I'm on a restricted income, but I read a great deal and Substack has introduced me to some true gems in terms of writing and journalism. But I pay hundreds per year, which is a financial strain, so I've had to give up a few things to afford it. I send my sincere appreciation to those who offer free access to at least some of their content, and also to those who charge a reasonable price. I wish I could afford everyone.
I concur Anne - there is no way for me to subscribe and support all the writers I read - which is why I propose Substack implement a subscription model that offers packages for subscription. Like 2 subscriptions for $5/month or 4 subscriptions for $12/month - I know it’s not a lot of money but it would offer some compensation between full subscription and free subscription. And it could be by choice so popular authors like Joyce Vance or Heather Cox Richardson might not be on the package list - but new writers and writers looking to build their audience would be. I know I would subscribe to more if I could get a package for $25/month; currently I just yearly rotate 3 or 4 subscriptions between the 40 or so writers I follow.
...excellent suggestion. You're not alone in ruminating the subscription aspect. With a bit of tweaking, a General Subscription (or multiple subscription package options) offering may suggest a reduced product price for Major Earners, but it may concurrently offer a broader audience. Because you're right...even if we could read Everyone, most cannot afford to contribute to Everyone (though we wish to).
A Happy Compromise can be to allow Substackers to opt into a General Subscription offering of sorts.
I’m in a similar spot, Anne. I can only afford two subscriptions, and while one of them is for a creator who doesn’t really need my support financially, I’ve found a community there that feels like my tribe—one I’m not willing to give up. That leaves little room to support other amazing writers, even though I’d love to.
Kate, your idea for a bundle subscription option resonates with me. If there were a way to have a mix of subscriptions—supporting both well-known writers and newer voices—at a more accessible price, it would allow more people to contribute without feeling stretched too thin. I’d love to see Substack implement something like this so readers like us can help uplift more creators while staying within our means.
I like the bundle subscription idea. Also, I have an alternative way for people to support my writing. Since I do all the artwork for my posts myself, I've begun selling them as prints on t-shirts and other things. I still have the option for people to pay to support my substack if they wish, but then there's also t-shirts, and little donations with ko-fi. I've only just got it going, and already had a few sales, which has been fabulous. These are all great ways to think outside the box, and hopefully we can all help each other to be supported and keep writing. Much love everyone <3
Excellent Idea, Kate. And in the interest of sprinkling that magic dust, I can see the creators themselves joining forces to offer package deals, much like they make 3 subscription suggestions.
One of the great things about Substack is the variety of ways people can charge, or not charge for their newsletters. I make all my writing available for free, but people can choose to pay if they want to. I feel like the limit on what I can afford to subscribe to is the same as not being able to subscribe to every newspaper and magazine I'd like.
I love this. A sliding scale or pay-what-you-can model resonates deeply with me. I am so appreciative of creators like Sam Harris, who says write and ask if money is an obstacle, and honors it, and Susan Cain of Introvert fame whose team communicated with me directly and made me feel welcome, not ashamed or less than, with a gifted one-year subscription.
Once I begin offering my services to the public I will be happily paying it forward by doing the same.
Try Apple News Plus! For $12.99/ month, you get access to over 400 publications, including their archives. Also, you can share your subscription with up to five friends/family. I wish Substack had something similar.
+1 on Apple News Plus. It’s one of the better news aggregators I’ve found and I’ve tried a few. It’s not perfect so I supplement with some strategic subscriptions to publications like The Atlantic and WaPo.
Cool so when can I expect T-Mobile to offer me free Substack subscriptions as part of my cell service like they do subscriptions for Hulu and Netflix? That would be another great option to support more writers!
Yes but if all you can afford is say $25 a month it’s a lot easier to select from a bundle than to research the different price points for 30 or so newsletters and stay on budget. The ability to charge varying rates is more valuable to the writer than to the reader.
Mine is free, not having had more than a handful of followers on FB or X to bring over. But it's a wonderful opportunity to engage with subscribers and other writers in a meaningful way without frivolous, shallow, hateful or hopelessly biased commentary.
I would be one of those, depending on what you like to read. My posts and podcasts are free for the first 30 days, then I paywall the older ones, although I am thinking I might change that to a couple of weeks but we'll see.
If you like political commentary and interviews, or like to watch or listen to fictional stories and poetry with accompanying newsletters, check out Crann na beatha - The Tree of Life Substack page. I also post the occasional written article on occasion as well. I am not trying to advertise too much here but point you to a cost effective alternative. There are more of us out here who cater to those readers who may be economically challenged.
I hear you. For those of us on limited incomes (which is most of us), we'll never be able to pay for all the writers we appreciate.
As a writer/creator here, I've made the commitment on my main Substack to have no paywalls, though I do gratefully accept paid subscriptions from those who have the means to do so and want to support my writing habit. Whenever I get five paid subs, I pay that forward by upgrading to a paid sub for my favorite authors. That's how I've dealt with this dilemma. Curious to hear what others do....
Works good enough! I'm at 35 paid subscribers right now, and they feel like sincere supporters since there's nothing being exchanged other than good will.
Anne, I Have the same issue and I love Substack. I know we hate self-promotion, but do try me: a memoir, previously published, and a novel, also previously published, now unfolding as a serial. Other sections too about the arts. Some folks do pay when they read me. To your point, mostly, I have stayed free and hope that folks will pay if they see the worth. In either case, free or paid, I would love to have you subscribe and see what I'm about. xx ~ Mary
I have similar issue. I’m on SSI. I only pay for one of my subscriptions. What I’d like to do is have a way to donate to some that I subscribe to, but am not paying for. Like send $5 whenever I can afford it. Spread what little I have around more. But there’s no way for me to do that. I don’t like being a free loader. But I have very limited income. I discovered Substack thru HCR. So she gets the $. But I’d love to pay for more. But no one tells you how much it costs to join until you actually join. I know the authors don’t want to compete for money by advertising. I get that. But it does make making those decisions more difficult. So I don’t even try to join. But there’s so many I really appreciate & feel are worth paying for. And I really do appreciate the authors gentle reminder s to join without any pressure. Most of these writers are a very classy bunch of astute people. Just saying.
I’ve been writing for publication since 1966 (published my first short story when I was 15 years old; today have 35 books in print in 17 languages and over 1000 magazine articles including dozens of cover stories), and have never seen anything like Substack in terms of reach, breadth, and the ability to compensate writers fairly. So grateful to you, Hamish, and your colleagues for bringing this extraordinary platform into existence!
Hello Hamish, I am a 2024 newcomer to Substack, and still trying to figure it out. I fell in love with the caliber of minds here. While I have never engaged in Facebook (so I've no idea its setup)the ability to comment here and otherwise engage with the writers and readers thrilled me. Imagine my surprise when I got notifications that others were "following" me. Is there a tutorial somewhere with in-depth explains? I have been perking on finding a way to share my expertise in a field where I have 45 years experience of fun, historical American culture, design and products. Sure would be neato if (at my advanced age) I could share in this confluence where our culture is being re-born!
With all due respect, Hamish, I'd like to reflect back to you how Substack has been an uphill struggle for small potatoes like me with hopes and dreams that are made with the same magic dust that you talked about in this article. Unless you are a hot shot or an established writer (or influencer as the trend goes), I think the promise of making a meaningful income here should be taken with a huge grain of salt. I invite you, Hamish, to try it for size (pun intended). Set up an account with a pseudonym. Post topics that don't naturally garner a huge audience. Start from scratch, without any fame attached. Do it during the "off hours," i.e. when your money-making activities are done for the day and when you are left with 5% battery in your reserve. Don't import any existing subscribers -- that would be cheating. Offer no add-on services like courses, workshops or meetups. Simply try to get paid subscribers with your writing alone. Please report back how that experiment goes :-)
It's absolutely classic Silicon Valley marketing doubletalk. I've heard this with everything from blogging to social media to the Internet of Things to cloud computing to mobile phones. Promise a revolution. Mention how technology is going to change the basic laws of supply and demand. Tell people that they're not going to need to change, adapt, or, above all, struggle. Pretend that there will be no negatives at all. And most of all, completely ignore the actual data people care about, because it may undercut your sales pitch. For instance, I'd be extremely interested in a distribution chart showing how many Substack writers make how much money. I'd guess that fewer than 5% make anything at all.
Agreed. Transparency of earnings would be so illuminating. After all, Substack exists to help writers with their earning power, doesn't it? It would only be fair with such transparency. Or else it feels like an MLM. I've gone through all the cycles of tech-led media, from the time when I worked for a magazine with 100+ year history, which folded because of the rise of the Internet, to the dot-com bubble, to blogging, Medium and all the social media shenanigan. I've tried them all and poured my life energy into them. Three decades later, the income-earning potentials all became pipe dreams, except for a few percentages on the top of the pyramid. The Substack ecosystem isn't unlike any other economic ecosystem. The big ones dominate. And the rest struggle to even break even with the amount of time and energy--and in the case of Substack--HEART--that we pour out.
It would be illuminating, but it wouldn't help Substack grow, which is the whole point of this business. Basically, the strategy is the same ancient one Microsoft used when it was founded, and every growing tech business has used as well. A guy named Geoffrey Moore wrote about it in a book called "Inside the Tornado". The idea is to create a kind of self-reinforcing ecosystem, where the users of a platform endlessly strengthen the market dominance of the business. Every developer who writes for a Windows environment becomes economically invested in it. The more people who use Windows, the more money they make. The result is Microsoft. Or Apple. Or Facebook. Same thing here. When you write for Substack, you're also promoting and strengthening it, for free. Millions of writers millions of readers, and every post makes that ecosystem bigger and more dominant, for free. Writers aren't the end, they're the means. The end is profit. That's not unfair or wrong, but it's not what writers are being told. They're being told about "magic dust"
That's a precise analysis. I understand what you meant about "marketing doubletalk." This process is what I've been sensing since I joined the platform about 1.5 years ago. And that's why I reacted the way I did, as it's reminiscent of the tech-led media platforms I've cycled through all these years. Instead of "magic dust," I would prefer something more closely aligned with the reality of this business.
