Now on Substack: Sign up for free updates

We’ve introduced a new feature to help Substack publishers convert casual readers into paying subscribers, and to give all readers more ways to keep up with their favorite writers.

Readers can now sign up to receive free updates by email from their favorite Substack publications. Publishers decide which updates are free to all. In most cases they are likely to be less frequent than the subscriber-only updates.

To access subscriber-only content, a reader can easily subscribe to the full version of the newsletter at any time. Each free update they receive contains “Subscribe” buttons and links to subscriber-only content they have been missing. It looks like this:

This approach gives publishers the opportunity to reach out to their casual readers on a repeated basis by email, which has proven to be one of the best ways to attract new paying subscribers. At the same time, it gives readers the ability to get more familiar with publishers’ work before they commit to becoming paying subscribers.

Substack is all about helping writers get paid by the readers who most value their work. The addition of this free-updates feature is another way to support and strengthen that goal.  

Want to send us feedback? Email hello@substack.com.

Try these Substack publications:

• The Shatner Chatner, by Mallory Ortberg

• The Sinocism China Newsletter, by Bill Bishop

• The Second Arrangement, by Kelly Dwyer

• Griefbacon, by Helena Fitzgerald