Substack is an American online platform that allows journalists, writers, and other content creators to publish newsletters and establish a subscription-based audience. It provides tools for authors to create and distribute their newsletters, manage subscriptions, and monetize content via subscriptions.
Independent creators have the option to provide digital newsletters directly to their audience on either a free or paid basis, with Substack earning a percentage of the subscription revenue. While the platform is primarily text-based, it offers four main formats for posts: text-based posts, podcasts, discussion threads, and videos.
Since its launch in 2017, Substack has enjoyed a steady growth. According to Axios, the platform has over 17,000 writers, while the number of paid subscribers hit 2 million in 2023. Readers have paid writers more than $300 million through Substack subscriptions.
Hundreds of prominent media figures, journalists, thought leaders and writers use Substack, covering topics such as the arts, politics, fashion, current affairs and sports, among others. For example, American singer-songwriter Patti Smith shares poetry readings on the platform. Other prominent users of Substack include American journalist Seymour Hersh, writers Chuck Palahniuk and George Saunders.
Substack’s main function is connecting the creator and the consumer, and it combines features of a blog and email newsletter. Authors can use the platform for personal writing or news, and send digital newsletters directly to a reader’s inbox. There are also tools for podcasts and group chat broadcasts.
Here’s what a post by British writer Bolu Babalola looks like on the Substack website:
This is what the same post looks like as an email newsletter on iOS Mail app:
Some of Substack’s pros include:
Here are a few cons:
Substack itself is free to use for writers and creators. They can sign up, create newsletters, and distribute content without initial expenses. If they opt for paid subscriptions on Substack, the platform takes a cut of 10% of the paid subscription revenue.
Free newsletters
A free subscription allows readers to receive newsletters or posts from a writer at no charge. If the content is offered for free, all subscribers will have access to it.
Paid newsletters
A paid subscription allows publishers to monetize their content. Subscribers pay a recurring fee, usually monthly or annually, to access exclusive content. The cost of a paid subscription varies, as the writers set it themselves, although most subscriptions cost between $5 and $15.
Substack is straightforward enough — follow the steps below to get started:
Your first step should be creating an account. Use your email address or your account on X (former Twitter). You will be ready to start setting up your profile after confirming your username and email address.
After verifying your email, you will be prompted to set up your Substack profile. This typically involves providing your name, creating a username, and adding a profile picture. Consider using your full name, or the name that most people know you by online if you use a pseudonym.
Name your publication, give a summary of what it is about and confirm your URL.
When choosing a name, make sure it is relevant to the content of your future newsletters, and is simple and memorable.
The summary of your publication should be as short and descriptive as possible, and should signal to your target readers why they might want to subscribe.
Every Substack is assigned a unique URL domain in the format of “domain.substack.com”. Publishers may also choose to set up a custom domain name without the word “substack.” Adding relevant keywords can boost your Substack’s visibility in Google searches.
Here are some examples of catchy names, URLs and descriptions by Substack users:
Substack offers several options for customization, and you do not need to be proficient in HTML to use them. You have the option to personalize your Substack by choosing various colors for your publication’s background, selecting different fonts, and adjusting the publication layout. This simplicity is both an advantage and a drawback, as it limits customization options.
As we have established earlier in the article, creators can provide their content on Substack for free, or they can charge readers a recurring fee for access. Paid publications and subscription plans may be set up in Settings:
You may want to publish some posts for free while hiding others behind a paywall. For example, British political activist Gina Martin provides one free newsletter a month, encouraging users to subscribe for more content.
Additionally, authors have the option to publish a free preview of a paid post for free readers. This is what the paywall message looks like:
If you have not turned on paid subscriptions on your Substack yet, you can use the Pledges tool to offer a way for your audience to express their support. This feature enables subscribers to pledge to become paid subscribers in the future if you decide to enable paid subscriptions.