If they did that, the entire business would grind to a halt. They're selling the fantasy of making a nice living writing. I, in fact, do -- I've been a professional at this for decades. But not by sitting at home writing on Substack. Unless you bring a big audience with you, are very lucky or insanely talented, it's going to be really hard. It just is. Again, nothing unfair or immoral about that. But there's no such thing as "magic dust".
Also, on a personal note, the term "creator" drives me up the wall. I am not a creator. I'm a writer.
If technology forced change, we’d all be working from home. Instead, we’re being forced to return to work. The only thing that pushed us home was a pandemic!
Coincidentally, I posted this article today about my experience with YT and Substack economics. You're 1000% correct here. Substack itself is a tremendous platform, and I've found so many new writers I love to read, but I can afford to be a paid subscriber to absolutely none of them. It's simply not a realistic thing to say "the creator economy" is the future of our business. The numbers don't add up.
I completely get where you’re coming from—Substack can feel like an uphill battle, especially for newer or less established creators. I’ve only been on here for six weeks myself, and it’s been a mix of highs and lows. I’ve been on Instagram forever without much engagement, but Substack has been different. I’ve already found 16 subscribers (including 1 paid) and have had more interaction than I ever imagined.
It hasn’t been easy—feels a lot like opening a new shop in a town where nobody knows you. People don’t just show up because you’re there; you have to let them know who you are and what you offer. That means engaging in a way that genuinely connects, not just hoping they’ll stumble upon your work. But that’s what’s making it so fulfilling for me. I didn’t start because I wanted followers. I started because I was ready to finally share my voice after being silent for over five decades.
Lily, your experience reflects the reality for many of us—finding the right people, the ones who resonate with what you’re saying, takes time and persistence. I never expected to gain 12 subscribers in four weeks, but here I am, simply by showing up as myself. Your suggestion for Hamish to try starting from scratch is so on point—seeing how the magic dust works without a built-in following would be eye-opening.
Keep going, both of you. Your voices matter, and the right people *will* find you.
Hi Jay, thanks for contributing to this meaningful conversation, and I'm glad that you've found your initial experience here to be satisfying. I think most people have experienced the positive welcome and growth when they first joined. In fact, it might sound like I don't have a good experience on Substack based on the comment I wrote above. That's not entirely true. I've been pleasantly surprised and very happy about the deep and meaningful connections I've made here on Substack -- something that's increasingly hard to come by on other platforms. My focus here is purely about the economics, since the subject of Hamish's article is the creator economy. On that subject, my experience has informed me that there's an incongruence between the promise of the magic dust and the actual outcome. I believe we all go through a "honeymoon phase" as newcomers to this platform. There can even be amazing growth. But the uphill battle concerns making a reasonable income -- as the founders have laid out in their marketing materials -- that is proportional to the amount of time and effort you put into the venture. Having been quite involved on the blogosphere, YouTube and other social media platforms, I got disillusioned about the issue of proportional income. So I came here on the promise that if you build your own newsletter, readers -- and paid subscriptions -- will come. Well, others can chime in, but in my experience, this has simply not been the case. I've been here for 17 months, gained just over 400 subscribers from scratch, but my paid subscription remains at 9, the same as the initial months, most of whom are my personal friends and acquaintances. Now, if you happen to know a lot of people who are well off, or if you already have a big following, it might be easier. But that's not the case for me. Sure, you can say that I didn't have a successful CTA strategy, and I'm exploring that. But honestly, I had hoped to focus on my writing and now I'm finding myself spending a disproportionate amount of time mulling over how to market my writing and do all the social media stuff within Substack (like Notes) to get eye balls. There were promises that Substack is its own content discovery ecosystem, which would make it unnecessary to promote your writing elsewhere. But that's simply not true. I find the discovery algorithm lacking in transparency and biased toward those who already have a larger subscription base. I have so many questions about Substack and I hope I'll get some answers here from Hamish.
Thank you for your thoughtful response and for sharing more about your journey. I sense a lot of dedication in your words and a desire for your work to be truly seen and appreciated, not just in terms of numbers, but in how it connects with others. I imagine the frustration when the reality doesn’t align with what was promised, especially given the energy and heart you’ve put into your Substack over these 17 months.
I’d love to gently invite you to explore other possibilities for creating a more enriching experience for your subscribers that might feel more aligned with your needs. People like Sarah Fay, Claire Venus, or your fellow Hong Kong writer, Veronica Llorca-Smith, have crafted unique ways to engage their audiences, adding value that goes beyond the traditional paywall model. Maybe taking a look at how they build community and connection could spark some ideas that resonate with your own vision.
From what you’ve shared, I sense a deep need for fairness, reciprocity, and for your work to be honored in a meaningful way. I wonder if it could be helpful to reflect on how to cultivate a space where those values are brought to life—whether that’s through exclusive content, interactive sessions, or building a closer-knit community feel.
What you’re offering is already rich in thought and connection, and I can see the care you put into it. If you’d ever like to exchange more ideas or just reflect together, I’m here. Thank you for being part of this conversation, and for contributing so much to this community.
Thank you, Jay, for seeing where I'm coming from. Definitely, I have a strong desire for fairness, reciprocity and sustainability. I have been a part of Sarah Fay's community and taken courses from her and she's simply been amazing in her support for budding Substackers! Can't say enough nice things about her work here. I continue to experiment with different engagement methods and will see how they go. But one thing is for sure: I will not count on Substack to be a major source of income (short of a miracle). I hope your experience will continue to be positive -- don't let one person's experience cloud your own ;-)
I appreciate your reply and your openness in sharing more of your experience. I can see you’ve truly invested time and energy into exploring different paths to connect with your readers and build a meaningful community. It’s encouraging to hear how Sarah Fay has supported you in these efforts, and it sounds like her impact has been a positive force in navigating these waters.
Your dedication to finding a balance between reciprocity and sustainability shines through, and I admire your commitment to staying true to your values. I agree—it’s essential to keep experimenting and discovering what feels right for you and your audience. Every journey on this platform is so personal, and I find it inspiring to see how we all learn from each other.
I’ll hold onto that hope and keep walking my own path, with the reminder that each of us has a unique experience. Thank you for that encouragement and for being such a thoughtful presence in this space.
Wishing you clarity and growth in all your experiments—and may a little miracle still come your way!
I want to jump in here with a question for OP and her smart commenter, because I honestly feel like my brain is fried. Outsourcing analysis, a bit.
In terms of economics, I do like the idea of people supporting people, exchanging value for value. I think people should have baseline security, not living in survival mode, trading their time for minimum wage so they can eat. Well I don't want to get political, but in unrelated news a UBI would be nice.
*sigh 🧢
Idk what my question is, I'm late for a march against Uber in SF.
Thank you for the reality check. If it sounds too good to be true ...
I'm just a reader, but I think the transparency of the algorithm or guidance would be great. One of the problems with other platforms is exactly what @Lily just described, discoverability. How is Substack helping to make the small creators more discoverable, because established creators have already been discovered and they bring their followers with them.
Hi Lily, I tried pretty much the experiment you described, and it worked in my case. I started out in Jan 2023 with 20 subscribers that were all friends that I knew personally. I am a full-time mother and home educator and write when I have time on evenings or weekends. I have no other social media platform and no other place where I share my writing apart from Substack. I offer all posts for free when they are published, and the majority stay free. There are no special perks for paying subscribes. I simply shared writing that was important to me, took an interest in what others are writing, and with the help of recommendations from other writers, managed to grow a reader community to around 13K. So small potatoes can grow, and one component is certainly luck, but one does not have to be a hot shot, have a huge following, or be a full time writer.
Thanks for sharing your success! I understand that there are unicorns out there ;-). I hope you continue to enjoy the wonderful connections with your subscribers.
Thanks Lily. Just wanted to share that Substack can work for those without a following or other social media channels. I do however resonate with your point and recognize that this is certainly not the case for most writers. All the best :)
I fully understand that it can work. But I also want to point out the invisible "network" that people bring in through their own private life, not necessarily "followers" from other online platforms. For example, being a mom perhaps has offered you a network of other moms with similar interests as yours? My example: I'm a single woman, divorced, having moved from country to country over the years without stability and a network of real-life friends. Very very hard to have my own network to start with. Besides, never underestimate the challenges faced by a non-white person on this predominantly white American platform. And I challenge any white person who tries to dismiss my experience of being glossed over and belittled by the majority of people because of my marginalized status.
I don't think that I will ever make any money from Substack. That means that they won't make money either. And if they can't make any money from me or the other creators that don't have any paid subscribers, they won't be able to find the funds required to develop a recommendation engine that the platform deserves.
It's not there.
They cleverly farmed out recommendations to creators; they recommend other creators when you sign up. Same for growth. They (again very smartly) attract creators that have large audiences on other platforms and pay handsomely to get them in (16M$ in their FY21 accounts). That's how the platform grows.
But if you can't bring an audience from other platforms, like so many of us, growing it from scratch on Substack is an uphill battle. A decent recommendation engine—think Netflix—could change that overnight.
Hi Aesthetic Nomads, I have no idea about recommendation engines. That sounds like a great tool for discovery! Is it very expensive to build one?
You made a good point that suggests that income growth for the small potatoes here is essential for long-term profitability of the owners. What I've seen so far, is that the hot shots are contributing to the bulk of that profitability, so perhaps the founders don't really "need" us? My cynical side says that we're just the pawns used to create an illusion that this is a level playing field for all. Yes, there are some unicorns and bishops, knights and rooks, but the majority are pawns.
It's impossible for me to estimate the development cost of a recommendation engine, but for Substack I expect it to be substantial (millions).
An indication of the value of a decently developed recommendation engine is probably better. Netflix estimates the value of theirs at 1B$.
While I have no problem with influencers doing their thing on Substack—not everyone is a creative writer—the platform will have an issue over time with the migration of their audiences. Creative travel writing and photography content like ours is simply going to be wiped out by an avalanche of 'commercial' content for what is essentially an Instagram audience.
This need not be an issue.
