What is Substack?
Substack is an email newsletter platform launched in 2017 that has gained significant popularity among independent writers and publishers. It aims to provide a simple, streamlined way for writers to start and grow an audience by publishing email newsletters.
Some key features of Substack include:
- Easy newsletter creation and customization - Writers can quickly set up a newsletter with their own branding and aesthetics without needing design or coding skills.
- Reader management - Substack handles subscriber acquisition, list building, deliverability, and reader communication.
- Business model flexibility - Writers can offer newsletters for free, use a paid subscription model, or utilize Substack's Partners Program to monetize through advertising.
- Writer payouts - Substack distributes the majority of subscription revenue directly to writers and takes only a small cut.
- Community support - An online Substack community provides writers opportunities to connect with and learn from peers.
By centering the writer-reader relationship and providing a straightforward newsletter platform, Substack aims to empower independent publishers and reimagine how creators get paid and build devoted audiences online. It has become popular among journalists, essayists, bloggers, experts, and writers building niche publications through email.