What makes no sense to me is that as I grew my subscribers, I would regularly get a paid subscriber for every 28-30 free. I was growing both. Throttling free subscribers has translated into throttling paid as well.
From Substack's perspective, for every paid subscriber you might gain somebody else might be gaining two. So they do better if they send traffic to the other writer.
All nicely put. I’ve also found Substack easy to use, and I’ve managed to build an audience here, some of whom even pay for my writing. But Substack’s sweaty hustle and questionable moderation approach have sent me looking elsewhere. Problem is, there really isn’t an elsewhere for the smaller writer. Ghost(Pro) just upped its monthly fee for its lowest tier and removed the ability to offer paid subscriptions. To offer paid subs, you need the next tier up, which is $35 a month. Same with Beehiiv: There you can have a free newsletter with up to 2,500 subscribers, but if you want to offer paid subscriptions, you’ll need to pay $49/month (more if you go above 1,000 subscribers). Sure, you could use a free platform and then ask for donations through yet *another* platform, or you could host your own Ghost instance and work out the payment stuff yourself. It’s all so maddening.
Thank you for this detailed description about how things are working (or not working) on this platform. I am relatively new to Substack (subscriber not writer) and came to read newsletters from people who have left WaPo or the Times that I had been reading for years. I have found so many other people who I would love to support with a paid subscription but simply can’t afford to pay $5 or more a month for that many different writers. As times are getting tougher for many of us, this feels like a business model that won’t work. Also agree with your points about the importance of free subscribers. I may not pay for a monthly subscription but if I like your writing and find out you are publishing a book I will absolutely purchase it.
As someone with a moderately successful substack (about 1000 free, 100 paid) - this platform has been a useful yet temporary stopgap on a sinking ship called colonial capitalism. I have never believed in the weaponized fictions of the middle class, the idea that success is owning a house on stolen land, all while whining self-obsessively and clinging to the identity of “good liberal”.
Bluesky and many sub-niches all remind me of what MLK called the “white moderate”. A saboteur of liberation and class solidarity disguised as an ally.
You've nailed it. This is a social media platform with writers as the product.
This "platform" was really never about writers and writing.
I'm NEVER going to monetize my newsletter no matter how many subs I have and I don't have very many.
I realized some time ago that if you're not making Substack money then you're shit. I'm one of those freeloading pieces of dog poo that will probably soon be scraped off Substack's shoe.
I do download my subscriber list, so when they disappear me I'll at least have those email addresses. And I have a good old fashioned Wordpress-based web site where I post everything I post on here.
Getting kicked out of a Nazi bar isn't a bad thing.
As always, an excellent and necessary essay. There's been so much commentary about plummeting subscriber numbers, all of it concluding that it always happens in the US summer.
Wrong!
I wonder how many writers know their Substack can be removed without notice for not having enough engagement. That's a low act by Substack.
Fascinating post with some great points. I really can’t get over that anyone has to take the same content and put it on several different platforms (you also being on Ghost, etc.) to satisfy the whims of whoever defines their values by whatever least-craven platform they use. It really makes me feel insane.
I’ve been pointing out a lot of the problems with Substack for a while. So many people come back with “just write better and you’ll make money”. They seem to believe that Substack is somehow different but it isn’t.
I don't know that we need to go as far as plagiarism to see the problem but it definitely is one. The assumption is that Substack treats everyone the same, but they don't.
Actually, I had a surge of free subscribers (I don't have a pay tier), views, subscribers from app, and open rate....right when....they decided my newsletter didn't have enough engagement to even stay up on the reading queue for more than a few hours. I write fiction. And in other bizarre news, I complained to the chatbot that no matter what I did, the subscriber count (26) still appeared, when I actually had 130 or so. Now it suddenly says 156 on my homepage, but I only have 132. I've gotten into the habit of ignoring the stats as unreliable, but I also assiduously back up my work, preparing for the day when the stage hook comes for my newsletter. Substack has done wonders for my ego, I'll say that. It's pretty bulletproof now.
