What exactly is Substack? How does it work?
Substack is an online platform that allows anybody set up a free or paid email newsletter/blog. When you publish a post, it gets sent out to your email list, and also gets posted on your publication page, which is a permanent online archive of all your posts.
Substack makes it easier than it’s ever been to publish your research, analysis, ideas, and opinions online, with no algorithms or ads getting between you and your subscribers.
Do I have to make it paid? If I turn on paid, do all my posts go behind a paywall?
Substack is free forever if your email newsletter/blog is free. You also have the option to turn on paid and let your most dedicated readers support you with paid subscriptions.
Turning on paid gives you the option to put content behind the paywall, but it’s always up to you who each individual post goes out to. With each post you publish, you choose whether to send it to “Everyone”, “Paid subscribers only”, or “Free subscribers only”.
Most publications with paid turned on publish a mix of free and paid posts. In general, your best work should always be free, as it is the best advertisement for your paywalled content.
Most writers who are building a following from scratch start out on Substack publishing for free, and build up their list to a critical mass before they turn on paid, so that it’s worth their while to create posts behind the paywall.
Can I turn on paid but still have all my posts be available to everybody?
Yes, you can turn on paid subscriptions and still publish all your posts free to everybody. Writers who use this model typically invite their most dedicated fans to pay for subscriptions as a way of supporting their work, but then don’t restrict any content to paying subscribers only.
How do I set it up?
Setting up your Substack publication is free and takes less than a minute. Go to the Substack homepage and click the orange button that says “Start Writing”.
It’ll ask you to provide three things: the name of your Substack, a one-line description of what it’s about, and the domain name. The name and one-line description can be easily changed at any time in future, on your Settings page.
If you allow readers to reply to your newsletters, the emails will be forwarded to whichever email account you create the publication with.
How much does Substack cost to use?
Substack is free if your email newsletter/blog is free, but you have the option to turn on paid and let your most dedicated readers support you with paid subscriptions.
When you turn on paid, Substack’s platform fee is 10%, and the credit-card payment processor, Stripe, also takes a fee, of 2.9% plus 30 cents per transaction. We don’t get paid unless you do.
What should my Substack be about? What kind of topics do well?
It’s up to you; you can write about whatever you want. Writers achieve the most success when they concentrate on a niche where they have domain knowledge, subject matter expertise, and most importantly, passion and personal interest.
You can go to the Substack homepage and browse various categories of publications to research what topics existing Substacks are covering. But the best topic for you to delve into on your own Substack might be one nobody else is writing about yet.
Can I publish anonymously?
Yes, you can publish anonymously on Substack. The email address you use to sign up is not displayed. Your publication page visitors and subscribers can’t view it, unless they reply by email to one of your emailed posts and you choose to reply back to them.
If you set up paid subscriptions, you will be asked to provide some basic personal information to Stripe so that they can confirm your identity and connect your bank account. This information will not be surfaced to your subscribers.
Does Substack give me an email address? Will my posts come from my personal email address?
No, Substack doesn’t give you a separate email address or inbox; your Substack account is connected to whatever email address you signed up with. Your posts will show up in your subscribers’ inboxes as coming from an email address based on your Substack domain.
For example, for the publication skylinetrails.substack.com, the emails display as being sent from skylinetrails@substack.com.
If you allow readers to reply to your newsletters, the emails will be forwarded to whichever email account you create the publication with, and if you reply to their emails they’ll view them as coming from the email address you signed up with.
Can I have my own custom graphic design?
Your graphic design options for your Substack include changing the font, background colour, and layout of your publication. These options can be changed using the “Edit theme” feature on your Settings page.
Many writers customize their publications by uploading a custom cover image, which appears on the welcome page, and custom logo, which appears on the publication page. These can be uploaded using the “Publication logo” and “Cover photo” settings on your Settings page.
Using graphics and photos that you choose in your posts, is a great way to create a distinctive visual identity for your publication. We have Unsplash stock photos integrated directly into the Substack editor.
For more on how to make your Substack visually distinctive and define a brand identity, check out this article: Building a home for your publication
Can I use a custom domain for my publication?
Yes, you can use a custom domain. You have to do your initial registration to get a substack.com domain, but you can easily redirect any custom domain you already own, to point to your Substack. Here’s how to set that up: How do I set up my custom domain?