Comparing this again to Netflix, you can get recommendations for a cheesy romcom just as easily as you can get them for a low budget indie movie. How? The recommendation algorithm and engine...
Substack raised 89M$ in 4 rounds, the last of which was March '23. With 10% commission from 3M paid subscriptions I expect their revenue today to be around 22M$ (3M paid subs @ 6$/month x 12 months @ 10%) at most. Estimating their cost structure, I wouldn't be surprised at all if they are bleeding 20M$ a year.
They'll need to find another cash injection within the next 6 months to survive. Let's hope they'll find a VC with deep pockets. Then we may get our recommendation engine...
I brought 50 subscribers over and now I have 213 subscribers after a year of publishing an essay once a week. 17 of them are paid. I have done all the things. All of the things! I have a network of mom, friends, I have Hundreds of Facebook friends. I have a network of Writer friends. And musician friends. The point isn’t for my friends to pay me. Although I have asked them! I think these unicorns are absolutely fantastic and support them 1000%, but the idea that this is going to be a moneymaking endeavor for many of us seems to be pure bullshit and I’m pretty disappointed that I bought in. What part of the business model is working hard to help me make any kind of actual money here? Besides web hosting? I do enjoy the community, but I didn’t come here for social media. I car here to write and was promised support marketing said writing. Haven’t seen that.
Camille, thank you for sharing your experience. It sounds like you've taken an exhaustive dive into making your newsletter grow and you're disappointed. I feel deeply for you because that has been my experience too, except that I didn't have much money to spend on subscribing to more than a handful of writers. I'm not sure if you were in the blogosphere in the early days, e.g. Xanga... At first Substack felt like that space in terms of the freshness and possibilities. But as it expands, most of us start to feel the pinch of not being seen by more readers. We end up spending a ton of time scouring Notes to make connections and hopefully get some subscribers. In the end, everyone suffers from the "shrinkage" of time for making lasting connections, let alone income. The majority of people expect free content nowadays, especially when this "marketplace" (urghhh, I hate to use that word...) for good writer seems saturated (of course, it's not objectively true but it does feel that way to me... after all, we only have 24 hours a day and we need to sleep).
I've been questioning Substack's business model since Day 1, and have grown more and more disillusioned by its lack of sustainability (not for the owners but for us the writers who haven't achieved the top 1% status). Since so few can make any meaningful income, what's the difference between this and Xanga (I don't remember seeing any ads but it was such a long time ago, so I could be wrong)? I look back at the old days of blogging with a lot of nostalgia because there was a real sense of community. You make connections with a small group of people, then you become committed to reading one another's blogs regularly. I've made friends who lasted decades after the demise of the blog platform itself. With Substack, I've made some wonderful connections too, but it seems everyone (including myself) is so busy doing all these things to get visibility and hopefully get some income, that our time is legitimately limited, and we end up not having time to visit the writers we've subscribed to (something which I feel a sense of guilt about).
Definitely would like to see more support on the marketing side for writers -- e.g. tools that don't require us to put in a disproportionate amount of time so we can focus on the quality of our writing instead.
I wasn't a Xanga blogger. I started late and did wordpress. I used to write and record one song every month and put it up at bloginsong.com. I think there are 47 songs there. And I had about the same amount of traction I have here. Maybe the costs are similar. I pay wordpress and godaddy, while here I pay by sharing a percentage of my 17 paid monthly subscribers. But the promise here was certainly different. I feel naive for buying the tall tale, but also I will also do this, with or without the money. The burn is that I am making THEM money and marketing their machine but they aren't really marketing mine. And I don't know how that would work exactly - that isn't my area. We are the creators. I don't think that Substack has it IN for us, or that we are just pawns to them. But I no longer believe that this is hugely different than the other social media platforms.
Camillle, thanks for sharing your experience with other platforms and making a comparison of how they've worked for you. I've used Wordpress and external hosting for many years as well. I do think that setting up "shop" on Substack is a lot easier. But like you, I'm having a hard time believing the "tall tale" that if the business model works for those who earn millions of dollars, it will work for everyone too. It is this exact point that I have trouble with, and I think it's disingenuous to promote the income possibilities as a sort of democratized level playing field. It's come to a point where many feel that unless they give readers free access to everything, they can't really get any eyeballs or subscribers, let alone paid ones. Then it becomes a free riders' economy, much like the rest of the Internet -- which is exactly the opposite of what we were told initially. I'll just sum it up with two words: caveat emptor.
Lovely community and great work by the founders however, it appears as if the algorithm just encourages the rich to get richer and basically just ignores those startups that have a lot to offer but no support. By the end of the day, it might just become a place where the Substack royalties, that's what they are called, congregate like G7 meetings and the rest of the world is shut off to work out their salvation.
I initially thought it was a place a " just discovered I could write writer" can make an extra income only to see that that's almost impossible unless you are a full time writer that makes use of all their 24hours on the grind with a lot of money to pay for subscriptions and tag along with the Substack royalties for mentions.
So I gave up on that but held on to the great connections I have made and meaningful conversations I have with people for which I am truly grateful.
My writing? Great stuff but not sure if it will ever spin money on Substack. But I will be here still writing and enjoying my journey.
Uzo, I share your observation that "that's almost impossible unless you are a full time writer that makes use of all their 24hours on the grind with a lot of money to pay for subscriptions and tag along with the Substack royalties for mentions."
I almost quit Substack because of that. But like you, I've made meaningful connections and enjoy the conversations with other deep thinkers and empathetic souls. So I'll keep writing, honing my craft and enjoy the journey. For these, I'm grateful that Substack exists.
I completely get where you’re coming from—Substack can feel like an uphill battle, especially for newer or less established creators. I’ve only been on here for six weeks myself, and it’s been a mix of highs and lows. I’ve been on Instagram forever without much engagement, but Substack has been different. I’ve already found 16 subscribers (including 1 paid) and have had more interaction than I ever imagined.
It hasn’t been easy—feels a lot like opening a new shop in a town where nobody knows you. People don’t just show up because you’re there; you have to let them know who you are and what you offer. That means engaging in a way that genuinely connects, not just hoping they’ll stumble upon your work. But that’s what’s making it so fulfilling for me. I didn’t start because I wanted followers. I started because I was ready to finally share my voice after being silent for over five decades.
Lily, your experience reflects the reality for many of us—finding the right people, the ones who resonate with what you’re saying, takes time and persistence. I never expected to gain 12 subscribers in four weeks, but here I am, simply by showing up as myself. Your suggestion for Hamish to try starting from scratch is so on point—seeing how the magic dust works without a built-in following would be eye-opening.
Keep going, both of you. Your voices matter, and the right people *will* find you.
Thank you for the link to my work! (I'm the one with a "modest" following on non-Substack platforms who is thriving here.) It's important to me to share with other writers what I've been able to do here, because I've felt so frustrated for so long by trying to freelance + get my work out there in the traditional media space. In 2021 I said screw it & started publishing here. I had like 2K inactive Twitter followers, no other followers, and very little name recognition anywhere online.
In less than a year from turning on paid subs my newsletter became a bestseller, and I'm making more in a year here than I ever made in a year of freelancing. My work here has led to other bylines and podcast appearances. I've signed with a literary agent who found me here and am working on my first book. I've made connections with fabulous writers and my great community of readers. All from writing consistently on Substack and just enjoying the offerings.
I'm really optimistic about the future here and hope other writers are too.
Substack is the best platform of the creators, by the creators, for the creators. Free speech is the critical ingredient in the magic dust. Come for the economic engine, stay for the friends you make along the way.
Thanks for this. I am a one-time Wordpress blogger who eventually gave it up for multiple reasons. Finally I discovered Substack and am amazed at the results and the ease of use for someone who is a writer, not a media or tech guy. I just passed 600 subscribers which for me is a great start. I have two or three collaborators whom I also publish. So far our Substack is free as we use it as a vehicle to promote our books which, of course, are not free. But book sales are steady, so that seems to be working too. Above all, the freedom of expression I have on Substack is spiritually liberating for all concerned--as is NO ADS.
So again, thank you. Even my long-suffering wife is impressed with Substack and that is a very big benefit.
I too had a website blog. It was called "Outdoor Tracks". The setting up and maintenance and cost of the domain and website were quite a strain for this non-techy. I discontinued it when I became a little too old for all that mountain climbing and backpacking, plus by necessity becoming a caregiver for my wife.
The substack platform is wonderful - the way all the technical setup is already taken care of and ready to for anyone. I love having an outlet for my writing and commenting urges.
Terrific to know about your book Richard. Right up my alley. (Ellen Brown is a mentor -- I worked at Public Banking Institute for many years.) I dove into the BIS "Finternet" vision in a recent 'Stack. IMO we're going to have to Buckminster Fuller a new financial / monetary system.
I agree with pretty much every idea in this post, powerful message and so comprehensive about the issues of our digital economy and practical problems (and now also opportunities) all of us, writers, have.
I switched from using Mailchimp where I would pay $$ for sending newsletters, to using Substack for pretty much the same thing. And I still can't believe it. Not only I am not paying for sending newsletters, I am actually getting paid. I mean, IT IS magic dust.
This post has somewhat assuaged my fears of Substack losing its way. It seems like their vision is grander than I’d thought. But now another fear has come into being: is the Substack vision a little too grand? From a platform geared towards writers, they now seem to want to control the whole internet. I’ll be honest, I’m not sure that that’s achievable, or even a good idea. They are, after all, a corporation. But only time will tell. I remain cautiously optimistic.
Fair concern! We do not seek to control the internet. We seek to build the tools and infrastructure that allow creators and consumers to control *their* internet.
Hey Hamish! Thanks for the reply. That’s a nice way to put it. After all, big corporations have owned the Internet for a while. I genuinely think that a community- and interest-based Internet is better than us all mosh-pitting together in the same three places.
May I also suggest we reinvent how creators control their payment system?
The creators' economy should have its own creators' financial system imo. We may as well begin on the Substack Planet. What kind of financial system do WE (non-globalist humans) want? I start to discuss that here:
A good point. I’m leery about them going for the Instagram and TikTok space - it will be very crowded with stuff that irritates me a lot. I appreciate writing and newsletter model not cramming the influencers into the space for dollars.
