What is Substack

Substack is a newsletter platform.
People write articles which go into people's inboxes and on the web, and people can subscribe to them for free or pay to access additional content.

It began back in 2017 as a simple way for journalists to charge for a newsletter. It's now home to over 50,000 writers (from the big name journalists and authors right through to the niche hobbyists) and an increasing number of brands.

How it works
Anyone can start a Substack for free. You pick a name, you write a post, you hit publish. Each post goes out as an email to your subscribers and it also lives on the webpage that you can share.

Readers choose how to follow you:
• Free subscription: they get your free posts via email and in the Substack app.
• Paid subscription: they pay you a monthly or annual fee (often £5 to £10 a month) for the paywalled posts, for the extra features or simply to support you.
You decide what's free and what's paid. A lot of writers will keep the majority of their posts free and only have a few that are behind a paywall.

Key features
Substack has grown a lot beyond email. The main tools are:
• Newsletters and posts: that's the essence of it, with text, images, audio and video.
• Substack app: you can follow all your subscriptions in one place.
• Notes: a short-form feed (a bit like X or Threads) for sharing quick thoughts and discovering new writers.
• Chat: a group chat space for you and your subscribers.
• Live video and podcasts: you can broadcast live or publish out audio and video shows.
• Recommendations: writers can recommend each other's newsletters (one of the major sources of new subscribers on the platform).

How writers make money
Substack don't charge you to publish. They take 10% of the subscription income (Stripe take a small additional fee on top of that) and the writer keeps the rest.
There's real money in it for some. Substack says that over 100,000 publishers are now making money from subscriptions and the top 10 writers on the platform are collectively making over $100m a year.

Since June 2026 writers can also earn from brand sponsorships.
Substack are now matching up brands with writers (who then get to choose which deals they want to take up and of course retain full control over what they write).

Why brands are paying attention
Substack have well over 50m active subscribers, of which I'd say around 5m are paying. The readers are very much engaged and they've opted in to be there, which is quite rare in a world of algorithmic feeds.
Brands are getting involved in two ways:
• Sponsoring writers. Uber, T-Mobile and Balenciaga were among the first brands to join Substack's sponsorship programme.
• Running their own Substack. Tory Burch, Madewell, Rare Beauty and The RealReal all have newsletters there. The ones that work are obviously the ones that feel like a real person has written them rather than an advert.

Pros and cons
What's good
• Free to start, with no tech skills needed
• You own your mailing list and can take it with you if you leave
• Built-in ways to grow, like recommendations and Notes
• Easy to charge for content when you're ready

What to watch for
• The 10% cut adds up as you grow
• Design options and analytics are fairly basic
• Your posts don't rank in Google as well as a blog on your own website
• Substack takes a light approach to moderation, which has drawn criticism in the past

How to get started
1. Sign up at substack.com and pick a name for your publication.
2. Write a short welcome post to let people know who you are and what they can expect.
3. Import any email contacts you already have.
4. Pick a regular schedule (even if it's just once a fortnight) and stick to it.
5. Join in on the Notes and recommend other writers. That's the fastest way to get noticed.

Substack is ideal for people and brands that have something to say and the patience to build an audience over time. If that describes you then it's absolutely free to give it a go.