Substack

Substack

Substack is an email newsletter platform that allows writers and publishers to easily create, design, and distribute email newsletters. It aims to let freelance writers and bloggers build direct relationships with readers.
Substack image
email newsletters writing publishing blogging

Substack: Email Newsletter Platform

Discover Substack, a platform empowering writers and publishers to create, design, and distribute email newsletters, fostering direct connections with readers for freelance writers and bloggers.

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.

Substack Features

Features

  1. Allows writers to create and send email newsletters
  2. Provides templates and tools for newsletter design
  3. Handles newsletter hosting, delivery and analytics
  4. Lets writers build subscriber lists and collect payments
  5. Offers tiers with different features based on number of subscribers
  6. Integrates with payment processors like Stripe

Pricing

  • Freemium
  • Subscription-Based

Pros

Easy to use interface

Good delivery and analytics

Allows monetization of newsletters

Lets writers own their subscriber lists

No need to build own email infrastructure

Cons

Limited customization compared to self-hosted solutions

Transaction fees on payments

No control over delivery servers

Email deliverability issues possible

Lock-in to Substack platform


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