Well, at least we can simply not subscribe to the ones that irritate us. Can we block the ones that we no longer want to hear any more of their comments?
It is frustrating to me to see Substack cheerleading the app and creating more and more mobile features without acknowledging the fact that, at some point, subscriptions will have to be processed through the app. And at that point, we will not only be paying 10% to Substack (which is more than fair) - but 10% to Substack and 30% to Apple.
Yes Substack needs to come clean on this point. Not only will the take rate be much higher but subscribers will also be non-portable, i.e. locked into the Apple ecosystem.
You're saying you'll still have their email address? Sure but the subscription itself cannot be moved. And also not sure whether refunds can be provided
I am suggesting that Substack need not manage the user via the app, but from their desktop site - so all info is with substack as it is now. This works for Netflix and Kindle, and can work for Substack.
There are two key questions here 1) can in-app paid subscriptions be moved from Substack to say Beehiv? The answer is clearly no, whereas today they remain portable 2) will content from paid subscriptions through the website show up in the app? The answer seems to be no, in which case I'd have no interest promoting the Substack app, which frankly doesn't do much for my publication. Would love to be proven wrong.
Hi! Not necessarily. Substack can still process payments on the desktop - bypassing Apple's payment legally. Just like Amazon Kindle purchases and Netflix payments are done today. Even if 30% is to be paid, normally it is the app developer who incurs that cost, not the consumers and this may be baked into Susbtack's business model.
For now, I don't believe the 10% will change due to app features.
p.s. I write on tech, digital economy, and Substack at TechMadeSimple !
Why would it need to be processed through the app? I remember when insight timer had to do that. Is it that apple makes you do that once you process a certain amount?
Exactly! I came here because I wanted to escape the frenzy pace of social media. It seems that Substack has turned into a social media platform just like the others, with many features mirroring/similar to those platforms. The arrival of the "Live" feature almost freaked me out, TBH. It creates a sense of fake urgency that goes against the slower, more deliberate pace that I came here for.
Yes, same here! I had such a visceral reaction to the live video that I nearly deleted the app. These kinds of features, along with the heavy push of video, are not why I came here. I am even debating moving to another newsletter service that is purely that, once I reach 1k subscribers.
Over the last year, my husband Peco and I have had several readers ask us whether we could send out a print copy of our articles. For now we include pdf versions of our longer articles, but would like to pitch the following idea: As many Substack readers greatly value tangible books and journals, you could offer "print on demand" publishing (the current model for this is Kindle Direct Publishing).
This could take a variety of forms:
Substack writers could select their best posts and publish a "Best of..." compilation.
Substack writers could offer a quartely/semi-annual print journal of their publication.
Or best of all, readers could select articles of their favorite Substacks and create their own anthologies.
Substack could lead the analog renaissance in providing a printing press platform for your "economic engine for culture".
Great idea! My wife suggested I print out hard copies of one of my posts ("My Testimony") for our kids. I had to copy and paste it into MS Word, then go to the library to change it to a pdf (I don't have an app for that) and then print it out. It didn't come out quite right, so I need to alter the pages in Word a bit and try again.
You can save the formatted post in pdf form with comments included- below is the post I wrote on it - and then print that on your home printer. You can also make an ebook and send it by email.
Plus, there's a sense that more and more people want to strike more of a balance between the digital and the physical world, including physical media. More than a few photographers are printing zines and there is a robust photography community on here.
I don't understand how "own your community" is compatible with building iOS in-app payments. You can't take those with you. Any customers through that route will be forever tied to Apple and Substack. That's not ownership.
That's definitely a tricky area to work through. We get requests from both sides: "Why don't you have in-app payments!" (Yes, we see the benefits.) And: "Why would you do in-app payments; it gives so much control and money to Apple!" (Yes, we are wary of that.) As we work through those issues, our goal is to give maximum power and control to the publishers, while also giving them the option of a fair deal from Apple. This is a work in progress.
If you require readers and writers to use a phone to do anything, you are limited to that audience and those features. I realize there are millions and billions of smartphone users, but it is a fast money market. It's like saying we only sell at MacDonalds. I use a smartphone but not for thinking.
Hi Hamish! Why not follow Amazon Kindle, and Netflix's route by simply ensuring your users can only manage their accounts and pay for fees on the desktop, not via app. You save the 30% fee for app and retain the low 10% fee for users. Win-win. Jayshree
Most of us no longer make our purchases in cash in person at our local general store. When I look at the monthly payments on my Visa bill, I think of the credit card companies as the ultimate money-makers, more than Apple. Other than the ridiculousness of sending cash through the mail, I don’t see how we could avoid a cut going to Apple and/or a credit card company. Even with debit payments the bank takes a fee. Which financial institution gets a bite of the subscription fee isn’t worth the kafuffle.
To role-play that scenario out,... assuming that the unique-identifier of the subscriber who purchases via "[Apple] in-app" is his/her email-address -- like the subscriber who purchases via stripe is today... and, assuming that said email-address is also exportable -- like the email-addresses of the paid subscriber who purchase via stripe today are...
...i would think then, in the former, that the writer/publisher would need to issue a pro-rated refund, and then send said paid subscriber an email-blast saying "join me at my new wordpress / Ghost blog. When there, click on the subscribe button, to resume your paid subscription [by purchasing again from scratch]."
...i would think then, in the latter, NO need for the writer/publisher to issue a pro-rated refund -- meaning, if the writer/publisher keeps the same email-address with stripe, then, when switching over, to, say "wordpress / Ghost blog", their paid subscription duration and auto-renewal preferences continue seamlessly, like before [because it would still be stripe on the back end].
The point being, a writer/publisher taking their paid-subscribers (and free-subscribers) with them -- especially if they wish to keep monetizing -- requires hiring a technical expert -- to spin up, a "wordpress / Ghost blog" AND an email-blaster.
Ugh! Too painful just thinking about it -- given the sheer "technical burden" alone that substack has removed from the equation.
To an extent. While 'owning' is a term Substack uses, it can be misleading—accounts can be mistakenly flagged as spam, making it feel like you don't truly 'own' anything.
However, in this case, neither Apple's App Store nor Substack owns your mailing list—you do. As long as Substack allows you to export your data via desktop, their app policies shouldn’t matter.
Every app on the App Store, including Netflix and Amazon Kindle, can determine how user accounts are managed, often directing account management to their desktop sites. The policy is the same across iPad and mobile versions.
Hope this helps!
p.s. I write on tech, digital economy, and Substack at TechMadeSimple !
Hamish, I listened, in addition to reading this essay, to you and Chris discussing this "Magic Dust" essay. I have been a literary writer, full-time since 1996, with a bunch of literary magazine prizes under my "belt". I now see a potential for Substack to become the new literary magazine--even though setting up serial work isn't easy on the site, most everything else is. I'm here to offer my thanks to you and Chris and the secret Jaraij Sethi!
Bravo. Kudos. All the accolades. Just a great job at supporting independent creative thought, though I agree there is no way I can afford all the subscriptions I'd love to have.
I'm on a restricted income, but I read a great deal and Substack has introduced me to some true gems in terms of writing and journalism. But I pay hundreds per year, which is a financial strain, so I've had to give up a few things to afford it. I send my sincere appreciation to those who offer free access to at least some of their content, and also to those who charge a reasonable price. I wish I could afford everyone.
I concur Anne - there is no way for me to subscribe and support all the writers I read - which is why I propose Substack implement a subscription model that offers packages for subscription. Like 2 subscriptions for $5/month or 4 subscriptions for $12/month - I know it’s not a lot of money but it would offer some compensation between full subscription and free subscription. And it could be by choice so popular authors like Joyce Vance or Heather Cox Richardson might not be on the package list - but new writers and writers looking to build their audience would be. I know I would subscribe to more if I could get a package for $25/month; currently I just yearly rotate 3 or 4 subscriptions between the 40 or so writers I follow.
...excellent suggestion. You're not alone in ruminating the subscription aspect. With a bit of tweaking, a General Subscription (or multiple subscription package options) offering may suggest a reduced product price for Major Earners, but it may concurrently offer a broader audience. Because you're right...even if we could read Everyone, most cannot afford to contribute to Everyone (though we wish to).
A Happy Compromise can be to allow Substackers to opt into a General Subscription offering of sorts.
Hey Anne and Kate,
I’m in a similar spot, Anne. I can only afford two subscriptions, and while one of them is for a creator who doesn’t really need my support financially, I’ve found a community there that feels like my tribe—one I’m not willing to give up. That leaves little room to support other amazing writers, even though I’d love to.
Kate, your idea for a bundle subscription option resonates with me. If there were a way to have a mix of subscriptions—supporting both well-known writers and newer voices—at a more accessible price, it would allow more people to contribute without feeling stretched too thin. I’d love to see Substack implement something like this so readers like us can help uplift more creators while staying within our means.
Warmly,
Jay
I also can only do 2 paid at a time. If every reader of Substack had 2 paid subscriptions in their list, we'd all likely benefit.
Yep, that is right.
I like the bundle subscription idea. Also, I have an alternative way for people to support my writing. Since I do all the artwork for my posts myself, I've begun selling them as prints on t-shirts and other things. I still have the option for people to pay to support my substack if they wish, but then there's also t-shirts, and little donations with ko-fi. I've only just got it going, and already had a few sales, which has been fabulous. These are all great ways to think outside the box, and hopefully we can all help each other to be supported and keep writing. Much love everyone <3
It's a good idea 👍
Excellent Idea, Kate. And in the interest of sprinkling that magic dust, I can see the creators themselves joining forces to offer package deals, much like they make 3 subscription suggestions.
I'm just like you. I try to support 3-4 year then I will rotate next year.
Exactly. It’s going to be hard to choose.
Good idea. Also what about less than $5/month. Ya know? Less expensive but might gain more subscribers. As a writer here I'd be interested in that.
One of the great things about Substack is the variety of ways people can charge, or not charge for their newsletters. I make all my writing available for free, but people can choose to pay if they want to. I feel like the limit on what I can afford to subscribe to is the same as not being able to subscribe to every newspaper and magazine I'd like.
