I have argued from the first time I laid eyes on substack that their floor is too high! If I could pay $20-30 a year for a subscription, I would subscribe to double the newsletters and spread the love. I feel like many others would too. I would also love the option to just pay a few bucks to read beyond the paywall of a particular newsletter issue I find intriguing. Some writers don't entice me enough to throw down for a full subscription, but a couple of their stories would. That cash adds up If others feel the same way!
Thanks for this comment! One thing I should've added about payments. There's a 10% Substack fee and a 3% Stripe fee. That means a $50 annual subscription nets me roughly $43, but that's BEFORE taxes. As a freelance writer in the U.S., I pay taxes quarterly. A good practice there is to reserve roughly half of your gross for the tax man. None of this what I'd classify as a reader's problem. It's a writer's problem. But I mention it because the lower the floor goes, the greater the squeeze on writers. Can writers make it up on volume? Maybe, maybe not. But I feel you on the point you're making. I would pay for more Substacks at a lower price.
As for paying a one-time fee to access a paywall post, I'm a little out of my lane there since most of my stuff is free, which means readers don't really hit Situation Normal paywalls. That said, there's a long, sad history of trying to enable micropayments on the internet. I'd love to see micropayments like what you're describing work, but so far nobody has cracked that model.
Heres what’s confusing: substack wont allow a lower floor (I actually kinda get that, its a frigging biz plus theyre protecting their authors )
BUT they allow people like me to have a 100% free Substack. Yes they get a lot of my money from paid subs, but it’s not a requirement for having a free substack.
I LOVE not having ads on here.
Im thinking of solving the dilemma by switching from annual subs to monthly.
That way I can rotate easily around my faves every other month, and still spend only my budgeted amount each month.
Totally makes sense, DeeDee, although I'm not sure many people see it that way. I came to Substack because I was looking for an email solution. On that front, it was somewhat unique because it was free AND it helped you grow audience. My initial thought was, I'd pay for this because I'm currently paying Mailchimp. An economist, something I'm not allowed to be because of my earlier promise to my econ profs, would call this a "free rider" problem. For the first two years at Situation Normal, I didn't take paid subs. When I switched on paid subs, part of me felt like I was giving something back to the platform, ten percent at a time. That said, I don't know if Substack would have such a strong, positive culture if it didn't allow writers to use this space for free. For one thing, it makes it easy to get started, but it also gives us a richer culture because some writers aren't able to clear the bar and enter an ad-free space.
As for your idea about spreading the wealth around by doing monthly subs, I am a fan of it. But I'd ask you to explain what you're doing when you unsubscribe (there's a place to leave a note explaining why you're canceling the paid sub). I think that will help the writer feel better, and i also think it would help them better understand what's happening wit their biz. Thanks for this comment, DeeDee, really appreciate it!
I plan to explain both as a substack email and in Notes and when I rotate out. Truth is I won’t rotate the current Bundles (notably The Wonkette and The Bulwark, because they provide a ton of content and many authors).
I do like the idea of bundling.
In the meantime I will rotate the others. Otherwise I’ll be broke!!
The only time micropayments worked was circa 2005, me in my college dorm poor AF buying singles on iTunes because I couldn't figure out how to steal them
Knowing me, I would definitely pay to access particular articles. It is an instant gratification impulse that I personally find hard to resist. For that reason, I think I would probably pay $1-2 to finish an article that I am really into.
Following that scenario, for the authors I really like, my brain would then figure out that it is cheaper in the long run to subscribe.
When I joined this brill community I had similar thoughts. but then I started thinking about the days when as a volunteer local chair for the Federation of Small Businesses, where a few of us built a Business Network. Nobody had to pay to come for advice from some of the worlds top
entrepreneurs. Two frequent concepts on successfully competing against Big Companies were A) Quality beats Race to the Bottom, & B) Give away some of your best stuff for free. At the time Chinese imports were seriously damaging my figures. So I applied both of these principles and within a year I was working half the hours for double the profits. My suggestion here is that if writers want to be paid well, we have to consider our work as a business. That can be difficult for those of us who would rather just create. Either way it has to be rewarding.... however one defines reward. Peace, Maurice
so what would entice you? I offer sercives suce as Divination Readings in which I use Tarot and Oracle cards I would reduce the price of the readings for paid subscribers. Want to see what is in store for you in 2024. It will be a 6 month Divination Raeding. Please message me for details...
Nov 15, 2023·edited Nov 15, 2023Liked by Michael Estrin
I do pay for some Substacks and subscribe to a whole bunch more for free - recently, i’ve realized that the way I read stacks for an hour or so on a given morning corresponds to the time I might spend reading the New Yorker - and I get far more pleasure from the stacks - I will likely dump my print subscription to the New Yorker soon, which means I can then pay for a few more stacks.
I like supporting writers and artists directly, i’m not thrilled by giving a cut to Substack and Stripe, but that’s the platform for supporting writers, so I’ll make that devil’s deal for the moment. For what it’s worth, I don’t like the idea of subscription bundles - you know three stacks + candy and a bonus roll of toilet paper - sounds like Amazon, and yes the wily Jeff Bezos gets us all paying for all sorts of stuff that should be free - I think he took econ and marketing classes, maybe not at Wesleyan.
I got the WORST haircut at my one and only literary salon, and I never went back 😉
Also, I really appreciate the way you compared the Substacks you enjoy to The New Yorker. The time you spend with a writers work and the enjoyment you receive from reading that work are good ways to think about value.
Thank you for this comment, Martha! I got a shitty haircut at a literary salon too. On a more serious note, I'm glad you mentioned the platform and finance fees. Substack takes a 10% cut. I'm OK with it because they do a lot of technical things I really struggle with. Plus, they have an audience network that helps me find new readers. There are alternatives like Ghost and Beehive, and writers can always setup their own blogs and use email services like MailChimp, but I've found that those have more upfront costs and they're difficult for me to use, and they don't have a built in audience network. The fee that bugs me is the 3% to Stripe. There are lots of payment processors out there and they all do the same thing and they all charge the same fee. I'd love to see a scenario that drives down the costs of the financial middlemen.
Michael, I agree about cutting down the financial-services fees - then again, there’s the issue of how Substack funds itself. I’m both cynical and realistic about this, given that I know how much digital media has gutted journalism and how hard it is to raise money for literary writing. My concern is what will happen when Substack needs to show a better ROI to satisfy its VC funders (don’t I sound like I took econ classes there?).
Martha, you put your finger on my biggest concern about Substack. VC's and their crazy valuations can kill anything, and given the chance, they will kill it. Even worse, the VCs backing Substack are serial (entrepreneur) killers.
I kinda favor the all or nothing approach. At substack then, for me it's all free content, but happy for volunteer donations. As for haircuts, my last two were in 1967 and 1980. I have a wide parting. Peace, Maurice
In my distant past I sub'd numerous publications. Eventually ceasing, realizing that 80% of their writers were irrelevant to me. However it had provided me with a list of writers to follow. Most of their books I would buy, new or 2nd hand, read and donate. Then I inherited a whole library including many rare or unusual works. I thought it would be nice to give them to my paid subscribers as a thankyou. Busy setting that up now. Peace Maurice.
