing ideas)

Output Format

When saving to notes.md, use this structure:

## [Type] Note - [Date]

**Type:** [Note type name]
**Context:** [Standalone / Pre-newsletter / Issue Day / Post-newsletter / Between Issues]
**Goal:** [Engagement / Authority / Connection / Promotion / Quick Value / Transparency / Positioning]

### Note Content

[Final note text]

### Notes

- Suggested timing: [from research]
- Engagement hook type: [question / agree-disagree / share / reply]

Multiple notes are appended to the same file with a horizontal rule separator (---) between entries.

Quality Checklist

Verify completion before finalizing:

Newsletter context checked (Step 0)
content-strategy:research invoked with references/substack-notes-strategy.md -- strategic context determined
Note type options presented and user selection received
writing:copywriting invoked with references/substack-notes.md -- note drafted
Voice consistency maintained (handled by writing skill's writing:voice invocation)
All 8 quality criteria passed (Step 4)
Note presented to user for approval
Output saved to issue directory or presented inline

Common Pitfalls to Avoid

Writing templates inline: All templates live in references/substack-notes.md -- do not duplicate them in this orchestrator
Embedding strategy logic: All strategy lives in references/substack-notes-strategy.md -- do not hardcode timing, cadence, or algorithm advice here
Skipping foundation skill invocations: Both content-strategy:research and writing:copywriting must be invoked -- do not generate notes directly
Ignoring newsletter context: Always check for an issue directory first -- it changes the entire strategic approach
Defaulting to "new issue out" link dumps: The research and writing skills are specifically designed to avoid generic link dumps -- trust the foundation skills
Skipping the quality checklist: Every note must pass all 8 criteria before presenting to the user

create-note