I love this. A sliding scale or pay-what-you-can model resonates deeply with me. I am so appreciative of creators like Sam Harris, who says write and ask if money is an obstacle, and honors it, and Susan Cain of Introvert fame whose team communicated with me directly and made me feel welcome, not ashamed or less than, with a gifted one-year subscription.
Once I begin offering my services to the public I will be happily paying it forward by doing the same.
Totally. Love Harris too.
Try Apple News Plus! For $12.99/ month, you get access to over 400 publications, including their archives. Also, you can share your subscription with up to five friends/family. I wish Substack had something similar.
+1 on Apple News Plus. It’s one of the better news aggregators I’ve found and I’ve tried a few. It’s not perfect so I supplement with some strategic subscriptions to publications like The Atlantic and WaPo.
I have a WaPo subscription, but as far as I can tell, I have access to all of The Atlantic without a separate subscription.
good to know, thanks!
You get a free month trial, too: https://www.apple.com/apple-news/publications/
A few require a separate subscription, but very few.
I’m comparing it to tv streaming services. That’s what I’ve given up.
Cool so when can I expect T-Mobile to offer me free Substack subscriptions as part of my cell service like they do subscriptions for Hulu and Netflix? That would be another great option to support more writers!
I’m gonna miss Only Murders in the Building.
Yes but if all you can afford is say $25 a month it’s a lot easier to select from a bundle than to research the different price points for 30 or so newsletters and stay on budget. The ability to charge varying rates is more valuable to the writer than to the reader.
Mine is free, not having had more than a handful of followers on FB or X to bring over. But it's a wonderful opportunity to engage with subscribers and other writers in a meaningful way without frivolous, shallow, hateful or hopelessly biased commentary.
Yep!! 👍
It's very gratifying when an author actually engages with his/her followers to some degree.
I would be one of those, depending on what you like to read. My posts and podcasts are free for the first 30 days, then I paywall the older ones, although I am thinking I might change that to a couple of weeks but we'll see.
If you like political commentary and interviews, or like to watch or listen to fictional stories and poetry with accompanying newsletters, check out Crann na beatha - The Tree of Life Substack page. I also post the occasional written article on occasion as well. I am not trying to advertise too much here but point you to a cost effective alternative. There are more of us out here who cater to those readers who may be economically challenged.
Touché! How's the 30 day paywall thing going? I've considered doing that.
I hear you. For those of us on limited incomes (which is most of us), we'll never be able to pay for all the writers we appreciate.
As a writer/creator here, I've made the commitment on my main Substack to have no paywalls, though I do gratefully accept paid subscriptions from those who have the means to do so and want to support my writing habit. Whenever I get five paid subs, I pay that forward by upgrading to a paid sub for my favorite authors. That's how I've dealt with this dilemma. Curious to hear what others do....
Interesting! So that's been working well? All free but open to paid?
Works good enough! I'm at 35 paid subscribers right now, and they feel like sincere supporters since there's nothing being exchanged other than good will.
Free for you! rebeccakalin.substack.com. Try it!
What if Substack folks lowered the per/subscriber price? Wouldn’t this be the “Model T” of paid media.
Yes! I've been saying that too. I'd be happy to offer subscribers my newsletter for $2-3/mo or $25/year. But you can't at this point.
Anne, I Have the same issue and I love Substack. I know we hate self-promotion, but do try me: a memoir, previously published, and a novel, also previously published, now unfolding as a serial. Other sections too about the arts. Some folks do pay when they read me. To your point, mostly, I have stayed free and hope that folks will pay if they see the worth. In either case, free or paid, I would love to have you subscribe and see what I'm about. xx ~ Mary
Hi Anne, you may browse freely at TechMadeSimple and helloIndia, my two publications where there is always new free content! Jayshree
I have similar issue. I’m on SSI. I only pay for one of my subscriptions. What I’d like to do is have a way to donate to some that I subscribe to, but am not paying for. Like send $5 whenever I can afford it. Spread what little I have around more. But there’s no way for me to do that. I don’t like being a free loader. But I have very limited income. I discovered Substack thru HCR. So she gets the $. But I’d love to pay for more. But no one tells you how much it costs to join until you actually join. I know the authors don’t want to compete for money by advertising. I get that. But it does make making those decisions more difficult. So I don’t even try to join. But there’s so many I really appreciate & feel are worth paying for. And I really do appreciate the authors gentle reminder s to join without any pressure. Most of these writers are a very classy bunch of astute people. Just saying.
Good points
That's awesome. Glad you're spending on the platform. We all appreciate it. It's a healthy, direct choice.
I’ve been writing for publication since 1966 (published my first short story when I was 15 years old; today have 35 books in print in 17 languages and over 1000 magazine articles including dozens of cover stories), and have never seen anything like Substack in terms of reach, breadth, and the ability to compensate writers fairly. So grateful to you, Hamish, and your colleagues for bringing this extraordinary platform into existence!
Thank you for publishing here.
Hello Hamish, I am a 2024 newcomer to Substack, and still trying to figure it out. I fell in love with the caliber of minds here. While I have never engaged in Facebook (so I've no idea its setup)the ability to comment here and otherwise engage with the writers and readers thrilled me. Imagine my surprise when I got notifications that others were "following" me. Is there a tutorial somewhere with in-depth explains? I have been perking on finding a way to share my expertise in a field where I have 45 years experience of fun, historical American culture, design and products. Sure would be neato if (at my advanced age) I could share in this confluence where our culture is being re-born!
Solid endorsement!
With all due respect, Hamish, I'd like to reflect back to you how Substack has been an uphill struggle for small potatoes like me with hopes and dreams that are made with the same magic dust that you talked about in this article. Unless you are a hot shot or an established writer (or influencer as the trend goes), I think the promise of making a meaningful income here should be taken with a huge grain of salt. I invite you, Hamish, to try it for size (pun intended). Set up an account with a pseudonym. Post topics that don't naturally garner a huge audience. Start from scratch, without any fame attached. Do it during the "off hours," i.e. when your money-making activities are done for the day and when you are left with 5% battery in your reserve. Don't import any existing subscribers -- that would be cheating. Offer no add-on services like courses, workshops or meetups. Simply try to get paid subscribers with your writing alone. Please report back how that experiment goes :-)
It's absolutely classic Silicon Valley marketing doubletalk. I've heard this with everything from blogging to social media to the Internet of Things to cloud computing to mobile phones. Promise a revolution. Mention how technology is going to change the basic laws of supply and demand. Tell people that they're not going to need to change, adapt, or, above all, struggle. Pretend that there will be no negatives at all. And most of all, completely ignore the actual data people care about, because it may undercut your sales pitch. For instance, I'd be extremely interested in a distribution chart showing how many Substack writers make how much money. I'd guess that fewer than 5% make anything at all.
Agreed. Transparency of earnings would be so illuminating. After all, Substack exists to help writers with their earning power, doesn't it? It would only be fair with such transparency. Or else it feels like an MLM. I've gone through all the cycles of tech-led media, from the time when I worked for a magazine with 100+ year history, which folded because of the rise of the Internet, to the dot-com bubble, to blogging, Medium and all the social media shenanigan. I've tried them all and poured my life energy into them. Three decades later, the income-earning potentials all became pipe dreams, except for a few percentages on the top of the pyramid. The Substack ecosystem isn't unlike any other economic ecosystem. The big ones dominate. And the rest struggle to even break even with the amount of time and energy--and in the case of Substack--HEART--that we pour out.
It would be illuminating, but it wouldn't help Substack grow, which is the whole point of this business. Basically, the strategy is the same ancient one Microsoft used when it was founded, and every growing tech business has used as well. A guy named Geoffrey Moore wrote about it in a book called "Inside the Tornado". The idea is to create a kind of self-reinforcing ecosystem, where the users of a platform endlessly strengthen the market dominance of the business. Every developer who writes for a Windows environment becomes economically invested in it. The more people who use Windows, the more money they make. The result is Microsoft. Or Apple. Or Facebook. Same thing here. When you write for Substack, you're also promoting and strengthening it, for free. Millions of writers millions of readers, and every post makes that ecosystem bigger and more dominant, for free. Writers aren't the end, they're the means. The end is profit. That's not unfair or wrong, but it's not what writers are being told. They're being told about "magic dust"
That's a precise analysis. I understand what you meant about "marketing doubletalk." This process is what I've been sensing since I joined the platform about 1.5 years ago. And that's why I reacted the way I did, as it's reminiscent of the tech-led media platforms I've cycled through all these years. Instead of "magic dust," I would prefer something more closely aligned with the reality of this business.
If they did that, the entire business would grind to a halt. They're selling the fantasy of making a nice living writing. I, in fact, do -- I've been a professional at this for decades. But not by sitting at home writing on Substack. Unless you bring a big audience with you, are very lucky or insanely talented, it's going to be really hard. It just is. Again, nothing unfair or immoral about that. But there's no such thing as "magic dust".
Also, on a personal note, the term "creator" drives me up the wall. I am not a creator. I'm a writer.
I'd guess it's more like 1% make any money, if that.
If technology forced change, we’d all be working from home. Instead, we’re being forced to return to work. The only thing that pushed us home was a pandemic!
I’d be more interested in knowing which large language models are studying every page posted here and how they gain access to it all efficiently.
Sounds roughly accurate
Coincidentally, I posted this article today about my experience with YT and Substack economics. You're 1000% correct here. Substack itself is a tremendous platform, and I've found so many new writers I love to read, but I can afford to be a paid subscriber to absolutely none of them. It's simply not a realistic thing to say "the creator economy" is the future of our business. The numbers don't add up.
https://open.substack.com/pub/heroscopemedia/p/youtube-economics-101?r=45urxt&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
Hey Lily and Jeff,
I completely get where you’re coming from—Substack can feel like an uphill battle, especially for newer or less established creators. I’ve only been on here for six weeks myself, and it’s been a mix of highs and lows. I’ve been on Instagram forever without much engagement, but Substack has been different. I’ve already found 16 subscribers (including 1 paid) and have had more interaction than I ever imagined.