This is a fantastic analysis. I knew that I came to Substack late, and glad that I am under no illusions otherwise. I am enjoying using it for a little organic discoverability to build a mailing list, and expect to use it as a tool, which will eventually fall apart in the future. And that is okay 💗
I'd gladly pay for my substack what I pay for my wordpress blog. But paid subscriptions don't make sense for me. I publish the equivalent of a short novel each year. I won't ask people to pay 50 or 60 bucks a year for that.
Thank you for this brilliantly articulate piece and for airing a bit of the behind the scenes dirt so we can prepare for what's to come. At the beginning of the year I wrote about the links between Zuckerberg, Musk and Substack and was already cynical of the direction of travel. I wouldn't have imagined it is indeed worse than I suspected but it is understandable from a purely business point of view that this platform wants to get rid of people who bring nothing (money, profit, paying subscibers, you name it) to the table other than their writing. It’s also very interesting how this slump in subscriptions for most of us has coincided with some very high earners here talking more regularly about how Substack is a lifeline for them and how it offers them the freedom to write and above all build communities. I don't doubt that is true and comes from a place of honesty but it is very disingenuous not to admit how the success of a few is mostly built out of the failure of many, as like you point out Substack has a lot to gain from directing people away from free publications to paid ones that already have a good following. The herd effect will do the rest.
Thank you for writing this. I was aware of some of these changes, but not about the fact that they might shut down your newsletter due to low engagement. I can see that they are culling inactive/unengaged subscribers and altering the algorithm. I'm still grateful that Substack has discoverability built into the platform, though, even if it has lessened/altered.
What makes no sense to me is that as I grew my subscribers, I would regularly get a paid subscriber for every 28-30 free. I was growing both. Throttling free subscribers has translated into throttling paid as well.
From Substack's perspective, for every paid subscriber you might gain somebody else might be gaining two. So they do better if they send traffic to the other writer.
I want to write for free and have people read it. Sorry
Me too, and I'm being punished for that, but not by readers.
All nicely put. I’ve also found Substack easy to use, and I’ve managed to build an audience here, some of whom even pay for my writing. But Substack’s sweaty hustle and questionable moderation approach have sent me looking elsewhere. Problem is, there really isn’t an elsewhere for the smaller writer. Ghost(Pro) just upped its monthly fee for its lowest tier and removed the ability to offer paid subscriptions. To offer paid subs, you need the next tier up, which is $35 a month. Same with Beehiiv: There you can have a free newsletter with up to 2,500 subscribers, but if you want to offer paid subscriptions, you’ll need to pay $49/month (more if you go above 1,000 subscribers). Sure, you could use a free platform and then ask for donations through yet *another* platform, or you could host your own Ghost instance and work out the payment stuff yourself. It’s all so maddening.
Its truly maddening
Best essay on this topic I’ve seen. Thank you for taking the time. Well done.
Thank you for this detailed description about how things are working (or not working) on this platform. I am relatively new to Substack (subscriber not writer) and came to read newsletters from people who have left WaPo or the Times that I had been reading for years. I have found so many other people who I would love to support with a paid subscription but simply can’t afford to pay $5 or more a month for that many different writers. As times are getting tougher for many of us, this feels like a business model that won’t work. Also agree with your points about the importance of free subscribers. I may not pay for a monthly subscription but if I like your writing and find out you are publishing a book I will absolutely purchase it.
As someone with a moderately successful substack (about 1000 free, 100 paid) - this platform has been a useful yet temporary stopgap on a sinking ship called colonial capitalism. I have never believed in the weaponized fictions of the middle class, the idea that success is owning a house on stolen land, all while whining self-obsessively and clinging to the identity of “good liberal”.
Bluesky and many sub-niches all remind me of what MLK called the “white moderate”. A saboteur of liberation and class solidarity disguised as an ally.