When readers subscribe to your newsletter, they will have an opportunity to pledge a yearly, monthly, or founding plan. You can change the suggested subscription pricing in settings:
Once you create your publication, the next step is to publish your first post. Substack allows users to publish on the web, email and its app simultaneously. Check out our guide on how to create an email newsletter.
This is what the four types of posts look like when viewed on the website:
Planning a content strategy involves several steps, such as:
To thrive, your newsletter needs a steady flow of news subscribers. To get those:
The simplest way to engage with your subscribers is via comments — ask questions, and encourage your readers to leave comments on your posts and reply to each of them personally.
The key to more in-depth engagement is knowing your audience, and personalization, to increase content relevancy. Criteria might include age, location, profession, and interests.
When a new reader signs up for your subscriber list, they receive a “thank you” email from Substack. Use this space to reach out to your subscriber base by directly asking for information that is useful for you to know about your subscribers. Surveys and polls are also effective for collecting feedback.
Whenever possible, personalize your communication with subscribers by addressing them by name and acknowledging their support.
Once you have published a few newsletters, consider what steps you can regularly take to improve your Substack:
Many of the steps mentioned above, such as social media promotion and collaboration with other writers may be used to boost the growth of your Substack newsletter. For a more in-depth growth strategy, consider the following:
Here’s an example of Substack’s filters and segmentation:
When trying to decide whether you should switch to paid subscriptions, first consider whether you can commit to posting consistently. The best way to convert your readers to fans is publishing free and paid newsletters frequently, and sticking to a schedule. Even if you would like to build a paid subscriber base, remember that free content is crucial to successful paid newsletters.
According to Substack, 5-10% of free subscribers convert to paying subscriptions, with 10% being a rate to aim for. Therefore, focusing on growing your overall subscriber base will result in higher earnings.
Substack is not the only tool for a meaningful distribution and monetization of content. Platforms such as Ghost, Patreon and Medium also offer users opportunities to connect with their supporters, yet each of them serves a different purpose.
Ghost is an open-source content management system (CMS) and blogging platform. It was founded in 2013 as an alternative to existing platforms like WordPress. Ghost offers tools to build a website, publish content, send newsletters and offer paid subscriptions to members. It also features built-in analytics and performance monitoring tools. Ghost’s primary purpose is creating websites and managing different types of content, whereas Substack was specifically designed for email newsletter creation.
Founded in 2013, Patreon is a subscription-based platform which allows creators to provide different kinds of content to their supporters, known as “patrons”. Unlike Substack, which is primarily text-based, Patreon allows authors to share perks such as behind-the-scenes updates, video and audio content, in addition to newsletters. Additionally, Patreon has several pricing plans, allowing creators to offer their patrons memberships with multiple tiers.
Medium is an online publishing platform that allows users to read, write, and share articles on a variety of topics. It offers writing tools for its creators, and allows readers to follow writers and publications, receive recommendations, and engage with articles. Medium offers a membership program and a Partner Program for writers to earn money based on engagement. Medium’s primary difference from Substack is its broader audience.
Given the platform’s huge popularity in the newsletter realm, it is not surprising that Substack is seeking to expand into other formats. Substack has already launched an audio publishing tool for podcasts, as well as features for interacting with video content. Just a few months ago, Substack introduced a new format of Substack.Notes for microblogging and resharing content. In the future, the platform may continue rolling out different formats such as audio newsletters.
Alternatively, Substack may decide to add extra features to newsletters themselves — such as increasing personalization depending on the user’s location or interests.
Another possible direction for growth is analytics — the platform may roll out new tools to help writers optimize reach and grow.
Substack represents a significant shift in the landscape of content creation and distribution, offering creators a powerful platform to share their ideas, stories, and expertise directly with their audience. While Substack is not without its challenges and limitations, its rapid growth and impact on independent publishing are undeniable.
What are some of your favorite authors on Substack?
All images are credited to Substack unless otherwise specified.
