Amy Suto

Substack is where I make multiple six figures a year as a writer. Here’s the plain-English answer to what Substack is and how it works — for readers, writers, and anyone deciding whether to start one.

I’ve set up Substacks from scratch for consulting clients and built two of my own. Here’s exactly how to start a Substack — the day-one settings that matter, and the traps to skip.

The most popular Substacks, from the platform’s biggest names to the newsletters I personally pay for — business, culture, and craft picks from a Top 20 Business bestseller author.

Substack takes 10% of my revenue, so I understand the urge to shop around. Here are the 7 best Substack alternatives — beehiiv, Ghost, Kit, Patreon, Medium, and your own website — compared honestly.

I’ve migrated several clients from beehiiv to Substack, and paid subscribers show up almost immediately every time. Here’s the honest comparison — fees, discovery, and who should pick which platform.

I left ConvertKit with 600 subscribers and a $25/month bill. That newsletter now has 42,000+ subscribers on Substack. Here’s my honest Substack vs Kit comparison.

My website has lived three lives: WordPress, Squarespace, and now self-hosted. Here’s the honest Substack vs WordPress answer — including why Substack posts rarely rank on Google.

Substack takes about $26,700 a year from me, and I pay it mostly happily. Here’s the exact fee math — what Substack costs writers and readers, what to charge, and when the 10% stops being worth it.

I subscribe to creators on both platforms, and the difference is stark. Here’s my honest Substack vs Patreon comparison: fees, reader experience, discovery, and who should pick which.

One of my Substack Notes got 15,800 likes and zero paid subscribers. Here’s what six months of going all-in on Notes actually did for my newsletter, with real numbers — and the simpler strategy I use now.

Medium gave my short stories a home and my bank account nothing. Substack built a $267K/year business. Here’s the honest Substack vs Medium comparison for 2026.

I just wrapped up with my latest Two-Week Substack Intensive client, so let’s go deep on what this offer actually is: two weeks of hands-on consulting, execution, and deliverables — and who should book it versus join Sutoscience as a founding member instead.

How to become a full-time Substack writer — what the job actually looks like week to week, from sold-out lectures to midday hikes, and how the newsletter holds it all together.

A paid newsletter is like an ATM wired to your words — mine has made $1,000 before breakfast. Here’s how to start a paid Substack from scratch: niche, offer, pricing, and your first paid subscribers.

My Substack, Make Writing Your Job, has 42,000+ subscribers and became a Top 20 Business bestseller — with zero ad spend. Here’s the real playbook, including the honest timeline nobody posts about.

Free subscribers are attention. Paid subscribers are a business. Here are the seven tactics that converted 1,900+ paying readers on my Top 20 Business bestselling Substack.

My Substack reached $267,000 in gross annualized revenue — and most of that growth happened across 12 to 15 months. Here’s the honest breakdown: where the money comes from, what Substack takes, and the math for your newsletter.

Substack grew my newsletter to 42,000+ subscribers and $267K in annualized revenue — but it isn’t right for everyone. The honest pros, cons, and who should pick beehiiv instead.