It hasn’t been easy—feels a lot like opening a new shop in a town where nobody knows you. People don’t just show up because you’re there; you have to let them know who you are and what you offer. That means engaging in a way that genuinely connects, not just hoping they’ll stumble upon your work. But that’s what’s making it so fulfilling for me. I didn’t start because I wanted followers. I started because I was ready to finally share my voice after being silent for over five decades.
Lily, your experience reflects the reality for many of us—finding the right people, the ones who resonate with what you’re saying, takes time and persistence. I never expected to gain 12 subscribers in four weeks, but here I am, simply by showing up as myself. Your suggestion for Hamish to try starting from scratch is so on point—seeing how the magic dust works without a built-in following would be eye-opening.
Keep going, both of you. Your voices matter, and the right people *will* find you.
Warmly,
Jay
Hi Jay, thanks for contributing to this meaningful conversation, and I'm glad that you've found your initial experience here to be satisfying. I think most people have experienced the positive welcome and growth when they first joined. In fact, it might sound like I don't have a good experience on Substack based on the comment I wrote above. That's not entirely true. I've been pleasantly surprised and very happy about the deep and meaningful connections I've made here on Substack -- something that's increasingly hard to come by on other platforms. My focus here is purely about the economics, since the subject of Hamish's article is the creator economy. On that subject, my experience has informed me that there's an incongruence between the promise of the magic dust and the actual outcome. I believe we all go through a "honeymoon phase" as newcomers to this platform. There can even be amazing growth. But the uphill battle concerns making a reasonable income -- as the founders have laid out in their marketing materials -- that is proportional to the amount of time and effort you put into the venture. Having been quite involved on the blogosphere, YouTube and other social media platforms, I got disillusioned about the issue of proportional income. So I came here on the promise that if you build your own newsletter, readers -- and paid subscriptions -- will come. Well, others can chime in, but in my experience, this has simply not been the case. I've been here for 17 months, gained just over 400 subscribers from scratch, but my paid subscription remains at 9, the same as the initial months, most of whom are my personal friends and acquaintances. Now, if you happen to know a lot of people who are well off, or if you already have a big following, it might be easier. But that's not the case for me. Sure, you can say that I didn't have a successful CTA strategy, and I'm exploring that. But honestly, I had hoped to focus on my writing and now I'm finding myself spending a disproportionate amount of time mulling over how to market my writing and do all the social media stuff within Substack (like Notes) to get eye balls. There were promises that Substack is its own content discovery ecosystem, which would make it unnecessary to promote your writing elsewhere. But that's simply not true. I find the discovery algorithm lacking in transparency and biased toward those who already have a larger subscription base. I have so many questions about Substack and I hope I'll get some answers here from Hamish.
**Hey Lily,**
Thank you for your thoughtful response and for sharing more about your journey. I sense a lot of dedication in your words and a desire for your work to be truly seen and appreciated, not just in terms of numbers, but in how it connects with others. I imagine the frustration when the reality doesn’t align with what was promised, especially given the energy and heart you’ve put into your Substack over these 17 months.
I’d love to gently invite you to explore other possibilities for creating a more enriching experience for your subscribers that might feel more aligned with your needs. People like Sarah Fay, Claire Venus, or your fellow Hong Kong writer, Veronica Llorca-Smith, have crafted unique ways to engage their audiences, adding value that goes beyond the traditional paywall model. Maybe taking a look at how they build community and connection could spark some ideas that resonate with your own vision.
From what you’ve shared, I sense a deep need for fairness, reciprocity, and for your work to be honored in a meaningful way. I wonder if it could be helpful to reflect on how to cultivate a space where those values are brought to life—whether that’s through exclusive content, interactive sessions, or building a closer-knit community feel.
What you’re offering is already rich in thought and connection, and I can see the care you put into it. If you’d ever like to exchange more ideas or just reflect together, I’m here. Thank you for being part of this conversation, and for contributing so much to this community.
With respect and warmth,
Jay 🌼
Thank you, Jay, for seeing where I'm coming from. Definitely, I have a strong desire for fairness, reciprocity and sustainability. I have been a part of Sarah Fay's community and taken courses from her and she's simply been amazing in her support for budding Substackers! Can't say enough nice things about her work here. I continue to experiment with different engagement methods and will see how they go. But one thing is for sure: I will not count on Substack to be a major source of income (short of a miracle). I hope your experience will continue to be positive -- don't let one person's experience cloud your own ;-)
Lily,
I appreciate your reply and your openness in sharing more of your experience. I can see you’ve truly invested time and energy into exploring different paths to connect with your readers and build a meaningful community. It’s encouraging to hear how Sarah Fay has supported you in these efforts, and it sounds like her impact has been a positive force in navigating these waters.
Your dedication to finding a balance between reciprocity and sustainability shines through, and I admire your commitment to staying true to your values. I agree—it’s essential to keep experimenting and discovering what feels right for you and your audience. Every journey on this platform is so personal, and I find it inspiring to see how we all learn from each other.
I’ll hold onto that hope and keep walking my own path, with the reminder that each of us has a unique experience. Thank you for that encouragement and for being such a thoughtful presence in this space.
Wishing you clarity and growth in all your experiments—and may a little miracle still come your way!
Warmly,
Jay 🌼
Thank you! I've saved your article to read.
I want to jump in here with a question for OP and her smart commenter, because I honestly feel like my brain is fried. Outsourcing analysis, a bit.
In terms of economics, I do like the idea of people supporting people, exchanging value for value. I think people should have baseline security, not living in survival mode, trading their time for minimum wage so they can eat. Well I don't want to get political, but in unrelated news a UBI would be nice.
*sigh 🧢
Idk what my question is, I'm late for a march against Uber in SF.
Thank you for the reality check. If it sounds too good to be true ...
Yeah, a very small % will succeed
I'm just a reader, but I think the transparency of the algorithm or guidance would be great. One of the problems with other platforms is exactly what @Lily just described, discoverability. How is Substack helping to make the small creators more discoverable, because established creators have already been discovered and they bring their followers with them.
This is the piece that would truly set it apart.
We all know what the real underlying motivations are regardless of what words are chosen to describe it in some "pulling at the heartstrings" manner.
Provide smaller creators with some magic dust.
The biggest accounts are typically simply rehashing stuff that's been done and suggested for years. We need more fresh ideas.
True.
Yes 🙌
A problem of "the rich get richer."
Related to this, a big part of the question is which content will get promoted in the users' home feed and why.
I would love to see some transparency on that (algorithm anyone?) as well.
Hi Lily, I tried pretty much the experiment you described, and it worked in my case. I started out in Jan 2023 with 20 subscribers that were all friends that I knew personally. I am a full-time mother and home educator and write when I have time on evenings or weekends. I have no other social media platform and no other place where I share my writing apart from Substack. I offer all posts for free when they are published, and the majority stay free. There are no special perks for paying subscribes. I simply shared writing that was important to me, took an interest in what others are writing, and with the help of recommendations from other writers, managed to grow a reader community to around 13K. So small potatoes can grow, and one component is certainly luck, but one does not have to be a hot shot, have a huge following, or be a full time writer.
Thanks for sharing your success! I understand that there are unicorns out there ;-). I hope you continue to enjoy the wonderful connections with your subscribers.
Thanks Lily. Just wanted to share that Substack can work for those without a following or other social media channels. I do however resonate with your point and recognize that this is certainly not the case for most writers. All the best :)
I fully understand that it can work. But I also want to point out the invisible "network" that people bring in through their own private life, not necessarily "followers" from other online platforms. For example, being a mom perhaps has offered you a network of other moms with similar interests as yours? My example: I'm a single woman, divorced, having moved from country to country over the years without stability and a network of real-life friends. Very very hard to have my own network to start with. Besides, never underestimate the challenges faced by a non-white person on this predominantly white American platform. And I challenge any white person who tries to dismiss my experience of being glossed over and belittled by the majority of people because of my marginalized status.
That's fantastic.
I hear you, Lily. WIthout being an influencer or importing a subscriber list, it's uphill. Here I am for you for free. rebeccakalin.substack.com
I don't think that I will ever make any money from Substack. That means that they won't make money either. And if they can't make any money from me or the other creators that don't have any paid subscribers, they won't be able to find the funds required to develop a recommendation engine that the platform deserves.
It's not there.
They cleverly farmed out recommendations to creators; they recommend other creators when you sign up. Same for growth. They (again very smartly) attract creators that have large audiences on other platforms and pay handsomely to get them in (16M$ in their FY21 accounts). That's how the platform grows.
But if you can't bring an audience from other platforms, like so many of us, growing it from scratch on Substack is an uphill battle. A decent recommendation engine—think Netflix—could change that overnight.
Hi Aesthetic Nomads, I have no idea about recommendation engines. That sounds like a great tool for discovery! Is it very expensive to build one?
You made a good point that suggests that income growth for the small potatoes here is essential for long-term profitability of the owners. What I've seen so far, is that the hot shots are contributing to the bulk of that profitability, so perhaps the founders don't really "need" us? My cynical side says that we're just the pawns used to create an illusion that this is a level playing field for all. Yes, there are some unicorns and bishops, knights and rooks, but the majority are pawns.
It's impossible for me to estimate the development cost of a recommendation engine, but for Substack I expect it to be substantial (millions).
An indication of the value of a decently developed recommendation engine is probably better. Netflix estimates the value of theirs at 1B$.
While I have no problem with influencers doing their thing on Substack—not everyone is a creative writer—the platform will have an issue over time with the migration of their audiences. Creative travel writing and photography content like ours is simply going to be wiped out by an avalanche of 'commercial' content for what is essentially an Instagram audience.
This need not be an issue.
Comparing this again to Netflix, you can get recommendations for a cheesy romcom just as easily as you can get them for a low budget indie movie. How? The recommendation algorithm and engine...
Substack raised 89M$ in 4 rounds, the last of which was March '23. With 10% commission from 3M paid subscriptions I expect their revenue today to be around 22M$ (3M paid subs @ 6$/month x 12 months @ 10%) at most. Estimating their cost structure, I wouldn't be surprised at all if they are bleeding 20M$ a year.
