Substack

Substack is a powerful platform that empowers independent writers, podcasters, and video creators to publish directly to their audience and get paid through subscriptions. It has disrupted the traditional media model by allowing creators to own their relationship with their audience completely. Instead of relying on social media algorithms that throttle reach, Substack ensures your work goes directly to your subscribers' inboxes.

The platform is designed for building a business around your content. You can offer a mix of free posts to attract new readers and exclusive paid posts for loyal subscribers who want to support your work. With features like podcast hosting, video support, and community chat threads, Substack is the ultimate ecosystem for the creator economy. It handles all the technical heavy lifting—billing, email delivery, and website hosting—so you can focus entirely on creating great content.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Is it free to start a newsletter?

Yes, publishing on Substack is completely free forever, regardless of how many subscribers you have. The platform only makes money when you do; they do not charge you anything until you turn on paid subscriptions and start earning revenue.

2. What are the fees if I charge subscribers?

When you enable paid subscriptions, Substack keeps a 10% commission on your earnings. In addition to that, their payment processor, Stripe, charges a standard credit card processing fee of roughly 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction.

3. Who owns the email list and content?

You retain 100% ownership of your intellectual property and your mailing list. If you ever decide to leave Substack, you can easily export your entire list of subscriber emails and all your content archives to take with you to another platform.

4. Can I offer both free and paid content?

Yes, this is the most common model. Most successful writers publish free posts occasionally to attract new readers and build an audience, while keeping their most valuable, in-depth, or personal content behind a paywall for paying subscribers only.

5. How do I get paid?

Substack uses Stripe for payouts. When a subscriber pays you, the money (minus fees) is transferred directly to your connected bank account. These payouts typically arrive within 48 hours of the transaction, rather than waiting for a monthly payday.