I pay for many (an embarrassingly large number that I'm afraid to confront) of Substacks, because I want to support writers, because i want to support the Substack ecosystem, and because it's not a financial burden for me to do so.
I turned on a paid option without a paywall, but I contribute all paid revenues (gross, meaning $50 means $50, I don't subtract Substack and Stripe fees) to a favorite and trusted 501C3, the Robin Hood Foundation.
Here's a link in case anyone's interested in how I "market" the paid/donation option.
Very cool, David. I do something similar with my newsletter: I donate 50% of gross proceeds and rotate the organizations every four months.
For me, that was a personal choice based on the type of content I produce and the type of brand I'm trying to build for my newsletter, my longform writing, and myself. But I don't begrudge anyone trying to make money from their writing. Writing is work, and writers should be paid.
Thanks for sharing your model, David! I really appreciate it and I think others here will too. As for the I like the idea of communal haircuts and stories. Speaking of haircuts and stories, you might enjoy episode one of the Situation Normal podcast. It's a story about haircuts!
Clicked the link, found inspiring words. 98% of my income is UK state pension, scandalously reduced because I choose to live near my Grandkids in Europe. The other 2% comes from the odd sale of my art, which helps me provide free picture framing for my arts group, and to buy books mostly recommended by substackers. This week I received my first paid subs which will help me do more, which I trust will enable me to mail free books and art to my readers. We are writers in a mutually supportive community, n'est pas ? Peace, Maurice.
So here is MY question: What is the annual Situation Normal snack budget, and what sorts of snacks are typically purchased? I would appreciate a pie chart to illustrate, though you may refer to it as a snack chart.
At the start of the year, the snack budget was $2 per day. But inflation went bonkers. We're way over budget, and we're eating fewer snacks. It's madness. On a serious note, the one paid post I plan to do going forward is an annual stakeholder report. Basically, if you pay for situation normal, I want you to know where the money goes. That'll be the last post of the year.
The idea is to model it after an annual report. Since I launched paid at the start of this year, the end of year feels like the right time to close the books on Situation Normal business and explain where all the money went. I mean, it was mostly snacks and the podcast, but there will be an accounting, some analysis, and if I can pull it off, some charts!
I think what might be useful is to allow people to make donations! I would definitely do that type of thing myself. I do this with charities I make small donations throughout the year at various times as I feel able. I cannot make multiple $60 per year commitments since I am retired and prolifically interested in reading so very much. Somehow in my psyche and in my wallet it seems easier to every once in awhile donate five bucks. How about that idea? Or maybe each writer has to set up their own separate donation place, as on Facebook?
Thanks for this suggestion, Nancy! I think I'm gonna start putting a Paypal link in each post. I think there's a little more friction with that method compared to the ease of subscribing via Substack, but I totally get that some people prefer to be paid subscribers and others prefer to support by sending a small one-time payment.
I LIKE this idea of a special Paypal account for donations. I already HAVE a paypal account and I just resist giving out my info to Substack's paying system or any other paying system.
Good to know! Thank you for weighing in here, Sharron! Planning to include a Paypal link next time. Also, I think you know this, but just in case others are curious, Substack and writer don't have access to your payment info. That info is available only to Stripe. I mention that because a few people have asked me why I need their credit card info, and I'm like, "I don't need or want your credit card info, that's WAY too much pressure for me."
I’ve seen this on a few other Substacks (people’s Buy me a Coffee links or other donation links). I think they make a LOT of sense and actually expand Substack’s reach. But Substack also has a policy against directing anyone’s money to any other payment site but theirs. (See Publisher Agreement). On the one hand, since Substack has no way to take one-time payments and gratitude gifts (like money to keep your Speedo in the shop), it’s kinda a loophole since it’s not exactly soliciting subscriptions. But if Substack does decide to make one-time payments an option, I suspect all those personal gift buttons will have to go 😬
I honestly hope hope hope that Substack changes their policy on this. I’m less of a business head than you are (according to your profs at Wesleyan), but it seems to me that allowing small-time third-party links like this will be a good business move for Substack in the long run: making the writing experience customizable keeps this space a green pasture for writers which makes its grass greener than other more restrictive spaces, while the fact remains that enough writers will prefer the ease of using Substack’s ecosystem anyway. (It’s the Rehoboam Principle, named after the son of King Solomon--a son who lost half his kingdom bcs he tightened the reigns when he needed to loosen them a bit! Ok, so I don’t know if it ever officially been named before, haha! but I’ve seen it in action enough that it ought to be named!)
I created a Buy Me a Coffee account but I've been hesitant to add to my newsletter just yet because I'm so new. Its a great way to accept one-off donations though!
Thanks for that suggestion, Natalie! One thing I'd say about that is you might wanna give a second option like Paypal or Venmo since those platforms probably have wider adoption. KoFi is cool, but I don't know how many people use it.
Chiming in here- a lot of readers and writers are not based in the US (like me, even though I'm American). I've not heard of Buy Me a Coffee. Other payment plans that Americans use and might think are everywhere, like Venmo for example, aren't available or known outside the US. Even though you might think your audience is only in the US, don't sell yourself short and make it harder for people outside the US to become supporters. I understand the reluctance to use a big vendor, but until banking is more seamless between countries-and it is getting easier; the bigger platforms might have to do.
So just because I am getting the sense that my relationship to these payment technologies might not be the same as everyone else's I'd like to ask a genuine question - do you have to have heard of the platform to use it? If I put a link and you are able to pay without an account or any other friction, are people going to hesitate to use it just because its their first time encountering it? Buy Me a Coffee uses Stripe and its available in 115 countries. I personally use new platforms without a second thought. I guess I can understand hesitation from some people but as generations are increasingly digitally native, perhaps that would change. Thanks for the input!
Oh that is really interesting to hear! Thanks for letting me know about the universality of Buy Me a Coffee. It's my error for just assuming it was a US-only platform. I don't have a problem using newer technologies, although depending on what it is I may research a bit first before using something new. This one in particular sounds like it exactly addresses what you are talking about and what I may end up doing as a interim step with my Substack. Thanks!
This would also be my suggestion. I accomplish this occasionally by subscribing on a monthly basis, then turning off the payment when I've "donated" all I can, or care to. I once made the error of thinking "unsubscribe" would do the trick, but it does not, and isn't necessarily what I want to do anyway.
That's actually a really good option! I know a lot of writers are bummed when they lose a paying sub, but I try to look at it as glass half full because I made $5, $10, or $15, which is great! If you do this, however, I would encourage you to explain your method in the notes when you cancel. For one thing, it would probably make the writer feel better. But it also helps the writer understand what's going on with their business. Thank you for sharing this method, Roxanne!
There’s a section in the dashboard where writers can see that info. I check it once a month, not because I want to dwell on individual cancellations, but because I want to see if there’s a trend.
Reading these various suggestions on payment methods is interesting, but to research a few and understand the pros & cons of them all could be a bit time consuming. I for one rarely get much real sense out of "Comparison" sites. If there is anyone out there that can do an educated post (Not just copied blurb), then that may well be useful for many of us here, n'est pas. Peace, Maurice
I tend to agree with this suggestion, though I think the concern for writers who have gone paid here is that more and more people will opt to donate a few dollars instead of upgrade to a monthly or annual payment, and as Michael says, it’ll just be another version of a race to the bottom.