They'll need to find another cash injection within the next 6 months to survive. Let's hope they'll find a VC with deep pockets. Then we may get our recommendation engine...
This is an eye-opening analysis. Thanks for taking the time to explain.
I brought 50 subscribers over and now I have 213 subscribers after a year of publishing an essay once a week. 17 of them are paid. I have done all the things. All of the things! I have a network of mom, friends, I have Hundreds of Facebook friends. I have a network of Writer friends. And musician friends. The point isn’t for my friends to pay me. Although I have asked them! I think these unicorns are absolutely fantastic and support them 1000%, but the idea that this is going to be a moneymaking endeavor for many of us seems to be pure bullshit and I’m pretty disappointed that I bought in. What part of the business model is working hard to help me make any kind of actual money here? Besides web hosting? I do enjoy the community, but I didn’t come here for social media. I car here to write and was promised support marketing said writing. Haven’t seen that.
Yeah. Most won't make much. Tiny % will.
Camille, thank you for sharing your experience. It sounds like you've taken an exhaustive dive into making your newsletter grow and you're disappointed. I feel deeply for you because that has been my experience too, except that I didn't have much money to spend on subscribing to more than a handful of writers. I'm not sure if you were in the blogosphere in the early days, e.g. Xanga... At first Substack felt like that space in terms of the freshness and possibilities. But as it expands, most of us start to feel the pinch of not being seen by more readers. We end up spending a ton of time scouring Notes to make connections and hopefully get some subscribers. In the end, everyone suffers from the "shrinkage" of time for making lasting connections, let alone income. The majority of people expect free content nowadays, especially when this "marketplace" (urghhh, I hate to use that word...) for good writer seems saturated (of course, it's not objectively true but it does feel that way to me... after all, we only have 24 hours a day and we need to sleep).
I've been questioning Substack's business model since Day 1, and have grown more and more disillusioned by its lack of sustainability (not for the owners but for us the writers who haven't achieved the top 1% status). Since so few can make any meaningful income, what's the difference between this and Xanga (I don't remember seeing any ads but it was such a long time ago, so I could be wrong)? I look back at the old days of blogging with a lot of nostalgia because there was a real sense of community. You make connections with a small group of people, then you become committed to reading one another's blogs regularly. I've made friends who lasted decades after the demise of the blog platform itself. With Substack, I've made some wonderful connections too, but it seems everyone (including myself) is so busy doing all these things to get visibility and hopefully get some income, that our time is legitimately limited, and we end up not having time to visit the writers we've subscribed to (something which I feel a sense of guilt about).
Definitely would like to see more support on the marketing side for writers -- e.g. tools that don't require us to put in a disproportionate amount of time so we can focus on the quality of our writing instead.
I wasn't a Xanga blogger. I started late and did wordpress. I used to write and record one song every month and put it up at bloginsong.com. I think there are 47 songs there. And I had about the same amount of traction I have here. Maybe the costs are similar. I pay wordpress and godaddy, while here I pay by sharing a percentage of my 17 paid monthly subscribers. But the promise here was certainly different. I feel naive for buying the tall tale, but also I will also do this, with or without the money. The burn is that I am making THEM money and marketing their machine but they aren't really marketing mine. And I don't know how that would work exactly - that isn't my area. We are the creators. I don't think that Substack has it IN for us, or that we are just pawns to them. But I no longer believe that this is hugely different than the other social media platforms.
Camillle, thanks for sharing your experience with other platforms and making a comparison of how they've worked for you. I've used Wordpress and external hosting for many years as well. I do think that setting up "shop" on Substack is a lot easier. But like you, I'm having a hard time believing the "tall tale" that if the business model works for those who earn millions of dollars, it will work for everyone too. It is this exact point that I have trouble with, and I think it's disingenuous to promote the income possibilities as a sort of democratized level playing field. It's come to a point where many feel that unless they give readers free access to everything, they can't really get any eyeballs or subscribers, let alone paid ones. Then it becomes a free riders' economy, much like the rest of the Internet -- which is exactly the opposite of what we were told initially. I'll just sum it up with two words: caveat emptor.
Exactly!
Lovely community and great work by the founders however, it appears as if the algorithm just encourages the rich to get richer and basically just ignores those startups that have a lot to offer but no support. By the end of the day, it might just become a place where the Substack royalties, that's what they are called, congregate like G7 meetings and the rest of the world is shut off to work out their salvation.
I initially thought it was a place a " just discovered I could write writer" can make an extra income only to see that that's almost impossible unless you are a full time writer that makes use of all their 24hours on the grind with a lot of money to pay for subscriptions and tag along with the Substack royalties for mentions.
So I gave up on that but held on to the great connections I have made and meaningful conversations I have with people for which I am truly grateful.
My writing? Great stuff but not sure if it will ever spin money on Substack. But I will be here still writing and enjoying my journey.
Uzo, I share your observation that "that's almost impossible unless you are a full time writer that makes use of all their 24hours on the grind with a lot of money to pay for subscriptions and tag along with the Substack royalties for mentions."
I almost quit Substack because of that. But like you, I've made meaningful connections and enjoy the conversations with other deep thinkers and empathetic souls. So I'll keep writing, honing my craft and enjoy the journey. For these, I'm grateful that Substack exists.
Hey Lily and Jeff,
I completely get where you’re coming from—Substack can feel like an uphill battle, especially for newer or less established creators. I’ve only been on here for six weeks myself, and it’s been a mix of highs and lows. I’ve been on Instagram forever without much engagement, but Substack has been different. I’ve already found 16 subscribers (including 1 paid) and have had more interaction than I ever imagined.
It hasn’t been easy—feels a lot like opening a new shop in a town where nobody knows you. People don’t just show up because you’re there; you have to let them know who you are and what you offer. That means engaging in a way that genuinely connects, not just hoping they’ll stumble upon your work. But that’s what’s making it so fulfilling for me. I didn’t start because I wanted followers. I started because I was ready to finally share my voice after being silent for over five decades.
Lily, your experience reflects the reality for many of us—finding the right people, the ones who resonate with what you’re saying, takes time and persistence. I never expected to gain 12 subscribers in four weeks, but here I am, simply by showing up as myself. Your suggestion for Hamish to try starting from scratch is so on point—seeing how the magic dust works without a built-in following would be eye-opening.
Keep going, both of you. Your voices matter, and the right people *will* find you.
Warmly,
Jay
Extremely valid point.
Thank you for the link to my work! (I'm the one with a "modest" following on non-Substack platforms who is thriving here.) It's important to me to share with other writers what I've been able to do here, because I've felt so frustrated for so long by trying to freelance + get my work out there in the traditional media space. In 2021 I said screw it & started publishing here. I had like 2K inactive Twitter followers, no other followers, and very little name recognition anywhere online.
In less than a year from turning on paid subs my newsletter became a bestseller, and I'm making more in a year here than I ever made in a year of freelancing. My work here has led to other bylines and podcast appearances. I've signed with a literary agent who found me here and am working on my first book. I've made connections with fabulous writers and my great community of readers. All from writing consistently on Substack and just enjoying the offerings.
I'm really optimistic about the future here and hope other writers are too.
Wow
💥💥💥 You deserve it all! So grateful we have access to your work. ❤️🔥
That's incredible. Inspiring.
Substack is the best platform of the creators, by the creators, for the creators. Free speech is the critical ingredient in the magic dust. Come for the economic engine, stay for the friends you make along the way.
Substack has come a long way, but it has only scratched the surface of its massive Total Addressable Market: https://yuribezmenov.substack.com/p/substack-total-addressable-market-calculation
"of the creators, by the creators, for the creators" - Yes!
I see you've got the demiurge. 😉
Thanks for this. I am a one-time Wordpress blogger who eventually gave it up for multiple reasons. Finally I discovered Substack and am amazed at the results and the ease of use for someone who is a writer, not a media or tech guy. I just passed 600 subscribers which for me is a great start. I have two or three collaborators whom I also publish. So far our Substack is free as we use it as a vehicle to promote our books which, of course, are not free. But book sales are steady, so that seems to be working too. Above all, the freedom of expression I have on Substack is spiritually liberating for all concerned--as is NO ADS.
So again, thank you. Even my long-suffering wife is impressed with Substack and that is a very big benefit.
I too had a website blog. It was called "Outdoor Tracks". The setting up and maintenance and cost of the domain and website were quite a strain for this non-techy. I discontinued it when I became a little too old for all that mountain climbing and backpacking, plus by necessity becoming a caregiver for my wife.
The substack platform is wonderful - the way all the technical setup is already taken care of and ready to for anyone. I love having an outlet for my writing and commenting urges.
Hey, I have two "likes" on this already. So I might as well give you a chance to take a look at my recent book:
https://www.amazon.com/Our-Country-Then-Richard-Cook/dp/1949762858
Congrats on publishing your work, and kudos for self-promoting.
Curious: did you self-publish on Amazon or go the traditional route?
Thanks for sharing.
Terrific to know about your book Richard. Right up my alley. (Ellen Brown is a mentor -- I worked at Public Banking Institute for many years.) I dove into the BIS "Finternet" vision in a recent 'Stack. IMO we're going to have to Buckminster Fuller a new financial / monetary system.
https://suzanneokeeffe.substack.com/p/building-a-globalist-free-society
I agree with pretty much every idea in this post, powerful message and so comprehensive about the issues of our digital economy and practical problems (and now also opportunities) all of us, writers, have.
I switched from using Mailchimp where I would pay $$ for sending newsletters, to using Substack for pretty much the same thing. And I still can't believe it. Not only I am not paying for sending newsletters, I am actually getting paid. I mean, IT IS magic dust.
Thank you.
It's pretty cool 😎
Thanks!
This post has somewhat assuaged my fears of Substack losing its way. It seems like their vision is grander than I’d thought. But now another fear has come into being: is the Substack vision a little too grand? From a platform geared towards writers, they now seem to want to control the whole internet. I’ll be honest, I’m not sure that that’s achievable, or even a good idea. They are, after all, a corporation. But only time will tell. I remain cautiously optimistic.
