submourning (n.) /sʌb-ˈmɔr.nɪŋ/*
The ritual despair that follows the loss of a single subscriber or follower, treated as a personal funeral.
Example: “I lost one sub overnight. Spent the morning in black, full submourning.”
The Typical Cycle of Submourning:
Shock: “Wait, who unsubscribed?”
Denial: “It must’ve been a mistake — maybe their inbox broke.”
Anger: “How dare they not appreciate my brilliance?”
Sorrow: “It was only one sub, but it feels like my child died.”
Acceptance: “At least Mailchimp still loves me.”
Synonyms: stackgrief, feed-grief, clout stages.
Antonym: gaining a subscriber you immediately assume is a bot.