The Qstack Hero Project

A Resonance for Pride 2026

Photo by Norbu GYACHUNG on Unsplash

Introducing the Qstack Hero Project

So you’ve been meaning to properly introduce yourself on Substack, but you’ve been having so much fun posting you never quite got around to it.

“About” pages are tucked a click away—nobody reads them, why bother? Indeed.

But somewhere in the back of your mind you can’t quite shake the feeling maybe you should put your best foot forward and just tell folks who you are.

Yes! Just do it! And conveniently, this is your moment.

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What the hell is a “Hero Post”?

In Substack lore, a Hero Post is your “start here” post—the one that says:

Hi, I’m the person behind this. Here’s what I write. Here’s what I care about. Here’s why you might want to stick around and subscribe.

More than a bio or résumé—it’s your origin story + voice + invitation all in one place.

Some people even title it “Start Here” and pin it to the top of their homepage.

Think of it as opening your front door, welcoming people into your little slice of Substack real estate, and giving them the house tour. You’re the Hero of this story—don’t be afraid to flex a little.

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Why it matters

Most of us skip this step, which means new readers land on our Substack and have no idea where to begin. Your writing exists, but visitors and subscribers don’t really know the YOU behind the posts and might not fully connect to you and your mission.

A Hero Post fixes that.

It helps people understand your voice quickly, feel connected to you as a human, and (hopefully) decide to Subscribe.

And honestly, it also helps you clarify what you’re doing here.

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Why we’re doing this for Pride

We’ve revamped Qstack since the beginning of the year to be more focused on the writers of Substack through cross-posting and funneling views onto your work.

But rather than try to super-charge Pride with more posts (3-4 per week seems like plenty), we want to do a community event that also helps you connect more with your own subscribers and new readers.

Pride is about visibility, voice, and saying: This is who I am, and I am here.

This is your moment to show up as:

• a queer writer

• a questioning writer

• a messy writer

• a joyful, angry, horny, grieving, brilliant writer

Any, all, or none of the above—everything and everyone counts!

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So here’s the plan

We’ve created a ready-to-use Hero Post template for you, and given you plenty of time to think about it, get it ready, and schedule it for Pride.

All you have to do:

1. Copy it.

2. Paste it into a new Substack post.

3. Fill in your answers (don’t overthink it).

4. Schedule your Hero Post for any time in June to celebrate Pride Month.

That’s it.

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Then what happens?

The footer of the Hero template includes a tag for Mr. Troy Ford and Qstack embedded in it. As long as you include one or both in your post—

We’ll find you and restack your Hero Posts throughout Pride Month to the 12K Subscribers and Followers in the Qstack network.

Get really creative, and we might be able to cross-post some of you!

Which means:
👉 More visibility
👉 More readers
👉 More community connections

And also: a genuinely beautiful snapshot of who’s here and what we’re all about.

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A gentle note

You can be incomplete, evolving, and contradictory. You don’t have to have it all figured out. You can also write a new hero post in a month, or a year—new subscribers since your last one will appreciate the personal touch.

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Ready?

Your Hero Post is waiting.

Introduce yourself to the world. We want to meet you.

Copy and paste these questions into your own post.
Fill in the blanks, or use them as a springboard for a Hero Post you design yourself.
Include the tag for MTF and Qstack at the end of your post so we’ll be notified, or reach out by DM so we can read and restack.
Also reach out if you have any questions about formatting or anything else.
❤️🍊💛💚💙💜🩷🩵🤎🖤🩶

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INSERT PICTURE HERE
(This can be you, or your cat, a cartoon of yourself, whatever you like—but remember that subscribers are more likely to connect to a pic of a real live human.)

Hello, my name is:

I’m based in:
(City/country or “the internet” counts!)

I publish:
(What’s the name of your newsletter or main project/s?)

I write about:
(Go nuts - be as descriptive as you can about your subject, interests, and narrative hook!)

I started writing when:
(Your origin story.)

I’ve been publishing my newsletter since:

I wanted to start sharing my work publicly because:
(Was there a turning point when writing became important to you?)

You could stop there, or you can continue on with any or all of the following. Answer as many or as few as feels right to you.

Personality & Flavor

• Describe your writing vibe in three words.

• What’s a “hot take” you have about writing, publishing, or Substack?

• What are you currently obsessed with? (Book, show, idea, etc.)

• If your Substack were a place, what would it be?

Queerness & Identity

• How does your queer identity shape your writing (if it does)?

• What does Pride mean to you personally?

• Have you ever struggled to express your identity in your work?

• What do you wish more people understood about queer voices?

Your Writing Life

• What does your writing routine look like (if you have one)?

• What kind of stories or topics are you most drawn to?

• What are you trying to explore or understand through your writing?

• What’s something you’ve written that you’re especially proud of?

Community & Connection

• What kind of readers do you hope to reach?

• What does being part of a queer writing community mean to you?

• How can people support you right now? (Subscribe, share, etc.)

The Forward Look

• What are you working on next?

• What’s a dream you have for your writing life?

• Where can people find you?

Add-Ons

• Do you have special sections, offers, a podcast or other important features you want people to know about? Add links here, or at the top of your post for ease of access.

• Links to all your socials, websites or other projects.

• 1–2 links to favorite pieces.

Paste the links, and choose small, medium, or large display. Like this:

The BEST of Queer Substack: START HERE!

And Remember

Add a Subscribe and Share button at the top, in the middle, and/or at the bottom to give people a nudge.

The Qstack Hero Project is a Pride Month celebration of the amazing and diverse queer writers and creators of Substack, sponsored by Mr. Troy Ford.