Fair concern! We do not seek to control the internet. We seek to build the tools and infrastructure that allow creators and consumers to control *their* internet.
Hey Hamish! Thanks for the reply. That’s a nice way to put it. After all, big corporations have owned the Internet for a while. I genuinely think that a community- and interest-based Internet is better than us all mosh-pitting together in the same three places.
May I also suggest we reinvent how creators control their payment system?
The creators' economy should have its own creators' financial system imo. We may as well begin on the Substack Planet. What kind of financial system do WE (non-globalist humans) want? I start to discuss that here:
https://suzanneokeeffe.substack.com/i/148864946/back-to-what-kind-of-a-financial-system-do-we-want
A good point. I’m leery about them going for the Instagram and TikTok space - it will be very crowded with stuff that irritates me a lot. I appreciate writing and newsletter model not cramming the influencers into the space for dollars.
Well, at least we can simply not subscribe to the ones that irritate us. Can we block the ones that we no longer want to hear any more of their comments?
They’ll be on the app in Notes. I like to check that out not just those I’m following.
Yes, you can. Just use the 'Block' user menu option from ... or Unfollow them.
Good point.
It is frustrating to me to see Substack cheerleading the app and creating more and more mobile features without acknowledging the fact that, at some point, subscriptions will have to be processed through the app. And at that point, we will not only be paying 10% to Substack (which is more than fair) - but 10% to Substack and 30% to Apple.
Yes Substack needs to come clean on this point. Not only will the take rate be much higher but subscribers will also be non-portable, i.e. locked into the Apple ecosystem.
Hi - Subscribers will not be locked in as you can export your data from Substack at any time. Check out my article on 'Exporting Data'
You're saying you'll still have their email address? Sure but the subscription itself cannot be moved. And also not sure whether refunds can be provided
I am suggesting that Substack need not manage the user via the app, but from their desktop site - so all info is with substack as it is now. This works for Netflix and Kindle, and can work for Substack.
There are two key questions here 1) can in-app paid subscriptions be moved from Substack to say Beehiv? The answer is clearly no, whereas today they remain portable 2) will content from paid subscriptions through the website show up in the app? The answer seems to be no, in which case I'd have no interest promoting the Substack app, which frankly doesn't do much for my publication. Would love to be proven wrong.
Damn yes that is scary.
Hi! Not necessarily. Substack can still process payments on the desktop - bypassing Apple's payment legally. Just like Amazon Kindle purchases and Netflix payments are done today. Even if 30% is to be paid, normally it is the app developer who incurs that cost, not the consumers and this may be baked into Susbtack's business model.
For now, I don't believe the 10% will change due to app features.
p.s. I write on tech, digital economy, and Substack at TechMadeSimple !
Why would it need to be processed through the app? I remember when insight timer had to do that. Is it that apple makes you do that once you process a certain amount?
Yes I worry about that too. If all the people from TikTok and Instagram come here then how will it retain the more thoughtful slower pace?
Exactly! I came here because I wanted to escape the frenzy pace of social media. It seems that Substack has turned into a social media platform just like the others, with many features mirroring/similar to those platforms. The arrival of the "Live" feature almost freaked me out, TBH. It creates a sense of fake urgency that goes against the slower, more deliberate pace that I came here for.
Yes, same here! I had such a visceral reaction to the live video that I nearly deleted the app. These kinds of features, along with the heavy push of video, are not why I came here. I am even debating moving to another newsletter service that is purely that, once I reach 1k subscribers.
Good point! I believe that Substack is aiming to serve high-revenue and celebrity multimedia creators!
It won’t. It’ll change, and then eventually die once it loses its soul and uniqueness.
That would be so sad.
I know…I genuinely grieve for the Substack I joined two years ago.
I've started to grieve for it too. I joined 17 months ago.
So you’ve had ample time with Substack at its best…
One world kingdom and 1 totalitaria leader created by UN. Look at how old these are. They are much more advanced now. https://www.geoengineeringwatch.org/links-to-geoengineering-patents/
How about an acknowledgment to those of Substackers who are not interested in making capital [money] ?
How about a shout-out to those of us who are interested in Freedom?
Freedom of the Press?
Freedom to help prevent a neo-fascist from being reelected?
Freedom to reimagine and reform America’s capitalist economy along the lines of what Finland’s capitalists did?
It's fine to use the magic dust while writing, just don't snort it.
Right!😂
Over the last year, my husband Peco and I have had several readers ask us whether we could send out a print copy of our articles. For now we include pdf versions of our longer articles, but would like to pitch the following idea: As many Substack readers greatly value tangible books and journals, you could offer "print on demand" publishing (the current model for this is Kindle Direct Publishing).
This could take a variety of forms:
Substack writers could select their best posts and publish a "Best of..." compilation.
Substack writers could offer a quartely/semi-annual print journal of their publication.
Or best of all, readers could select articles of their favorite Substacks and create their own anthologies.
Substack could lead the analog renaissance in providing a printing press platform for your "economic engine for culture".
See my original note which has received support from droves of Substackers here: https://substack.com/@ruthgaskovski/note/c-65338173
Great idea! My wife suggested I print out hard copies of one of my posts ("My Testimony") for our kids. I had to copy and paste it into MS Word, then go to the library to change it to a pdf (I don't have an app for that) and then print it out. It didn't come out quite right, so I need to alter the pages in Word a bit and try again.
I like your suggestion "Best of..." too.
You can save the formatted post in pdf form with comments included- below is the post I wrote on it - and then print that on your home printer. You can also make an ebook and send it by email.
https://open.substack.com/pub/techmadesimpleguide/p/want-to-save-your-substack-stories?r=1si0oc&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
Also for images.
Images are my words.
Plus, there's a sense that more and more people want to strike more of a balance between the digital and the physical world, including physical media. More than a few photographers are printing zines and there is a robust photography community on here.
Never dreamed I would get paid for my literary writing but on Substack I am! A tiny income but I just started in July. The magic dust works! 🦋
Congrats! Might have something to do with your writing ;-)
Awww! Thank you so much!
I don't understand how "own your community" is compatible with building iOS in-app payments. You can't take those with you. Any customers through that route will be forever tied to Apple and Substack. That's not ownership.
That's definitely a tricky area to work through. We get requests from both sides: "Why don't you have in-app payments!" (Yes, we see the benefits.) And: "Why would you do in-app payments; it gives so much control and money to Apple!" (Yes, we are wary of that.) As we work through those issues, our goal is to give maximum power and control to the publishers, while also giving them the option of a fair deal from Apple. This is a work in progress.
If you require readers and writers to use a phone to do anything, you are limited to that audience and those features. I realize there are millions and billions of smartphone users, but it is a fast money market. It's like saying we only sell at MacDonalds. I use a smartphone but not for thinking.
A work in progress. I’d like to know more about what that means. Who has the negotiating leverage, Apple or Substack?
Hopefully you'll find a better way. I can't even afford an iphone - have an Android. So do millions of others.
Hi Hamish! Why not follow Amazon Kindle, and Netflix's route by simply ensuring your users can only manage their accounts and pay for fees on the desktop, not via app. You save the 30% fee for app and retain the low 10% fee for users. Win-win. Jayshree
Most of us no longer make our purchases in cash in person at our local general store. When I look at the monthly payments on my Visa bill, I think of the credit card companies as the ultimate money-makers, more than Apple. Other than the ridiculousness of sending cash through the mail, I don’t see how we could avoid a cut going to Apple and/or a credit card company. Even with debit payments the bank takes a fee. Which financial institution gets a bite of the subscription fee isn’t worth the kafuffle.
To role-play that scenario out,... assuming that the unique-identifier of the subscriber who purchases via "[Apple] in-app" is his/her email-address -- like the subscriber who purchases via stripe is today... and, assuming that said email-address is also exportable -- like the email-addresses of the paid subscriber who purchase via stripe today are...
...i would think then, in the former, that the writer/publisher would need to issue a pro-rated refund, and then send said paid subscriber an email-blast saying "join me at my new wordpress / Ghost blog. When there, click on the subscribe button, to resume your paid subscription [by purchasing again from scratch]."
...i would think then, in the latter, NO need for the writer/publisher to issue a pro-rated refund -- meaning, if the writer/publisher keeps the same email-address with stripe, then, when switching over, to, say "wordpress / Ghost blog", their paid subscription duration and auto-renewal preferences continue seamlessly, like before [because it would still be stripe on the back end].
The point being, a writer/publisher taking their paid-subscribers (and free-subscribers) with them -- especially if they wish to keep monetizing -- requires hiring a technical expert -- to spin up, a "wordpress / Ghost blog" AND an email-blaster.
Ugh! Too painful just thinking about it -- given the sheer "technical burden" alone that substack has removed from the equation.
🤔
To an extent. While 'owning' is a term Substack uses, it can be misleading—accounts can be mistakenly flagged as spam, making it feel like you don't truly 'own' anything.
However, in this case, neither Apple's App Store nor Substack owns your mailing list—you do. As long as Substack allows you to export your data via desktop, their app policies shouldn’t matter.
Every app on the App Store, including Netflix and Amazon Kindle, can determine how user accounts are managed, often directing account management to their desktop sites. The policy is the same across iPad and mobile versions.
Hope this helps!
p.s. I write on tech, digital economy, and Substack at TechMadeSimple !
I love this so, so much. More than I can say.
I'm on Substack because it's given us all a way to take our power back. That's beyond a rarity these days.
Hamish, I listened, in addition to reading this essay, to you and Chris discussing this "Magic Dust" essay. I have been a literary writer, full-time since 1996, with a bunch of literary magazine prizes under my "belt". I now see a potential for Substack to become the new literary magazine--even though setting up serial work isn't easy on the site, most everything else is. I'm here to offer my thanks to you and Chris and the secret Jaraij Sethi!
Bravo. Kudos. All the accolades. Just a great job at supporting independent creative thought, though I agree there is no way I can afford all the subscriptions I'd love to have.