You've nailed it. This is a social media platform with writers as the product.
This "platform" was really never about writers and writing.
I'm NEVER going to monetize my newsletter no matter how many subs I have and I don't have very many.
I realized some time ago that if you're not making Substack money then you're shit. I'm one of those freeloading pieces of dog poo that will probably soon be scraped off Substack's shoe.
I do download my subscriber list, so when they disappear me I'll at least have those email addresses. And I have a good old fashioned Wordpress-based web site where I post everything I post on here.
Getting kicked out of a Nazi bar isn't a bad thing.
As always, an excellent and necessary essay. There's been so much commentary about plummeting subscriber numbers, all of it concluding that it always happens in the US summer.
Wrong!
I wonder how many writers know their Substack can be removed without notice for not having enough engagement. That's a low act by Substack.
What is meant by engagement? Comments or views? Do followers matter?
Fascinating post with some great points. I really can’t get over that anyone has to take the same content and put it on several different platforms (you also being on Ghost, etc.) to satisfy the whims of whoever defines their values by whatever least-craven platform they use. It really makes me feel insane.
It's turning me into The Joker, for sure
I’ve been pointing out a lot of the problems with Substack for a while. So many people come back with “just write better and you’ll make money”. They seem to believe that Substack is somehow different but it isn’t.
I don’t think anyone can keep making the “write better” argument after Substack allowed plagiarism and did nothing about it.
I don't know that we need to go as far as plagiarism to see the problem but it definitely is one. The assumption is that Substack treats everyone the same, but they don't.
Actually, I had a surge of free subscribers (I don't have a pay tier), views, subscribers from app, and open rate....right when....they decided my newsletter didn't have enough engagement to even stay up on the reading queue for more than a few hours. I write fiction. And in other bizarre news, I complained to the chatbot that no matter what I did, the subscriber count (26) still appeared, when I actually had 130 or so. Now it suddenly says 156 on my homepage, but I only have 132. I've gotten into the habit of ignoring the stats as unreliable, but I also assiduously back up my work, preparing for the day when the stage hook comes for my newsletter. Substack has done wonders for my ego, I'll say that. It's pretty bulletproof now.
This is a fantastic analysis. I knew that I came to Substack late, and glad that I am under no illusions otherwise. I am enjoying using it for a little organic discoverability to build a mailing list, and expect to use it as a tool, which will eventually fall apart in the future. And that is okay 💗
I'd gladly pay for my substack what I pay for my wordpress blog. But paid subscriptions don't make sense for me. I publish the equivalent of a short novel each year. I won't ask people to pay 50 or 60 bucks a year for that.
Excellent article. Why am i not top rated in health politics i often wonder?!
You're not asking for money. You gotta start producing 💲💰💰💰 or maybe pay someone.
Thank you for this brilliantly articulate piece and for airing a bit of the behind the scenes dirt so we can prepare for what's to come. At the beginning of the year I wrote about the links between Zuckerberg, Musk and Substack and was already cynical of the direction of travel. I wouldn't have imagined it is indeed worse than I suspected but it is understandable from a purely business point of view that this platform wants to get rid of people who bring nothing (money, profit, paying subscibers, you name it) to the table other than their writing. It’s also very interesting how this slump in subscriptions for most of us has coincided with some very high earners here talking more regularly about how Substack is a lifeline for them and how it offers them the freedom to write and above all build communities. I don't doubt that is true and comes from a place of honesty but it is very disingenuous not to admit how the success of a few is mostly built out of the failure of many, as like you point out Substack has a lot to gain from directing people away from free publications to paid ones that already have a good following. The herd effect will do the rest.
Thank you for writing this. I was aware of some of these changes, but not about the fact that they might shut down your newsletter due to low engagement. I can see that they are culling inactive/unengaged subscribers and altering the algorithm. I'm still grateful that Substack has discoverability built into the platform, though, even if it has lessened/altered.