Last time, we discussed the basics of Substack; today let’s talk about pros and cons.
Writing Tip for Today: What are some pros and cons of a Substack newsletter?
What You Get
One of the main benefits of Substack is that writers or creators don’t have any upfront costs. Substack offers a combination of easy publication, no costs for a free newsletter and a recommendation loop for growing your audience.
Another pro is that you own your audience. Writers need platforms—which boils down to email lists for marketing. Substack gives you total control over your email list of subscribers, which you can export at any time.
Substack has an all-in-one benefit: you can publish a newsletter, launch a podcast and use it as a website. This benefit helps you coordinate your marketing efforts in one place, as well as post writing or creative endeavors such as photography, visual art or poetry.
The Cons
One of the main complaints about Substack is the high fees for paid content—generally around 10%. If you are starting out with your platform and only publish free content, you pay nothing. But as your audience grows and you turn on paid subscriptions, Substacl’s ten percent is a big bite out of your revenue.
Growing your audience can be pretty slow on Substack. I’m still only posting free content, although I have enough numbers and pledges now to turn on paid. It has taken me three years for about 350 total subscribers and over 1k Followers.
The platform also lacks advanced marketing automation, offers limited design customization, and places pressure on creators to implement paid subscriptions. The main drawbacks seem related to sales/marketing. If you’re a writer who just wants to expand your reach (and by inference, your revenue), Substack is only going to help you as your paid audience grows substantially.
Check out Substack—I’d love to hear your feedback on this trendy site.
Alternatives to Substack
Trends come and go. Right now, Substack appeals to creatives and writers, but if you’re looking for a different platform, there are several to choose from. Ghost, Kit and Beehiiv are the most prominent.
Ghost has zero subscriber fees, only charging a flat fee for hosting (generally about $10/mo). Kit (used to be Convert Kit) has free subscriber content and boasts a more robust sales platform. Beehiiv is known for strong SEO and referrals, again targeting a sales approach.
All these choices might seem overwhelming as you dip your toe into these online options. Substack is a great way for writers to build their readerships and expose more readers to original content. Best of all, you can take your email list with you should you leave the platform. Check out Substack—I’d love to hear your feedback on this trendy site. And don’t forget to visit my Substack: The Deep End. Thanks!
