I love the content model but the subscription model is unsustainable. If all the blogs I want to read want to charge me even as little (seemingly, at first) as $5 a month, that’s $60 a year. That amount is almost equivalent to that charged by a major publication. If there even only 10 blogs I want to follow, that’s $600 a year. I’m retir…
I love the content model but the subscription model is unsustainable. If all the blogs I want to read want to charge me even as little (seemingly, at first) as $5 a month, that’s $60 a year. That amount is almost equivalent to that charged by a major publication. If there even only 10 blogs I want to follow, that’s $600 a year. I’m retired and with inflation, cannot afford $600 in addition to the 2-3 major publications I need. So what I end up doing is “unfollowing” all those I can’t afford, because the frustration of seeing only the tip of the iceberg on those pages is more costly in time and energy than I have. You need a better subscription model. Thanks for creating Substack though!
That's why I like offering all content for free, with the option to upgrade for additional extras, like 1:1 coaching calls, discounts on courses, etc. I also have programmed a "pensioner" discount at 50% off. Hope that helps offer any insight for you Genevieve.
A "pensioner discount" would be brilliant! Retired people have more time to become engaged, and with that engagement they bring lifetimes of experiences that enrich any discussion. ~
Very insightful Terry. Yes! When we exclude our elders, we exclude much of the opportunity we can gain by learning from them, and getting a radically (often analog) view on a digital life.
I like this strategy! I paywalled my content for a while some time back, and it just didn't feel right. I want my wellness content to be accessible to all. I have been brainstorming some ideas for paid subscriptions, and I think it will be similar to yours (extras) while keeping the written content free. I want to make some money from this (yes, I admit it)! I find the yearly option at a decent discount is what I am most attracted to, so I will likely push for an affordable yearly subscription as an incentive.
Absolutely! Here's a link to my discount code FYI, in case you're interested (:
My wife and I research, write, podcast about how to protect ourselves from the wireless radiation of devices and cell towers, along with ancestral nutrition and improving sleep:
Thank you Terry! Yes we love talking about traditional foods / fermentation, and how to use those foods to offset costs of unnecessary supplements. Any ancestral foods you like to make? Sauerkraut, sourdough, yogurt, kvaas, pickled herring?
This is a valid point - there are so many people who I’d love to subscribe to but genuinely it would wipe me out financially. Could the payments be centralised & paid out individually? Would that contribute to a greater forum of debate?
Further, sending comments down the alleys, that you don't like has become ridiculous. Then, you leave scammers comments in the main body that run for feet and distract. You are not responsible. You are editors afraid of new ideas.
I don’t quite understand this comment, Vicki, but I had never meant to start a thread criticizing the editors. I think they’re great and we’re lucky to have them. It’s just the subscription model which I’m apparently not alone in feeling is too expensive.
The Substack model was devised as a way for writers to earn a living through their writing, which was often impossible. I understand that, and I honor the writers' talents and right to make living incomes.
For retirees who also live on limited incomes, however, subscription fees add up fast. Even Reuters charges a monthly subscription now! And it seems to me that retirees comprise 40% of many newsletters' subscribers.
I'm not offering a solution, just agreeing that the situation deserves some attention. ~
You will read, watch and learn. As I opened to this response, these comments were 'down a blind alley', though at the beginning of the page. If editors don't like your comment, they HIDE it. But, as you read substacks, you will find trolls taking up oodles of prime page with stupid crap.
When I subscribe to a pub, I take it for one year. But then when the year is up, I don't always continue. Instead, I subscribe to another. Something like that. Like you, I can't do them all, so I wind up spreading it out. Also retired....
I would likely lose 75% of my subscribers if I charged them. That is because a very large portion are homeschooling parents or autodidacts who do not have money to burn. Also, I AM JUST NOT THAT GOOD. In fact, very few are THAT GOOD.
Substack should consider subscription bundles and even then, sparingly.
Very funny, Truman! And refreshingly humble and honest!! Frankly, I think you’re right in pointing out that most bloggers are not that good. I enjoy reading many, but not enough to pay for the privilege. Maybe we ought to be able to give them a score so that they could adjust their subscription prices accordingly!
I fear that such scores would be gamed somehow. One problem with Substack is that I don't know what I don't know. Is there some writer out there I would really enjoy? Likely there is. Finding that writer is hard. I am also smelling AI at work on some newsletters. I subscribe to one that cranks out 3000 word essays about everyday... hmmm...