It's a good point, Amy, but I'm willing to test it out. If I learned anything in my econ classes, and I'm not saying I learned anything, it's that economics is a lot more theory than science. Anyway, it's worth a test, right?
This is the only subscription I pay for on Substack.
I don’t know much math, but you publish 2 times a week for $5. That’s $1.60 per post. This price is not even a steal -it’s robbery. Not to mention Cesar takes his cut. I admire not only your work, but also your approach - everything at SN is free. At the same time you also reply to every comment (I think). You’ve inspired me to do the same with my Substack- thank you for being you.
Thank you, Marc! I really appreciate you seeing the steal of the deal here. And of course, I gotta render unto Cesar that which is Cesar's, and Substack's and Stripe's, and don't forget the tax man, who takes the biggest cut of all. One correction though: there is some paid stuff here. The archives are locked. And the last post of the year will be my stakeholder report, which will be for paid subs only.
On a different note, everyone here should go read RAISING MYLES! I love the ambition and heart of this project!
Nov 15, 2023·edited Nov 15, 2023Liked by Michael Estrin
I don't know how to get around what happens with paid subscriptions here at Substack--I would love more of them too, but I realize when I get to deciding which ones I'm going to pay for myself that picking and choosing which subs to pay for is pure torture. I can't pay for all of them! I can't even pay for most of them! DON'T MAKE ME CHOOSE!!!
Still, I came here from Medium, where readers pay a single dues payment to Medium each month and the whole shebang gets spread around to the writers, based on performance or something much more mysterious (I don't know what). The complaints over there are similar to the complaints over here: the big guys get all of the rewards and the peons get peanuts. Well, peanuts can't pay the bills and there was no good way to rise up that ladder unless you wrote about the secrets of rising up the ladder or pretended to make gazillions while writing for Medium.
Maybe they can figure out how to make it work here but I think I prefer the subscription system, even though I'm still a peon and that's not likely to change. It's friendlier and more personal and it keeps the hucksters to a minimum. (Though not minimum enough.)
Thanks for the comment, Romana! I won't make you choose; I'm anti-torture. I've met a lot of former Medium writers here, but I never really used Medium myself. It always felt off to me. But I like the personal touch I get with other writers and readers here at Substack.
Fun fact about medium from my tech journo days. When it launched, Ev Williams (one of the co-clowns who founded Twitter) talked a lot about how he felt bad about breaking the model for journalism and writing. Medium, I shit you not, was his apology. When he launched that apology, I was about a decade into my writing / journalism career and really fucking cynical. I was like, yeah, nah. That's around the time I shifted heavily to ghostwriting for tech execs (if you can't beat 'em, join 'em??) and writing on Wattpad, which weirdly turned out better than I thought it would, even though that site ended up becoming something that's fine, but not fine for me. Isn't disruption fun?
This is why writing satire is so difficult nowadays. I don't know if you've ever read my Substack launch post, but it remains surprisingly relevant. Also, I go in on Medium and algorithms: https://agowani.substack.com/p/welcome-to-the-party-pal
I keep thinking about the Medium model too and how it’s not great. They had some referral thing for a while and somehow without trying I converted a couple people to subscriptions (a couple popular pieces I wrote did it I think?) but I still only got a small portion of the conversion. I have one piece that did well over there that still makes a little money but the vast majority made very little. At least with Substack you keep the full amount (well minus stripe fees) but still better.
I admit I rarely go there anymore and it's even rarer that I might cross-post a piece from Substack, but I keep in touch with a few writers I knew at Medium and I wonder sometimes why they stay. They're clearly not happy with the way things are going over there.
It looks like Medium is finally making some attempts at encouraging quality over quantity, but they aren't panning out the way they'd hoped. The quality is still getting swamped by oceans of gawdawful quantity and nobody seems to have any control.
I’m rarely there these days too but I feel like it can still be a good home for some humor pieces and really like some of the humor pubs that are still there. So many humor pubs don’t pay that it’s nice to get a chance to make a little money.
I did have the last piece I wrote there boosted and that did help but it still feels kind of random ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I shouldn't generalize about Medium. Sorry. I know there is still a lot of good writing over there, and there are probably many reasons to stay. But it looks like it's lost its luster, and that's a shame. It didn't have to happen.
I haven't checked to see if the numbers bear me out, but I'm seeing more negative mentions than positive, sadly.
No need to apologize --I think it's a completely valid point and I do wonder how it's going for some of the more Medium-heavy writers (I was never spending all that much time there).
I also think that the AI stuff maybe has a risk of causing particular problems over there (which I feel like I've seen them trying to deter too but it feels tricky). I mostly would rather put my energy into Substack these days!
Yes, me too. I wonder if the popularity of Substack has impacted Medium in any way? It seemed too convenient when they suddenly saw the light and announced they would push quality over quantity. Or maybe it was all the fuss about AI.
I like the bundle idea and have been proposing something similar for a while. As a reader, I follow more stacks than I can support. As a writer, I want readers and don’t want to have to offer paid vs free content. So my stack is free.
Thanks Alison! Since you mentioned that you've been thinking about bundles for a while, I'm curious how you see them working? Like, how many writers in a bundle? Do the writers pick their bundles, or is that a Substack thing? Or do the writers just say, Ok to a bundle and then the reader picks a few bundle-ready stacks? I'd love to hear your thoughts!
Interesting! If you haven't already, and you feel comfortable doing so, I encourage you to share your thoughts on Notes. I think it's good for Substack to hear from writers, and after three years writing on this platform, one thing I'm really impressed by is Substack's commitment to dialogue on many writer issues.
Yes!! I love this choose-your-own-bundle idea! It keeps things far less political while allowing for some of us who couldn’t subscribe to many to perhaps spread our support out more!
I pay for many Substacks and wish it could be more. I pay for work I admire, respect, learn from, and the writers I like as a person who creates community.
I appreciate the comparison Tab made to Amazon Prime, or something similar, but to me they are vastly different - not even in the same stratosphere. Prime supports the big rich guy and promotes the part of our world that I don't value. Paying for Substacks supports real people, promotes true art and fosters connection.
Thank you for this comment, Donna! Just curious, if you're willing to say, what are some of the Substacks you do pay for? I'm sure those writers would appreciate a shout out.
I would like to purchase ALL the Substacks but right now its:
Beyond the Comfort Zone with Renee Eli, PhD, Both Are True by Alex D, Building Hope by Julie Gabrielli, The Editing Spectrum by Amanda B. Hinton, Enchanted in America by Tara Penry, Good Humor by Good Humor by CK Steefel, Human Stuff from Lisa Olivera, Michael Mohr's Sincere American Writing, Sarah Bessey's Field Notes, Sarah Blondin, Sparkle on Substack by Claire Venus, Things Worth Knowing with Farrah Storr, Wildhood Wanted by Kristi Keller, Witchcraft and Metaphysics with Jenna Newell Hiott, Writer Everlasting by Ramona Grigg, Writers at Work with Sarah Fay
Donna! That’s a lot of Substacks! You are close to your goal of buying ‘em all. Just kidding. But seriously, thank you for sharing this and thank you for putting what you can into the Substack ecosystem!
