Substack is a blessing, truly.
Not too long ago, the idea of being an independent, published writer would’ve sounded like a dream too good to be true. The Internet did slowly bring the readers, but there was still the logistics of translating readership into income that could sustain you.
A quiet revolution away from the noise of the flashy internet world, Substack is now much more than a platform for writers to publish newsletters. It is a haven, where curious readers meet with writers and exchange ideas. More than that, it has helped writers keep putting their work out without constantly worrying about how to make money from it. And perhaps most importantly, it has made getting into writing more accessible.
Okay, but does anyone ever make money on Substack?
Before you ask, of course. They do.
How writers earn on Substack
Writers can put their work out for free, whether that’s newsletters, essays, personal writing, analysis, or whatever else they’re into. And you don’t need to be a serious, full-time writer to get started. You could write about your niche interests, ranging from politics and technology to culture, personal essays, finance, food, and science. Anything.
And when you’re ready to start making money from it, you can turn on paid subscriptions. You can choose to put some of your work behind a paywall and offer readers monthly or annual subscriptions. Once you do start earning through paid subscriptions, Substack takes a cut.
So yes, writers really do make money on Substack. Some make a little extra on the side, while for others, their Substack has grown into a full-time source of income.
Then there are others who diversify and use Buy Me a Coffee alongside.
Why use both? It turns out, there is more than one answer.
Keeping content free
This one’s quite straightforward. Some writers just don’t want to put their writing behind a paywall. Sunday Ripley and Thomas J. Bevan are two writers who’ve taken this approach, though they do it slightly differently.
Sunday Ripley’s Substack is a mix of personal stories, thoughts, rom-com lists, and deeper dives into more vulnerable or obscure topics. She’s kept her posts free because she’d rather share her stories than put them behind a paywall. She uses Buy Me a Coffee to give readers the option to support her.
As she puts it in her piece about adding Buy Me a Coffee: “Stories and posts should be read, not locked away!”
Thomas J. Bevan takes a slightly different approach. He also keeps his writing free to read, but has paid Substack tiers alongside a Buy Me a Coffee link. He’s also quite deliberate about how often he asks people to pay. Rather than constantly reminding readers to subscribe, he makes a direct ask only occasionally. That’s a different way of looking at paid subscriptions. You can have them available without making them a requirement for reading your work. The writing stays free, while readers who do want to support you have a way to do so. It may not be a feasible model for all, but it is worth considering if you are in the position to do so.
Why one-time support matters:
There’s a bigger reason buried here. More and more writers use Buy Me a Coffee because Substack currently has no one-time support feature.
When we talk about making money from writing, subscriptions tend to get all the attention. But, in reality, it’s much easier to get a stranger to support you one-time than to be in on a monthly payment. Some may not even be in a position to stretch their pockets that far. Writers end up missing out on the ripple effect of small contributions that add up.
Maybe eventually these readers do end up with a subscription. But they don’t have to be pushed through a single door to get there. They can support you when they want, in whatever way makes sense for them.
Creative flexibility:
For writers, this offers extra room to breathe.
You can write whenever you wish to, and not constantly wonder whether every post is giving paying subscribers enough value. A slow month is still way less stressful. Then, there’s the churn risk. With memberships, the relationship can become more transactional, making it easier for readers to unsubscribe as quickly as they subscribed. You can continue to earn, but writing takes the backseat and strategising retention takes the lead.
One-time support does take off some of this pressure, because supporters can also come your way because they just liked a piece of what you wrote.
All this is not to say paid subscriptions cannot make you money. It just changes the nature of your relationship with supporters.
Diversifying beyond writing:
We’ve now taken one step away from subscriptions, to one-time support. Does it stop there? Not really.
Writing can also be a starting point for other things. Of late, a lot of writers are recognising this and adapting. Adapting, not in a way they lose their identity or niche. But simply to the fact that there are readers who may: need a little extra, a different format, or even a deeper dive. Without changing your niche, you can instantly cast a wider net, by adding more ways for people to engage with your work.
Maybe that’s a different format. Maybe they want to learn from you, get your advice, or just spend some time with you outside the newsletter.
A writer who writes about productivity could also make templates or trackers. The same way, they could put together reading guides or collections.
Take Hansel Sapkota for instance. Hansel’s content on Substack focuses on growing as a writer and publishing online. It is a classic example of a writer diversifying content as well as monetisation sources.
On Buy Me a Coffee, Hansel has set up a digital shop to offer free Notion templates, content calendars, trackers, and more. Not just that, there’s also a one-on-one call supporters could buy to get on a Zoom call for writing advice. He also has memberships with different tiers, offering things like premium articles, templates, Q&As, and online classes and workshops.
It also means that you aren’t relying on one kind of reader.
Someone might read your Substack every week and never become a member. Someone else might not care about a membership but really want that Notion template. Another might have been following your writing for a while and finally decide they want to book a call with you.
All of them are interested in your work, just in different ways.
Subscriptions, redefined:
And subscriptions don’t have to be limited to blogs either.
A membership tier can bring together different kinds of offerings. It could include premium posts, access to free shop items, templates, downloads, Q&As, workshops, or other things you already create. That means a reader isn’t necessarily subscribing just to get more writing. They could be getting a whole collection of things around your work, depending on what you choose to include in each tier.
Getting around payment limitations
There’s also a more practical reason some writers use multiple platforms: payment availability.
Substack allows writers to publish free publications from anywhere, but paid subscriptions depend on payment support through Stripe and can vary by country. Luna from moonriver is one example. Based in the Philippines, Luna couldn’t use Substack’s paid subscription system, so they set up a Buy Me a Coffee page instead to receive support from their readers.
In this case, the two platforms are used differently. Substack remains the place where Luna publishes their work. Buy Me a Coffee provides another way for readers to support it. And this is something that often gets missed when talking about creator monetisation. The tools available to one writer aren’t necessarily available to another.
There’s more to being a writer than just writing
That’s the bigger shift happening here.
For a long time, making money from writing meant finding someone willing to pay you to write first. The familiar cycle of chasing publishers and then hopefully pay checks. It doesn’t have to be that way anymore.
You can cut through the chase now. Carve out your own little corner of the internet, and share it with strangers who care about the exact same things as you. All that matters is you start with what feels true to you, and keep going.
Start with a Substack, and Buy Me a Coffee on the side. There’s not a lot standing in your way.