It might also be a question of taste and discernment. People like/value different things. ...I'm dropping the start of my serialised historical novel The Wrong Man tomorrow (Saturday). I only expect a few people to love it and a few more to think it's OK. At least it will be free, so I hope readers will hang in there! I'm happy to have the option this platform provides. I've read a couple of free serialised novels on here and even though the editing may not be top-notch, I've enjoyed their plot and characters.
Yes - I wish there were some kind of a combined bulk option. Hard to solve how to pay how much to who, but this comment is right about the $ adding up. That also stops me from subscribing to all that I like.
That could be interesting... and maybe Substacks choose to opt-in to the bulk option. I have had to cancel subscriptions and given myself a monthly SS budget. Now if I want to subscribe to someone new, I've got to cancel another. It is a bit of lesson for me --- the subscriptions I WON'T cancel are essential, therefore those are the ones I should study hard to see what they are doing RIGHT!
Agree 100% Ben Thompson Stachery said that Substack could and should introduce youtube style ads (as in they manage ad inventory not individual creators) paid subs are ad free the rest get ads
2nd alternative is bundling, 4 or 5 creators join forces less per subscriber but more overall revenue
For comparison i can subscribe to the NY Times City Journal print edition (posted Germany!) and Unherd for the same cost as a single substack
I just switch my Subs every month or so, the ones I follow all get some support over the year at some point, did that with Twitch and some Patreon channels over the years.
Thank you, Witold! I haven’t posted anything but my comments on other people’s posts I liked and reposted on my page, but you’re inspiring me to get started… for free, of course!
I actually turned on the paid model today and am offering original art to those who pay. So I assume that maybe just a few people will subscribe and then I can give them back much more than writing. All of them. I was also thinking about giving special offers to those who decide to pay if they want to buy objects or art available in my shop. For me the subscription model is a way to finally have a door on some content and be able to write about things I have not been able to write about for years.
I agree with you that it could be difficult to subscribe to many writers here at the same time. But for me this whole model has a different meaning. Oh, and I currently have one paid subscriber. And he is quite brilliant. 🤷♂️✨
I am going to weigh in as a YouTuber, hopefully that is not a dirty word here. I have to say their model seems pretty perfect. I don’t care about seeing ads, especially when I know my fellow creators get a cut, and the ability to pay YT to opt out of ads, which we creators also get a cut of, works for people who hate them. I would love to see that model here
I don’t quite understand the point you’re making. I just know that I can’t afford to subscribe to everyone whose work interests me. I need to plan how to move my subscriptions around & if I’ve understood correctly, annual subscriptions have to be cancelled at the beginning of the subscription & expire at the end of the year. That can’t be right I must have misunderstood
SAME! As Substack gets more popular, I find more and more paywalled articles. It is disappointing (to say the least) when you hit that paywall portion of an article. I think it will get harder and harder to get paid subs when so many people are joining the platform and charging a subscription fee. Too many choices! That's where you've got to work hard to make your Substack essential so people will pay (if that is the goal). I don't currently paywall, and am considering a paid model where extras like coaching and programs are paid, but not my posts.
Most people will just pay for the 3-4 favorite publications. There are millions of potential customers, so it's not impossible to accumulate 1,000 true fans. As for halfway down paywalls, they're annoying but we shouldn't expect anything for free.
I am torn on the paywalls. I get it - writers should be paid. Although as more and more join Substack as writers -- I think it may get harder to get paid subs. You're right... 3-4 paid favorites (how do we get to be one of them!?) I've decided to not paywall posts, but rather a paid model where people get some valuable extras (coach session, workbooks, mini-course etc), but anyone can read for free.
Same here. I have subscribed to writers who wrote about subjects that were important to me, and then I unsubscribed due to being unable to keep up with the content on a regular basis - feeling overwhelmed. As a senior, myself, on a fixed income I completely understand. The money adds up over time. I read what I can for free and even then there is so much more that would fill too many hours in a day.
I love the content model but the subscription model is unsustainable. If all the blogs I want to read want to charge me even as little (seemingly, at first) as $5 a month, that’s $60 a year. That amount is almost equivalent to that charged by a major publication. If there even only 10 blogs I want to follow, that’s $600 a year. I’m retired and with inflation, cannot afford $600 in addition to the 2-3 major publications I need. So what I end up doing is “unfollowing” all those I can’t afford, because the frustration of seeing only the tip of the iceberg on those pages is more costly in time and energy than I have. You need a better subscription model. Thanks for creating Substack though!