I've been thinking that with so many people within the Substack network subscribing to each other, I wonder how much of the earnings are just zero sum (except for the cut Substack takes, of course.) For example, Joe subscribes to me for $5, I subscribe to Daisy for $5, this is essentially no different to Joe subscribing to Daisy. Now, if Daisy turns around and subscribes to Joe.....
I've had that fear too, Peter, but I don't think it zeros out. I think there are some writers, nearly all of them who made their bones in legacy media, who are making a full-time living, or very close. I am happy about that because legacy media is a shit show and I'm glad to see some writers finding lifeboats. Below that group, there are writers like me who are making some extra money. My fear is that a lot of writers, for one reason or another, have an expectation that this Substack thing is going to be a full-time living. I don't think that's going to happen for many people. If I've learned anything in 20 years as a writer it's that everything is a hustle. I used to wish that one thing would be THE thing, but I think that's mostly a mirage. What I've found is that if I can do a couple of things, and ideally make those things of a piece, I can make a go of it.
I'm hoping it can help get me exposure, more than anything. I've caught myself dreaming about making an income just doing this, but I've also done the math and I'm still coming up around 10,000 subscribers short for that, give or take a couple
I don't remember the name of my Wesleyan economics professor but he and I were both a bit flummoxed as to why I barely passed the class. I 'seemed' to understand the concepts when we would talk about them together, but never could articulate them back sufficiently in exams to prove it. It was the lowest passing grade of my academic career. Enjoyed the rest of the discussion today! Turning on paid sometime in the future terrifies me, but having an income even a tiny one would be nice.
Thank you, Sabrina! Always nice to meet another Wes alum in the comments! Maybe we're the opposite in terms of econ. I never really understood it, but I test well. I think that's how I passed, much to the surprise of Richie Adelstein and Peter Kilby.
I USED to be the one that tested well but at some point that didn't work any more. Glad to hear you passed, anyway. Very much enjoying the discussion here about payments. Hoping to get to an income soon that can allow me to pay for more subscriptions.
This is such a great conversation. I'm new around here so I'm still evaluating and discovering Substacks to follow and then deciding which ones to pay for. My first reaction is that I don't want the floor lowered. I've worked in journalism and have freelanced forever, so I've seen that race to the bottom over and over again. It winds up killing everyone except maybe some folks who live in a place where the cost of living is low enough that they can charge pennies. I think retaining the minimum will keep the quality higher because subscribers will be a little choosier, and writers who want to charge will understand they have to bring their A game (also I know nothing about economics and didn't go to Wesleyan, so what do I know?).
I also feel like, if someone has a goal to make money here, they should treat this like a business and show up and provide value consistently. Otherwise, it's a charity. I'm totally on board with supporting the small Substacks and the up-and-comers, and love that this seems to be a place where that's doable. But there still needs to be value. Otherwise it's a GoFundMe, not a Substack. (Am I gonna get haters for that sentiment?)
The tone usually comes through on Substack because, as my friend Gabe says, you're located next to a mountain of your work. That gives people context and it helps everyone assume best intentions, as opposed to what happens on social media where there's no context and it's common to assume the worst of people.
1. I pay for Dennard Dayle's Extra Evil. I want to pay for more substacks, but between Patreon subscriptions and other bills, I have to draw a line somewhere. At least, according to Mint. Which keeps trying to get me to subscribe to its premium features.
2. Send me names. I got family that can pay them a visit.
3. See 2.
4. It made more sense when they had more things worth getting. And for holidays.
The question about paying Substack a monthly fee and having it disbursed among writers...that's pretty much what Medium does. It's a shitty system because inevitably, the smaller writers get a pittance and the big ones get richer. The way Substack is now is great because you can directly reward writers who fill your reading cup each week.
I only pay for a few right now (I'm new here) And I pay them because they provide me with a breath of fresh air. Everyone has their preferences and I love unique people and stories.
Currently I'm paying for:
Ash Ambirge - The Middle Finger Project.
Donna McArthur - The Bright Life
Erik Hogan (pledged) -Field Notes
Misc Adventures
Each of those provide me with something other pubs do not.
Thanks for this comment, Kristi! You make a great point - don't Medium my Substack! Here's my question, would it be different if the writers chose their own bundles? That is, you're still paying writers who've agreed to bundle together and share revenues, rather than paying the platform for access to everyone? Also, thanks for sharing the Substacks you pay for, you've got some great choices in there!
Hmm interesting question. I still think that unless you're one of the big guns, a share option might still breed competition among the ones sharing.
I equate it to when restaurant servers do tip pooling (I was a server for many years). Inevitably there will always be one or two who don't pull their load because they're getting the money whether they put in the effort or not.
Very complicated! Your analogy to tip-pooling for servers is a good one. There’s always someone who doesn’t pull their weight and with newsletters I think it can be difficult to measure that. One difference, I think, is that the group could boot a member if it’s not working out. Of course, that may not make the model work any better, but it will add to workplace drama.
I don't know why you can't pay a nominative amount and select (say up to three authors for Tier 1, five for Tier 2 and 10 for Tier 3) - authors get a set amount…
I mean, the only thing stopping us is the current architect of Substack. But maybe that'll change. Been using this platform for three years and I gotta say they are always making changes, many of them for the better.
I have argued from the first time I laid eyes on substack that their floor is too high! If I could pay $20-30 a year for a subscription, I would subscribe to double the newsletters and spread the love. I feel like many others would too. I would also love the option to just pay a few bucks to read beyond the paywall of a particular newsletter issue I find intriguing. Some writers don't entice me enough to throw down for a full subscription, but a couple of their stories would. That cash adds up If others feel the same way!
Thanks for this comment! One thing I should've added about payments. There's a 10% Substack fee and a 3% Stripe fee. That means a $50 annual subscription nets me roughly $43, but that's BEFORE taxes. As a freelance writer in the U.S., I pay taxes quarterly. A good practice there is to reserve roughly half of your gross for the tax man. None of this what I'd classify as a reader's problem. It's a writer's problem. But I mention it because the lower the floor goes, the greater the squeeze on writers. Can writers make it up on volume? Maybe, maybe not. But I feel you on the point you're making. I would pay for more Substacks at a lower price.
As for paying a one-time fee to access a paywall post, I'm a little out of my lane there since most of my stuff is free, which means readers don't really hit Situation Normal paywalls. That said, there's a long, sad history of trying to enable micropayments on the internet. I'd love to see micropayments like what you're describing work, but so far nobody has cracked that model.
Heres what’s confusing: substack wont allow a lower floor (I actually kinda get that, its a frigging biz plus theyre protecting their authors )
BUT they allow people like me to have a 100% free Substack. Yes they get a lot of my money from paid subs, but it’s not a requirement for having a free substack.
I LOVE not having ads on here.
Im thinking of solving the dilemma by switching from annual subs to monthly.
That way I can rotate easily around my faves every other month, and still spend only my budgeted amount each month.
Did that make sense?
Totally makes sense, DeeDee, although I'm not sure many people see it that way. I came to Substack because I was looking for an email solution. On that front, it was somewhat unique because it was free AND it helped you grow audience. My initial thought was, I'd pay for this because I'm currently paying Mailchimp. An economist, something I'm not allowed to be because of my earlier promise to my econ profs, would call this a "free rider" problem. For the first two years at Situation Normal, I didn't take paid subs. When I switched on paid subs, part of me felt like I was giving something back to the platform, ten percent at a time. That said, I don't know if Substack would have such a strong, positive culture if it didn't allow writers to use this space for free. For one thing, it makes it easy to get started, but it also gives us a richer culture because some writers aren't able to clear the bar and enter an ad-free space.