Am I allowed to use a Substack to promote my other work like books and courses?
Yes, you may discuss and link to your other products or projects on Substack. However, Substack is not an email marketing platform. We don’t permit publications that are set up with the sole purpose of advertising an external product or service, distributing offers and promotions, or similar activity. To learn more about our policies, check out our Content Guidelines.
Am I allowed to have sponsored content, advertising, or affiliate links in my Substack?
At Substack, we believe that direct relationships between readers and writers make for a healthier information ecosystem. That's why our business model relies solely on subscriptions instead of revenue from advertisers. That said, you're welcome to host sponsored content and we don't have any policies in place that prohibit publishers from doing so.
If you're thinking about hosting sponsored content, we recommend that you closely review the Publisher Agreement and our Content Guidelines which prohibit certain practices around advertising and monetizing your publication.
Who owns the copyright to what I post?
You always retain 100% copyright and ownership of all your content.
Can I repost content from another site or publication on my Substack?
Yes, you can repost anything you want as long as you have complete ownership of it.
If I post something on Substack does it have to go only on Substack?
No, there are no exclusivity restrictions. You can repost things from other sites or publications to Substack as long as you own the copyright; and, you can repost the content you post on Substack to other sites and publications as long as their rules allow that, since you retain 100% ownership of it.
How often do I have to post?
There are no set expectations or requirements for posting frequency; you can do whatever you want. Writers and creators on Substack are typically most successful when they post regularly and consistently. Many of the top Substacks post twice a week. But, others may choose to post monthly, or even only when they have something to say.
Once I turn on paid, how much should I post for free and how much should I put behind the paywall?
This is totally up to you. Many writers adopt a cadence of one free and one paid post every week. Others post a few paid posts per week, while mixing in a few free posts per month to give their free signups a taste of what they’re publishing behind the paywall. In general, your best work should always be free, as it is the best advertisement for your paywalled content. The most important factor that correlates with success on Substack is consistency and posting regularly.
For more on going paid, check out our Going Paid Guide, which will help you set goals and develop a strategy for your Substack.
How long should my posts be?
Again, it’s totally up to you. There’s no homogeneous “Substack audience” with a consistent set of preferences. Even under the broader thematic umbrellas like “Finance”, “Politics”, “Sports”, or “Culture”, every publication has its own distinct audience.
Some writers find short and snappy 800-word posts resonate most with their busy audiences. Others get the best response from readers when they do 2,500-word deep dives. We recommend you experiment to see what your readers like, and what attracts new subscribers, while also fitting into a publishing cadence that’s sustainable for you.
How do I get paid? How do I actually get the money in my bank account?
You turn on paid on your Substack by connecting a Stripe account. This is done by by clicking the “Connect with Stripe” button on your Settings page. Have your banking information handy. You don’t have to have an existing Stripe account; our system walks you through the steps of setting it up, which only takes five minutes.
Once Stripe is connected to your bank account, you’ll be asked how much you want to charge for monthly and annual subscriptions. Then you can start asking your free readers to become paying subscribers. When they do, the money will go directly to your bank account within 48 hours.
For more information on how payments work on Substack, check out this support article: How do I set up my Stripe account to start receiving payments?
When should I turn on paid?
Most writers who are building a following start on Substack publishing for free, and build up their list to a critical mass before they turn on paid, so that it’s worth their while to create posts behind the paywall.
Lots of writers turn on paid when they have a few thousand subscribers. But, it’s up to you; you can go paid from the first day you start on Substack, or delay as long as you want, including indefinitely.
When writers turn on paid, how many subscribers typically pay?
Based on what we’ve seen, if you have a decent open rate of 40% or more demonstrating solid engagement amongst your reader base, you can expect five to ten percent of your subscribers to go paid, not overnight, but over time. The exact number who convert varies depending on the price you charge, your subject matter, how much value you’re providing, and your marketing strategy.
What’s the lowest subscription fee I can charge?
The minimum amount you can charge (for US-dollar Stripe accounts) is $5 per month and $30 per year.
How much should I charge? How much do other writers charge on average?
The most commonly-charged price on Substack is $5 a month and $50 a year. However, there are writers charging hundreds of dollars a month and thousands of dollars a year.
