Whether you have a particular expertise, a perspective on an interesting topic or your own memoir, Substack gives you editorial freedom, direct reader access and income opportunities. How much you can make depends on what you write and, in some cases, who you are, but even unknown authors can earn from subscriptions, and everyone can gain satisfaction from having their ideas published.

Substack’s popularity is growing. The platform surpassed five million paid subscriptions in 2025, up from just one million in late 2021, and now has more than 20 million monthly active subscribers worldwide. Its strongest reader base is in the U.S., mostly aged 25-34 and predominantly women.

However, the “over 50” and retiree literary group is growing fast, with private forums and themed writing collectives that create community for older writers. A big part of the appeal is that new authors can get started without a traditional publisher or any technical expertise.

Substack author Karen Cherry makes around $25,000 a year from subscriptions. She counts herself among the “quiet winners,” while a handful of writers make more than $1 million annually. In her newsletter “Pubstack Success,” she wrote, “The magic of Substack is that although you absolutely have to work hard to make subscription revenue, you don’t have to work harder to increase your earnings week after week. A newsletter takes just as much effort to produce for 10 paying subscribers as it does for 100,000.”

Most authors report that it takes between 400 and 700 active paying subscribers to earn about $30,000 a year, depending on how much you charge. You must also account for Substack’s 10% cut of subscription fees along with a payment processing fee.

Here’s how to get started. First, choose a topic that’s sustainable, something you can write about each week or so without a struggle. The most successful newsletters from noncelebrity authors are focused on a particular niche. “Aim for people to be able to say about you: S/he’s the [topic X] person,” Cherry says.

Prepare at least three to five posts before launching your newsletter. This gives new readers more to read immediately and provides a content cushion. Aim for one post per week, but the ideal frequency is what you can maintain over time. Biweekly or monthly is fine if you stay consistent and keep your content engaging.

Cherry also recommends offering most content for free to build trust with your audience. The majority of successful Substack authors follow this approach. For example, former U.S. Labor Secretary Robert Reich makes his posts accessible to all readers but offers “extras” to paid subscribers, such as a Wednesday discussion group he joins, the ability to comment on all posts and access to special series including his “Wealth and Poverty” course. Reich’s newsletter is the top-ranked Substack under “Rising in U.S. Politics,” with over one million subscribers.

Subscription fees (if any) are up to you and can be monthly or annual. Typical monthly rates range from $5 to $20. As with most subscriptions, the annual option usually provides a discount.

Ready to get started? Create your free Substack account and import an existing email list if you have one or start from scratch. When you publish a post, it’s automatically emailed to your subscribers and posted on your Substack page. Readers who aren’t subscribed can view free posts and may decide to subscribe if they like your work. You can choose to keep all posts free, put some behind a paywall, or reserve certain posts for subscribers only.

To write a new post, log in and click “Dashboard.” Look on the left-hand panel to start a new post. You can include text, images, audio and video. Once finished, you can save drafts, schedule posts up to three months ahead or publish immediately. Each post automatically includes a subscription button for readers to sign up.

And that’s it. To learn more about growing followers and subscriptions, visit Substack’s Help section. Happy writing!

Leslie Meredith has been writing about technology for more than a decade. As a mom of four, value, usefulness and online safety take priority. Have a question? Email Leslie at asklesliemeredith@gmail.com.