As for your idea about spreading the wealth around by doing monthly subs, I am a fan of it. But I'd ask you to explain what you're doing when you unsubscribe (there's a place to leave a note explaining why you're canceling the paid sub). I think that will help the writer feel better, and i also think it would help them better understand what's happening wit their biz. Thanks for this comment, DeeDee, really appreciate it!
I plan to explain both as a substack email and in Notes and when I rotate out. Truth is I won’t rotate the current Bundles (notably The Wonkette and The Bulwark, because they provide a ton of content and many authors).
I do like the idea of bundling.
In the meantime I will rotate the others. Otherwise I’ll be broke!!
I have pay for a few annual subscriptions and rotate others. I always explain what I'm doing and I will rotate back again.
Also, I won’t unsubscribe. I’ll simply be switching to Free. So they’re numbers shouldnt change.
The other option would be cloning myself and having her read half the subscriptions. 🤔
On a more serious note, it’s kinda cool Substack is experiencing the “problem” of too much of a good thing.
It’ll be interesting to see how they adapt to this level of success. They’ve created something wonderful here.
Their not they’re 🙄
The only time micropayments worked was circa 2005, me in my college dorm poor AF buying singles on iTunes because I couldn't figure out how to steal them
Interesting idea to pay as you go for paywalled content 🤔
Google micropayments. Great in theory. But in practice they haven't worked yet. But yeah, I'd love to see them become a thing.
Knowing me, I would definitely pay to access particular articles. It is an instant gratification impulse that I personally find hard to resist. For that reason, I think I would probably pay $1-2 to finish an article that I am really into.
Following that scenario, for the authors I really like, my brain would then figure out that it is cheaper in the long run to subscribe.
That makes a lot of sense.
I love this idea as well! Pay for only what you want.
When I joined this brill community I had similar thoughts. but then I started thinking about the days when as a volunteer local chair for the Federation of Small Businesses, where a few of us built a Business Network. Nobody had to pay to come for advice from some of the worlds top
entrepreneurs. Two frequent concepts on successfully competing against Big Companies were A) Quality beats Race to the Bottom, & B) Give away some of your best stuff for free. At the time Chinese imports were seriously damaging my figures. So I applied both of these principles and within a year I was working half the hours for double the profits. My suggestion here is that if writers want to be paid well, we have to consider our work as a business. That can be difficult for those of us who would rather just create. Either way it has to be rewarding.... however one defines reward. Peace, Maurice
so what would entice you? I offer sercives suce as Divination Readings in which I use Tarot and Oracle cards I would reduce the price of the readings for paid subscribers. Want to see what is in store for you in 2024. It will be a 6 month Divination Raeding. Please message me for details...
I do pay for some Substacks and subscribe to a whole bunch more for free - recently, i’ve realized that the way I read stacks for an hour or so on a given morning corresponds to the time I might spend reading the New Yorker - and I get far more pleasure from the stacks - I will likely dump my print subscription to the New Yorker soon, which means I can then pay for a few more stacks.
I like supporting writers and artists directly, i’m not thrilled by giving a cut to Substack and Stripe, but that’s the platform for supporting writers, so I’ll make that devil’s deal for the moment. For what it’s worth, I don’t like the idea of subscription bundles - you know three stacks + candy and a bonus roll of toilet paper - sounds like Amazon, and yes the wily Jeff Bezos gets us all paying for all sorts of stuff that should be free - I think he took econ and marketing classes, maybe not at Wesleyan.
I got the WORST haircut at my one and only literary salon, and I never went back 😉
Also, I really appreciate the way you compared the Substacks you enjoy to The New Yorker. The time you spend with a writers work and the enjoyment you receive from reading that work are good ways to think about value.
Thank you for this comment, Martha! I got a shitty haircut at a literary salon too. On a more serious note, I'm glad you mentioned the platform and finance fees. Substack takes a 10% cut. I'm OK with it because they do a lot of technical things I really struggle with. Plus, they have an audience network that helps me find new readers. There are alternatives like Ghost and Beehive, and writers can always setup their own blogs and use email services like MailChimp, but I've found that those have more upfront costs and they're difficult for me to use, and they don't have a built in audience network. The fee that bugs me is the 3% to Stripe. There are lots of payment processors out there and they all do the same thing and they all charge the same fee. I'd love to see a scenario that drives down the costs of the financial middlemen.
Michael, I agree about cutting down the financial-services fees - then again, there’s the issue of how Substack funds itself. I’m both cynical and realistic about this, given that I know how much digital media has gutted journalism and how hard it is to raise money for literary writing. My concern is what will happen when Substack needs to show a better ROI to satisfy its VC funders (don’t I sound like I took econ classes there?).
Martha, you put your finger on my biggest concern about Substack. VC's and their crazy valuations can kill anything, and given the chance, they will kill it. Even worse, the VCs backing Substack are serial (entrepreneur) killers.
Btw, I just signed up for a free sub at Inside Reader. Very cool idea for a newsletter, and I can't wait to read more, Martha!
I kinda favor the all or nothing approach. At substack then, for me it's all free content, but happy for volunteer donations. As for haircuts, my last two were in 1967 and 1980. I have a wide parting. Peace, Maurice
In my distant past I sub'd numerous publications. Eventually ceasing, realizing that 80% of their writers were irrelevant to me. However it had provided me with a list of writers to follow. Most of their books I would buy, new or 2nd hand, read and donate. Then I inherited a whole library including many rare or unusual works. I thought it would be nice to give them to my paid subscribers as a thankyou. Busy setting that up now. Peace Maurice.
I pay for many (an embarrassingly large number that I'm afraid to confront) of Substacks, because I want to support writers, because i want to support the Substack ecosystem, and because it's not a financial burden for me to do so.
I turned on a paid option without a paywall, but I contribute all paid revenues (gross, meaning $50 means $50, I don't subtract Substack and Stripe fees) to a favorite and trusted 501C3, the Robin Hood Foundation.
Here's a link in case anyone's interested in how I "market" the paid/donation option.
robertsdavidn.substack.com/about
While I've never made the literary salon mistake, why not communal haircuts while discussing a story?
Very cool, David. I do something similar with my newsletter: I donate 50% of gross proceeds and rotate the organizations every four months.
For me, that was a personal choice based on the type of content I produce and the type of brand I'm trying to build for my newsletter, my longform writing, and myself. But I don't begrudge anyone trying to make money from their writing. Writing is work, and writers should be paid.
I agree that writers should be paid
If I spend ten hours on a post 50 times a year that’s a lot of labor so love has to enter into it a bit for 99.9 per cent of us
Hi Amran, Agreed no begrudging.
Thanks for sharing your model, David! I really appreciate it and I think others here will too. As for the I like the idea of communal haircuts and stories. Speaking of haircuts and stories, you might enjoy episode one of the Situation Normal podcast. It's a story about haircuts!
https://open.substack.com/pub/michaelestrin/p/episode-2-two-celebrity-doppelgangers?r=1fqhx&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
Clicked the link, found inspiring words. 98% of my income is UK state pension, scandalously reduced because I choose to live near my Grandkids in Europe. The other 2% comes from the odd sale of my art, which helps me provide free picture framing for my arts group, and to buy books mostly recommended by substackers. This week I received my first paid subs which will help me do more, which I trust will enable me to mail free books and art to my readers. We are writers in a mutually supportive community, n'est pas ? Peace, Maurice.
