How I Ended Up Building a Digital Shelf For Substack Creators
Substack Creators Are Building Incredible Things. Let's Make It Easier for Everyone to Find Them
I was trying to find a Notion template from a Substack writer I admire.
I remembered exactly two things:
It was gorgeous and seemed very useful.
It definitely lived somewhere. Maybe Gumroad? Maybe Ko-fi? Where the heck was it again?
Thirty minutes and four platforms later, I found myself shopping for soy candles on Etsy. Still no template.
That same week, I get this message from a fellow creator:
That’s when it clicked.
It’s not just me tearing my hair out trying to find things. It’s also the creators trying their absolute best to make their work discoverable without turning into full-time SEO experts.
Why This Can Work
Substack writers and creators are building incredible things:
Books
Tools
Templates
Courses
Guides
And while big marketplaces treat creators like conversion metrics,
the Substackers care about connection.
Why It Matters
I recently tested WriteStack, a tool built by
. We were chatting casually and I said, “I’ll cancel the subscription for now and revisit this in June.” I meant it. But like many things in the past couple of weeks, I forgot.You know who didn’t?
Orel.
He reached out, gently reminded me that I’d wanted to cancel my trial: “Just a heads-up, you mentioned June. Don’t forget to cancel your trial today if you're not ready.”
He remembered.
He cared more about me than the sale.
And that - right there - is the difference.
The ability to talk to the creators, ask questions and work together is one of the 3.000 things I like about Substack.
What Is StackShelf
It’s two things in one:
A directory of Substack-made digital products
Updated regularly
Easy to search and explore
A monthly digital magazine
Delivered to inboxes of our readers every month
Spotlight for new drops, collections etc.
Creators
The very first version of StackShelf is now live and ready for you to explore! It’s a lovingly half-baked starter shelf, featuring projects from engineers, AI experts, lawyers, writers, coaches, and other brilliant minds.
These are the Creators whose projects already have a spot on it.
, , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
, , , , , , ,Creator Backlog
Over the next few days and weeks, I’ll be contacting selected creators and adding more offers from the backlog (yes, there’s already a backlog - apparently we’ve all been building cool stuff 🤗).
If you're sharing products or freebies, you're exactly the kind of creator StackShelf was built for.
So if I haven’t found you yet, and your name is not listed here, but you’d like to be included, please DM me!
⚡️Why It’s Important To Share This Post ⚡️
It’s crucial that we all spread the word, to kick off the network effects.
If you're not familiar with network effects, think of it like this:
Every share brings more eyes
Each new set of eyes = more readers for everyone, including you
Some of these readers are creators themselves = more content
More content = even more eyes and shares
That’s how we’ll build the viral loop together. And if you’ve read this post, you know that viral loops are built with intent, not wished for.
Explore StackShelf
👉 Go to StackShelf. Browse it. Bookmark it. Brag about it.
FAQ
Q: Wait, How Do People Buy My Products?
The same way they always do!
👉 StackShelf simply helps them find your work faster
👉 After clicking I want this, they’re redirected your marketplace listing (whether it's on Gumroad, Ko-fi, or elsewhere)
Q: Is StackShelf Free for Readers?
Absolutely! StackShelf is - and always will be - free to browse, no strings attached.
Q: What About For Creators?
There’re micro fees for creators - just enough to cover the costs of running StackShelf and making this sustainable for all of us. Read more here.
Q: How do I save StackShelf to my phone’s home screen so I can access it like an app?
iPhone (Safari or Arc Browser)
Open your browser and go to StackShelf.
Tap the Share icon (the square with an arrow pointing up).
Scroll down and tap Add to Home Screen.
Edit the name if you like, then tap Add.
Android (Chrome Browser)
Open Chrome and go to StackShelf.
Tap the three dots in the top-right corner.
Tap Add to Home screen (or Install App if that shows up).
Edit the name if you’d like, then tap Add.
Choose where you want the icon to appear.
Now StackShelf will appear on your home screen like an app icon 🤗
Post Receipt
⚡️ I care deeply about the quality and relevance of my work and want to be transparent about how I get there.⚡️
What’s Been Happening Since I First Posted
Jun 7th, 2025 - StackShelf is 12 days old!
Jun 2nd, 2025 - StackShelf is 7 days old!
Coming onboard! Thanks for the invite 🚀🚀🚀
I love this StackShelf idea, Karo! Thanks for considering me. Looking forward to work with you. 💪
By the way, I also love your transparency about the nerdy stats. I kind of invest the same amount of hours on average for mines, although I have to admit I rewrite titles so many times before I'm happy with them. ☺️