How much you can charge depends on whether you want to make your product more accessible for a broad audience, or more of a premium product for a niche audience.
The lowest price you can charge is $5 a month and $30 a year. (You choose your currency in Stripe, and can also choose to charge in Euros, British Pounds, or many other global currencies.)
You can go to the Substack homepage and browse various categories of publications to research what publications similar to yours are charging.
Can I have different payment tiers?
On Substack there are two payment tiers that every publication offers: Monthly and Annual.
There’s also an optional Founding Member payment tier which you can turn on if you want. (Here’s a more detailed explanation of the Founding Member tier: Can I set up another subscription plan for readers who want to pay more?)
To turn on paid for your Substack, once you’ve set up your publication go to your Settings page and click “Connect with Stripe”. Have your banking information handy.
At this time, writers can’t offer bulk subscriptions on Substack; all subscriptions are on a per-seat basis.
Is Substack only for text posts?
In addition to text, you can also post audio to your Substack posts. This can be any type of audio you want. Some writers post audio of themselves reading their text posts, so subscribers can listen on-the-go. Others post full-fledged podcast episodes. Audio can be posted for free to everybody, or behind the paywall only for your paying subscribers.
You can use Substack as your podcast host and distribute your episodes to other podcasting platforms, such as Spotify and Apple Podcasts. For more on audio and podcasting using Substack, check out these articles:
How do I create and publish a podcast?
How do I distribute my podcast to apps?
Can I offer group subscriptions?
Yes, you can provide group subscriptions for groups of four or more people. Instructions: How do I offer group subscriptions?
You can provide discounts exclusively for groups, using the “Special Offers” feature on your Settings page.
At this time, writers can’t offer bulk subscriptions on Substack; all subscriptions are on a per-seat basis.
Can I offer discounts and complimentary subscriptions?
You can offer time-limited discounts and free trials using the “Special Offers” feature on your Settings page. Instructions: How do I offer a discount to my publication?
You can provide a complimentary subscription using the “Give away paid subscription for free” feature on your Settings page. Instructions: How do I offer a complimentary subscription to a reader?
These features only appear on your Settings page when you have paid subscriptions turned on.
How many times a day can I post? Can I post more than once per day?
There’s no limit on how many times a day you can post. However, if you plan to send out emails/posts very frequently, you may want to communicate this clearly to your subscribers so they know what to expect.
Can my Substack have multiple writers?
Yes; you can set up multiple contributors to a Substack using the Team section on your Settings page. Instructions: Can my publication have multiple authors or contributors?
Can I make multiple Substacks under the same account?
Yes, you can create as many Substacks as you want under the same account.
How can I organize my posts?
You can use sections to organize your posts by topic or theme. To create a new section, go to your Settings page and scroll to “Add a Section”. From the drop-down box, select whether you'd like to add a new newsletter section or podcast section. The headings of your sections will appear along the top of your publication page so readers can browse them easily.
For more details on creating and using sections, check out this article: How can I create multiple newsletters or podcasts under one publication?
How do I find the URL of the post I just made?
In email, click on the title of the post within the body of the email so that it opens on the web, and then look at the URL that comes up in your browser address bar. On the web, from your publication page, click the title of the post to load the post itself, and then look at the URL that comes up in your browser address bar.
How do I share my posts on social media?
Immediately after you publish a post, a box will pop up allowing you to share the URL on Facebook and Twitter, copy the link, or share with email. Another way to share your post is to copy the URL of the post from the address bar of your browser, and paste it on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, or other social media sites.
I have a question or problem that’s not answered here!
Answers to readers’ and writers’ most frequently-asked questions about Substack can be found on our Support site. Just type your question or keyword into the search box to find more information on any topic.
If you want to contact us for technical questions, general feedback, or support, please use this form so your inquiry can be routed directly to the team that’ll be best equipped to answer: Submit a request
Is Substack hiring?
Yes! To view career opportunities, visit our Jobs page.
Once I create my Substack and start posting, how can I attract more subscribers and grow my publication?
To give starting-out writers guidance on building their publications, the Substack Community team created Substack Grow, an online curriculum covering developing a strategy for your Substack, growing your readership, turning on a paywall, and more.