So here is MY question: What is the annual Situation Normal snack budget, and what sorts of snacks are typically purchased? I would appreciate a pie chart to illustrate, though you may refer to it as a snack chart.
At the start of the year, the snack budget was $2 per day. But inflation went bonkers. We're way over budget, and we're eating fewer snacks. It's madness. On a serious note, the one paid post I plan to do going forward is an annual stakeholder report. Basically, if you pay for situation normal, I want you to know where the money goes. That'll be the last post of the year.
Stakeholder report is a great idea! I'd be so curious to read. And at year end, not anniversary issue?
The idea is to model it after an annual report. Since I launched paid at the start of this year, the end of year feels like the right time to close the books on Situation Normal business and explain where all the money went. I mean, it was mostly snacks and the podcast, but there will be an accounting, some analysis, and if I can pull it off, some charts!
Fantastic! Very looking forward to this!
I think what might be useful is to allow people to make donations! I would definitely do that type of thing myself. I do this with charities I make small donations throughout the year at various times as I feel able. I cannot make multiple $60 per year commitments since I am retired and prolifically interested in reading so very much. Somehow in my psyche and in my wallet it seems easier to every once in awhile donate five bucks. How about that idea? Or maybe each writer has to set up their own separate donation place, as on Facebook?
Thanks for this suggestion, Nancy! I think I'm gonna start putting a Paypal link in each post. I think there's a little more friction with that method compared to the ease of subscribing via Substack, but I totally get that some people prefer to be paid subscribers and others prefer to support by sending a small one-time payment.
I LIKE this idea of a special Paypal account for donations. I already HAVE a paypal account and I just resist giving out my info to Substack's paying system or any other paying system.
Good to know! Thank you for weighing in here, Sharron! Planning to include a Paypal link next time. Also, I think you know this, but just in case others are curious, Substack and writer don't have access to your payment info. That info is available only to Stripe. I mention that because a few people have asked me why I need their credit card info, and I'm like, "I don't need or want your credit card info, that's WAY too much pressure for me."
Being willing is a powerful way of being! :)
I've thought about this too. I have a free publication but people ask about how they can support the work that way.
I’ve seen this on a few other Substacks (people’s Buy me a Coffee links or other donation links). I think they make a LOT of sense and actually expand Substack’s reach. But Substack also has a policy against directing anyone’s money to any other payment site but theirs. (See Publisher Agreement). On the one hand, since Substack has no way to take one-time payments and gratitude gifts (like money to keep your Speedo in the shop), it’s kinda a loophole since it’s not exactly soliciting subscriptions. But if Substack does decide to make one-time payments an option, I suspect all those personal gift buttons will have to go 😬
I honestly hope hope hope that Substack changes their policy on this. I’m less of a business head than you are (according to your profs at Wesleyan), but it seems to me that allowing small-time third-party links like this will be a good business move for Substack in the long run: making the writing experience customizable keeps this space a green pasture for writers which makes its grass greener than other more restrictive spaces, while the fact remains that enough writers will prefer the ease of using Substack’s ecosystem anyway. (It’s the Rehoboam Principle, named after the son of King Solomon--a son who lost half his kingdom bcs he tightened the reigns when he needed to loosen them a bit! Ok, so I don’t know if it ever officially been named before, haha! but I’ve seen it in action enough that it ought to be named!)
I created a Buy Me a Coffee account but I've been hesitant to add to my newsletter just yet because I'm so new. Its a great way to accept one-off donations though!
Thanks for that suggestion, Natalie! One thing I'd say about that is you might wanna give a second option like Paypal or Venmo since those platforms probably have wider adoption. KoFi is cool, but I don't know how many people use it.
Chiming in here- a lot of readers and writers are not based in the US (like me, even though I'm American). I've not heard of Buy Me a Coffee. Other payment plans that Americans use and might think are everywhere, like Venmo for example, aren't available or known outside the US. Even though you might think your audience is only in the US, don't sell yourself short and make it harder for people outside the US to become supporters. I understand the reluctance to use a big vendor, but until banking is more seamless between countries-and it is getting easier; the bigger platforms might have to do.
So just because I am getting the sense that my relationship to these payment technologies might not be the same as everyone else's I'd like to ask a genuine question - do you have to have heard of the platform to use it? If I put a link and you are able to pay without an account or any other friction, are people going to hesitate to use it just because its their first time encountering it? Buy Me a Coffee uses Stripe and its available in 115 countries. I personally use new platforms without a second thought. I guess I can understand hesitation from some people but as generations are increasingly digitally native, perhaps that would change. Thanks for the input!
Oh that is really interesting to hear! Thanks for letting me know about the universality of Buy Me a Coffee. It's my error for just assuming it was a US-only platform. I don't have a problem using newer technologies, although depending on what it is I may research a bit first before using something new. This one in particular sounds like it exactly addresses what you are talking about and what I may end up doing as a interim step with my Substack. Thanks!
This would also be my suggestion. I accomplish this occasionally by subscribing on a monthly basis, then turning off the payment when I've "donated" all I can, or care to. I once made the error of thinking "unsubscribe" would do the trick, but it does not, and isn't necessarily what I want to do anyway.
That's actually a really good option! I know a lot of writers are bummed when they lose a paying sub, but I try to look at it as glass half full because I made $5, $10, or $15, which is great! If you do this, however, I would encourage you to explain your method in the notes when you cancel. For one thing, it would probably make the writer feel better. But it also helps the writer understand what's going on with their business. Thank you for sharing this method, Roxanne!
Michael, it honestly hadn't occurred to me that the cancellation would be noticed; I appreciate knowing that, and I will be clear next time.
There’s a section in the dashboard where writers can see that info. I check it once a month, not because I want to dwell on individual cancellations, but because I want to see if there’s a trend.
Interesting alternative. :-) whatever works for oneself is what matters. Thank you for your added methodology.
Reading these various suggestions on payment methods is interesting, but to research a few and understand the pros & cons of them all could be a bit time consuming. I for one rarely get much real sense out of "Comparison" sites. If there is anyone out there that can do an educated post (Not just copied blurb), then that may well be useful for many of us here, n'est pas. Peace, Maurice
I tend to agree with this suggestion, though I think the concern for writers who have gone paid here is that more and more people will opt to donate a few dollars instead of upgrade to a monthly or annual payment, and as Michael says, it’ll just be another version of a race to the bottom.
It's a good point, Amy, but I'm willing to test it out. If I learned anything in my econ classes, and I'm not saying I learned anything, it's that economics is a lot more theory than science. Anyway, it's worth a test, right?
This is the only subscription I pay for on Substack.
I don’t know much math, but you publish 2 times a week for $5. That’s $1.60 per post. This price is not even a steal -it’s robbery. Not to mention Cesar takes his cut. I admire not only your work, but also your approach - everything at SN is free. At the same time you also reply to every comment (I think). You’ve inspired me to do the same with my Substack- thank you for being you.
