Hey Dreamers and Rebels,
Firstly, Thank you to
, , , and many others for tuning into my live video with !So a few weeks back I was preparing for a day of work and volleyball. Not planning to go live that day AT ALL!
But when Kristina God messaged me about Lucy Werner’s story — how she accidentally wiped out her entire Substack publication (13,000 subs! $4K/month! GONE!) — I knew we had to talk.
So we hit "Go Live." And wow, I’m glad we did.
Because what started as a casual chat about a bug turned into a powerful breakdown of how to protect your entire creative business.
Whether you're a coach, writer, community builder, or podcast host — this one’s for you.
Here's what we covered:
Section 1: The Story That Started It All
Lucy Werner was about to hit a major milestone: over 1,000 paid subscribers and the coveted orange badge on Substack.
She decided to tidy up her publication. Just deleted a podcast section.
Within seconds, her entire publication vanished. Subscribers gone. Posts gone. Revenue gone.
No warning. No danger zone. Just… gone.
When I Joined the Live...
I jumped on to explain why this wasn’t just a "glitch." It was a perfect example of what happens when creators build on a platform without knowing the fine print.
Kristina and I took the group through what Substack’s Terms really say. Spoiler: they don’t owe you much.
You might love Substack (I do too!) — but if you're not protecting yourself, you're taking a legal and financial gamble.
FYI I will dig deeper into Substack’s Terms and how they affect us from my Legally Speaking Publication. Subscribe subscribe it will be email only so I don’t anger Substack Gods! no pun intended
TIMESTAMPS for the Convo
[00:00] The Nightmare Scenario That Sparked It All
[08:00] Enter Me: Why This Isn’t Just Bad Luck—It’s a Legal Risk
[11:05] Substack’s Fine Print: No Warranties, No Responsibility
[17:00] What You Can Do Instead: My Legal Survival Kit for Creators
[26:00] Behind the Scenes: Why I Built the Substack T&C Generator
[35:00] From Tech Panic to Practical Tools (CSV, Stripe, backups)
[43:00] Real Stories, Real Risks: More Creators Who Lost Everything
[50:00] Final Advice: Don’t Be Scared. Be Smart.
The Tools That Protect You
Create your own Terms & Conditions for your publication. If you give advice (legal, health, business, etc), this is non-negotiable.
Add a Disclaimer to your About page - this is my template
Back up your email list regularly (go to Subscribers > Export CSV).
Export your Stripe data if you have paid subs.
Subscribe to your own newsletter so you have a personal archive and have extra admins.
Take screenshots of your metrics (especially milestones!)
Use Zapier to automate backups if you want to level up.
Section 5: Want Help?
If this sounds overwhelming, I got you.
I've built a 10-minute T&Cs Generator to help you create your own Substack Terms of Use. Six questions and you're ready-to-publish.
It’s available for paid subscribers of *Me Time. When you subscribe you get the link in your welcome letter. *
And if you want to talk it through? I offer office hours every Wednesday. Free with your subscription.
Final Words
You are building something real. A brand. A business. A legacy.
Don’t let one wrong click burn it all down.
You don’t need fear. Just facts.
Let’s future-proof your dream.
Rooting for your success,
Coach Noemi Apetri
*Me Time: You are the CEO of Your Own Life *🎈
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