Read the world

Making it easier to discover Substacks around the globe

At the tail end of 2021, I became Substack’s first U.K. hire. My remit: to help British writers and creators find an exciting new home on Substack.

Since then, some of Britain’s most revered writers and culture makers have found their way to Substack: Stephen Fry, author Elif Shafak, journalist India Knight, and superstar philosopher Slavoj Zizek, to name just a few. But also—and this is the bit that especially excites me—thousands of lesser-known names showed up, putting their creative hearts on the line and in the process finding a new global audience.

Connecting culture makers across the world is something we’ve been thinking about a lot at Substack. Over the past year or so, for example, we have been overwhelmed by the number of creators connecting both on and off the platform through Substack meetups. We have seen writers swapping tales and celebrating their successes at bars in Amsterdam, bookstores in London and Berlin, cafes in Paris, and pubs in Dublin. Creativity can be a lonely gig—finding a tribe to celebrate and support you is a magical thing. 

Substack writers gathering in Berlin

Which is why, no matter where you are in the world, we want to make connecting with others on Substack easier. Our new world map allows readers and writers to find out which publications are currently being enjoyed and shared across the globe. Within a few seconds, you can now discover what’s being widely read across the Substack network in the UAE or Mexico at any given moment. This will not only make discovering writers and creators in other territories easier (and a lot of fun, by the way) but will help publishers on Substack to grow audiences far beyond their home turf. After all, great writing and original ideas should never be limited by geography.

Learn more about Substacks around the world  

Many writers are already proving that the appetite for their work travels well beyond their home borders. Take New Zealand’s Bernard Hickey; the U.K.’s David Aaronovitch; Kana Chan, who writes about life in rural Japan (she is both a writer and a farmer), and Chinese musician Wu Fei, who treats her Substack readers to an original piece of music every single day. This isn’t just a way to get more exposure for creators; we’re actively investing in helping all publishers grow in these markets, whether they’re writing about food, sports, local politics, fashion, or anything else. 

In Germany, former editor and onetime head of editorial for Netflix DACH

Andreas Laux

has joined us as the new Head of Partnerships for Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. Andreas will help writers and creators build their own creative channels on Substack, whether that’s through the written word, video, or podcasts. There are already many exciting names in this region doing exactly that, such as Suse Kaloff, Sebastian Meineck, and Philipp Mattheis, and we are excited for Andreas to build on that momentum by bringing the country’s best and most promising voices to the platform and helping them succeed.

In France,

Marissa Cox

—who has a storied background in book publishing and fashion—will help fan the growing appetite for writers and style creators joining Substack in her home country, including fashion creator Mathilde Lacombe, food writer Simon Auscher, and the team behind the best-selling personal finance Substack Snowball.

And journalist and author

Ruth Devine

will be helping Australian writers and creatives make Substack a home for their work. There, as in all of these regions, we’ll be building on the vibrant and growing Substack network and organic momentum we already have, with names such as media guru Tim Burrowes, writer and broadcaster Clementine Ford, and the team behind the New Yorker–style Melbourne publication The Paris End. 

To make sure all of these writers and creators in new regions do well, we’ve introduced some important global tools. We have new payment methods available for readers in Europe, and readers can pay in any of 13 local currencies. Writers can now choose from five other languages in which to be read: French, German, Spanish, Portuguese, and Italian. 

To help you get to know some of our new international team members, we will be running a series of masterclasses beginning on March 25 (details below). These are introductory classes to the platform that share some best practices and strategies for success—so if you or someone you know are thinking about starting a Substack, feel free to come along.

Of course, this is just the beginning of our international work. As Substack continues to grow, we hope you and the connections you make here will continue to grow too.

Substack masterclass timetable

Each masterclass will be one hour long. To take part, please sign up below and, if you don’t have a Substack already, please follow the link to sign up before the course. You will be under no obligation to use the one created long-term, but it will help with understanding the content each tutor will be going through.

MARCH 27: 6-7 P.M. CET
An Introduction to Substack with Head of Partnerships for DACH region Andreas Laux (please note: this masterclass will be in German). Eine Einführung in Substack, sein Erlösmodell und die verschiedenen Wachstumsstrategien durch Andreas Laux, Head of Partnerships DACH (diese Veranstaltung wird auf deutsch gehalten)

MARCH 28: 6:30-7:30 P.M. AEDT 
An introduction to Substack in Australia with Head of Partnerships for U.K. and Europe, Farrah Storr

APRIL 3RD: 6-7PM BST
An Introduction to Substack with Head of Partnerships U.K. and Europe Farrah Storr

APRIL 4: 7-8pm. CET 
An Introduction to Substack with Marissa Cox, Partnerships Associate for France (please note: this masterclass will be in French). Une introduction à Substack avec Marissa Cox, responsable des partenariats en France (veuillez noter que cette masterclass sera en français)