Thank you, Marc! I really appreciate you seeing the steal of the deal here. And of course, I gotta render unto Cesar that which is Cesar's, and Substack's and Stripe's, and don't forget the tax man, who takes the biggest cut of all. One correction though: there is some paid stuff here. The archives are locked. And the last post of the year will be my stakeholder report, which will be for paid subs only.
On a different note, everyone here should go read RAISING MYLES! I love the ambition and heart of this project!
Of course! The least I could do is testify and pay. How far back do you lock your archives?
Yes, please come check out Raising Myles - it’s warm, loving, and most of all free 😂 Thank you, Michael!
I did-it's wonderful, and I subscribed!
My son's name is Miles (with an i) too.
Mmmm yes, stakeholder, good thought, thanks
I don't know how to get around what happens with paid subscriptions here at Substack--I would love more of them too, but I realize when I get to deciding which ones I'm going to pay for myself that picking and choosing which subs to pay for is pure torture. I can't pay for all of them! I can't even pay for most of them! DON'T MAKE ME CHOOSE!!!
Still, I came here from Medium, where readers pay a single dues payment to Medium each month and the whole shebang gets spread around to the writers, based on performance or something much more mysterious (I don't know what). The complaints over there are similar to the complaints over here: the big guys get all of the rewards and the peons get peanuts. Well, peanuts can't pay the bills and there was no good way to rise up that ladder unless you wrote about the secrets of rising up the ladder or pretended to make gazillions while writing for Medium.
Maybe they can figure out how to make it work here but I think I prefer the subscription system, even though I'm still a peon and that's not likely to change. It's friendlier and more personal and it keeps the hucksters to a minimum. (Though not minimum enough.)
Thanks for the comment, Romana! I won't make you choose; I'm anti-torture. I've met a lot of former Medium writers here, but I never really used Medium myself. It always felt off to me. But I like the personal touch I get with other writers and readers here at Substack.
I started on Medium, too, Ramona, and I jumped ship pretty quickly once I saw how the algorithm incentivized click-bait and scammers.
Monetizing via Substack ain't easy, but as a business model it's far superior to Medium's offering for small-time creators.
Fun fact about medium from my tech journo days. When it launched, Ev Williams (one of the co-clowns who founded Twitter) talked a lot about how he felt bad about breaking the model for journalism and writing. Medium, I shit you not, was his apology. When he launched that apology, I was about a decade into my writing / journalism career and really fucking cynical. I was like, yeah, nah. That's around the time I shifted heavily to ghostwriting for tech execs (if you can't beat 'em, join 'em??) and writing on Wattpad, which weirdly turned out better than I thought it would, even though that site ended up becoming something that's fine, but not fine for me. Isn't disruption fun?
So fun! Medium! <palm to forehead> maybe I shouldn’t begrudge the bad literary haircuts
This is why writing satire is so difficult nowadays. I don't know if you've ever read my Substack launch post, but it remains surprisingly relevant. Also, I go in on Medium and algorithms: https://agowani.substack.com/p/welcome-to-the-party-pal
For a rainy day.
Okay, you hooked me 😉
Awesome -- welcome! Thanks for checking out my work.
I keep thinking about the Medium model too and how it’s not great. They had some referral thing for a while and somehow without trying I converted a couple people to subscriptions (a couple popular pieces I wrote did it I think?) but I still only got a small portion of the conversion. I have one piece that did well over there that still makes a little money but the vast majority made very little. At least with Substack you keep the full amount (well minus stripe fees) but still better.
I admit I rarely go there anymore and it's even rarer that I might cross-post a piece from Substack, but I keep in touch with a few writers I knew at Medium and I wonder sometimes why they stay. They're clearly not happy with the way things are going over there.
It looks like Medium is finally making some attempts at encouraging quality over quantity, but they aren't panning out the way they'd hoped. The quality is still getting swamped by oceans of gawdawful quantity and nobody seems to have any control.
I’m rarely there these days too but I feel like it can still be a good home for some humor pieces and really like some of the humor pubs that are still there. So many humor pubs don’t pay that it’s nice to get a chance to make a little money.
I did have the last piece I wrote there boosted and that did help but it still feels kind of random ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I shouldn't generalize about Medium. Sorry. I know there is still a lot of good writing over there, and there are probably many reasons to stay. But it looks like it's lost its luster, and that's a shame. It didn't have to happen.
I haven't checked to see if the numbers bear me out, but I'm seeing more negative mentions than positive, sadly.
No need to apologize --I think it's a completely valid point and I do wonder how it's going for some of the more Medium-heavy writers (I was never spending all that much time there).
I also think that the AI stuff maybe has a risk of causing particular problems over there (which I feel like I've seen them trying to deter too but it feels tricky). I mostly would rather put my energy into Substack these days!
Yes, me too. I wonder if the popularity of Substack has impacted Medium in any way? It seemed too convenient when they suddenly saw the light and announced they would push quality over quantity. Or maybe it was all the fuss about AI.
I don't suppose we'll ever really know.
I quite like the system as it is, but am curious to see what develops as a result of comments to like this one. Peace, Maurice
I like the bundle idea and have been proposing something similar for a while. As a reader, I follow more stacks than I can support. As a writer, I want readers and don’t want to have to offer paid vs free content. So my stack is free.
Thanks Alison! Since you mentioned that you've been thinking about bundles for a while, I'm curious how you see them working? Like, how many writers in a bundle? Do the writers pick their bundles, or is that a Substack thing? Or do the writers just say, Ok to a bundle and then the reader picks a few bundle-ready stacks? I'd love to hear your thoughts!
I’ve been thinking of a tiered SS subscription model. One price lets you choose, say 10 stacks to subscribe to. Next price 15, etc etc
Interesting! If you haven't already, and you feel comfortable doing so, I encourage you to share your thoughts on Notes. I think it's good for Substack to hear from writers, and after three years writing on this platform, one thing I'm really impressed by is Substack's commitment to dialogue on many writer issues.
Lol - I’m stop trying to figure out who actually sees my notes and who at Substack would be responsive.
Still - not stop. They need an edit button for comments. Substack, are you listening?
Yes!! I love this choose-your-own-bundle idea! It keeps things far less political while allowing for some of us who couldn’t subscribe to many to perhaps spread our support out more!
I love this. I've been interested in bundles that let me pick. The tiets you suggest make a lot of sense
I pay for many Substacks and wish it could be more. I pay for work I admire, respect, learn from, and the writers I like as a person who creates community.
I appreciate the comparison Tab made to Amazon Prime, or something similar, but to me they are vastly different - not even in the same stratosphere. Prime supports the big rich guy and promotes the part of our world that I don't value. Paying for Substacks supports real people, promotes true art and fosters connection.
Thank you for this comment, Donna! Just curious, if you're willing to say, what are some of the Substacks you do pay for? I'm sure those writers would appreciate a shout out.
I would like to purchase ALL the Substacks but right now its:
Beyond the Comfort Zone with Renee Eli, PhD, Both Are True by Alex D, Building Hope by Julie Gabrielli, The Editing Spectrum by Amanda B. Hinton, Enchanted in America by Tara Penry, Good Humor by Good Humor by CK Steefel, Human Stuff from Lisa Olivera, Michael Mohr's Sincere American Writing, Sarah Bessey's Field Notes, Sarah Blondin, Sparkle on Substack by Claire Venus, Things Worth Knowing with Farrah Storr, Wildhood Wanted by Kristi Keller, Witchcraft and Metaphysics with Jenna Newell Hiott, Writer Everlasting by Ramona Grigg, Writers at Work with Sarah Fay
Donna! That’s a lot of Substacks! You are close to your goal of buying ‘em all. Just kidding. But seriously, thank you for sharing this and thank you for putting what you can into the Substack ecosystem!
Haha! Luckily I am a very fast reader, it's serving me in good stead these days!
I just listened to the podcast Michael posted and wanted to give these comments a closer look... and saw the shout out to The Editing Spectrum. 🫶
Hi Donna, I cannot think of a better way to define one's choices. As for supporting Death Star driver Bozos, it baffles me why anyone would ......
I've been thinking that with so many people within the Substack network subscribing to each other, I wonder how much of the earnings are just zero sum (except for the cut Substack takes, of course.) For example, Joe subscribes to me for $5, I subscribe to Daisy for $5, this is essentially no different to Joe subscribing to Daisy. Now, if Daisy turns around and subscribes to Joe.....
I've had that fear too, Peter, but I don't think it zeros out. I think there are some writers, nearly all of them who made their bones in legacy media, who are making a full-time living, or very close. I am happy about that because legacy media is a shit show and I'm glad to see some writers finding lifeboats. Below that group, there are writers like me who are making some extra money. My fear is that a lot of writers, for one reason or another, have an expectation that this Substack thing is going to be a full-time living. I don't think that's going to happen for many people. If I've learned anything in 20 years as a writer it's that everything is a hustle. I used to wish that one thing would be THE thing, but I think that's mostly a mirage. What I've found is that if I can do a couple of things, and ideally make those things of a piece, I can make a go of it.
I'm hoping it can help get me exposure, more than anything. I've caught myself dreaming about making an income just doing this, but I've also done the math and I'm still coming up around 10,000 subscribers short for that, give or take a couple
I feel all of that.
I don't remember the name of my Wesleyan economics professor but he and I were both a bit flummoxed as to why I barely passed the class. I 'seemed' to understand the concepts when we would talk about them together, but never could articulate them back sufficiently in exams to prove it. It was the lowest passing grade of my academic career. Enjoyed the rest of the discussion today! Turning on paid sometime in the future terrifies me, but having an income even a tiny one would be nice.
Thank you, Sabrina! Always nice to meet another Wes alum in the comments! Maybe we're the opposite in terms of econ. I never really understood it, but I test well. I think that's how I passed, much to the surprise of Richie Adelstein and Peter Kilby.
I USED to be the one that tested well but at some point that didn't work any more. Glad to hear you passed, anyway. Very much enjoying the discussion here about payments. Hoping to get to an income soon that can allow me to pay for more subscriptions.
Met a lot of business and political economists during my career. Never met one who could even barely make an accurate prediction. Peace, Maurice.
1. I pay for 14 Substacks with either actual dollars or in-kind payments. Obv I'm ride or die with Situation Normal and Extra Evil till the end.
2. Poison the competition and you'll win by default.
3. Nah.
4. He went to Princeton, which specializes in creating supervillains.
5. Maniacs like me don't get invited to nice places.
Question about the ride or die and the Princeton supervillain comment. Didn't DD go to Princeton too? Should we be worried?
My wife also went to Princeton. Let's just say neither fits the target profile for admission to the supervillain academy.
You'd think so, but what if they're keeping their villainy on the down low until they strike. We might be surrounded. I. Am. Worried.
Come to think of it, I am worth more dead than alive...
This is such a great conversation. I'm new around here so I'm still evaluating and discovering Substacks to follow and then deciding which ones to pay for. My first reaction is that I don't want the floor lowered. I've worked in journalism and have freelanced forever, so I've seen that race to the bottom over and over again. It winds up killing everyone except maybe some folks who live in a place where the cost of living is low enough that they can charge pennies. I think retaining the minimum will keep the quality higher because subscribers will be a little choosier, and writers who want to charge will understand they have to bring their A game (also I know nothing about economics and didn't go to Wesleyan, so what do I know?).
I also feel like, if someone has a goal to make money here, they should treat this like a business and show up and provide value consistently. Otherwise, it's a charity. I'm totally on board with supporting the small Substacks and the up-and-comers, and love that this seems to be a place where that's doable. But there still needs to be value. Otherwise it's a GoFundMe, not a Substack. (Am I gonna get haters for that sentiment?)
Hi Karin! First, welcome to Substack! Second, no haters here, so your comment is welcome and well-received. Thanks for throwing in your two cents!
lol Thanks! (For the record, I didn't think there would be actual haters in here! Just hoped the tone came through the way I wanted. 🙂)
The tone usually comes through on Substack because, as my friend Gabe says, you're located next to a mountain of your work. That gives people context and it helps everyone assume best intentions, as opposed to what happens on social media where there's no context and it's common to assume the worst of people.
1. I pay for Dennard Dayle's Extra Evil. I want to pay for more substacks, but between Patreon subscriptions and other bills, I have to draw a line somewhere. At least, according to Mint. Which keeps trying to get me to subscribe to its premium features.
2. Send me names. I got family that can pay them a visit.
3. See 2.
4. It made more sense when they had more things worth getting. And for holidays.
5. Nice try. You clearly made that up.
If you're paying for Dennard Dayle, you're making excellent financial decisions. Sending you a list of names, just in case.
The question about paying Substack a monthly fee and having it disbursed among writers...that's pretty much what Medium does. It's a shitty system because inevitably, the smaller writers get a pittance and the big ones get richer. The way Substack is now is great because you can directly reward writers who fill your reading cup each week.
I only pay for a few right now (I'm new here) And I pay them because they provide me with a breath of fresh air. Everyone has their preferences and I love unique people and stories.
Currently I'm paying for:
Ash Ambirge - The Middle Finger Project.
Donna McArthur - The Bright Life
Erik Hogan (pledged) -Field Notes
Misc Adventures
Each of those provide me with something other pubs do not.
Thanks for this comment, Kristi! You make a great point - don't Medium my Substack! Here's my question, would it be different if the writers chose their own bundles? That is, you're still paying writers who've agreed to bundle together and share revenues, rather than paying the platform for access to everyone? Also, thanks for sharing the Substacks you pay for, you've got some great choices in there!
Hmm interesting question. I still think that unless you're one of the big guns, a share option might still breed competition among the ones sharing.
I equate it to when restaurant servers do tip pooling (I was a server for many years). Inevitably there will always be one or two who don't pull their load because they're getting the money whether they put in the effort or not.
I think it's complicated.
Very complicated! Your analogy to tip-pooling for servers is a good one. There’s always someone who doesn’t pull their weight and with newsletters I think it can be difficult to measure that. One difference, I think, is that the group could boot a member if it’s not working out. Of course, that may not make the model work any better, but it will add to workplace drama.
I don't know why you can't pay a nominative amount and select (say up to three authors for Tier 1, five for Tier 2 and 10 for Tier 3) - authors get a set amount…
I mean, the only thing stopping us is the current architect of Substack. But maybe that'll change. Been using this platform for three years and I gotta say they are always making changes, many of them for the better.