That's why I like offering all content for free, with the option to upgrade for additional extras, like 1:1 coaching calls, discounts on courses, etc. I also have programmed a "pensioner" discount at 50% off. Hope that helps offer any insight for you Genevieve.
I need to get myself organised. Glad I saw your comment
You got this, man.
Good idea to give 99% of your content free.
A "pensioner discount" would be brilliant! Retired people have more time to become engaged, and with that engagement they bring lifetimes of experiences that enrich any discussion. ~
Very insightful Terry. Yes! When we exclude our elders, we exclude much of the opportunity we can gain by learning from them, and getting a radically (often analog) view on a digital life.
I like this strategy! I paywalled my content for a while some time back, and it just didn't feel right. I want my wellness content to be accessible to all. I have been brainstorming some ideas for paid subscriptions, and I think it will be similar to yours (extras) while keeping the written content free. I want to make some money from this (yes, I admit it)! I find the yearly option at a decent discount is what I am most attracted to, so I will likely push for an affordable yearly subscription as an incentive.
GOOD TO KNOW FOR THIS RETIRED DISABLED VET TOO. THANKS
Absolutely! Here's a link to my discount code FYI, in case you're interested (:
My wife and I research, write, podcast about how to protect ourselves from the wireless radiation of devices and cell towers, along with ancestral nutrition and improving sleep:
https://romanshapoval.substack.com/86bf9d9a
Ancestral nutrition sounds fascinating, Roman S Shapival!
Thank you Terry! Yes we love talking about traditional foods / fermentation, and how to use those foods to offset costs of unnecessary supplements. Any ancestral foods you like to make? Sauerkraut, sourdough, yogurt, kvaas, pickled herring?
A Veteran. Wow. Thank you 🙏🏾
This is a valid point - there are so many people who I’d love to subscribe to but genuinely it would wipe me out financially. Could the payments be centralised & paid out individually? Would that contribute to a greater forum of debate?
Further, sending comments down the alleys, that you don't like has become ridiculous. Then, you leave scammers comments in the main body that run for feet and distract. You are not responsible. You are editors afraid of new ideas.
I don’t quite understand this comment, Vicki, but I had never meant to start a thread criticizing the editors. I think they’re great and we’re lucky to have them. It’s just the subscription model which I’m apparently not alone in feeling is too expensive.
Genevieve, I agree with you.
The Substack model was devised as a way for writers to earn a living through their writing, which was often impossible. I understand that, and I honor the writers' talents and right to make living incomes.
For retirees who also live on limited incomes, however, subscription fees add up fast. Even Reuters charges a monthly subscription now! And it seems to me that retirees comprise 40% of many newsletters' subscribers.
I'm not offering a solution, just agreeing that the situation deserves some attention. ~
Being new to substack, I don't know what you're talking about.
You will read, watch and learn. As I opened to this response, these comments were 'down a blind alley', though at the beginning of the page. If editors don't like your comment, they HIDE it. But, as you read substacks, you will find trolls taking up oodles of prime page with stupid crap.
I'm1
Sorry! You'll catch on quickly, I'm sure, Eddie1A.
I want thank the academy.
My phone is messed up sorry for any spelling issues
I was thinking about something along those lines myself Frédérique. Hopefully other readers might also come up with good ideas like yours.
When I subscribe to a pub, I take it for one year. But then when the year is up, I don't always continue. Instead, I subscribe to another. Something like that. Like you, I can't do them all, so I wind up spreading it out. Also retired....
I would likely lose 75% of my subscribers if I charged them. That is because a very large portion are homeschooling parents or autodidacts who do not have money to burn. Also, I AM JUST NOT THAT GOOD. In fact, very few are THAT GOOD.
Substack should consider subscription bundles and even then, sparingly.
Very funny, Truman! And refreshingly humble and honest!! Frankly, I think you’re right in pointing out that most bloggers are not that good. I enjoy reading many, but not enough to pay for the privilege. Maybe we ought to be able to give them a score so that they could adjust their subscription prices accordingly!
I fear that such scores would be gamed somehow. One problem with Substack is that I don't know what I don't know. Is there some writer out there I would really enjoy? Likely there is. Finding that writer is hard. I am also smelling AI at work on some newsletters. I subscribe to one that cranks out 3000 word essays about everyday... hmmm...
INTERESTING AND I DON'T WANT TO RUN INTO THAT AI WRITTEN STUFF.
It might also be a question of taste and discernment. People like/value different things. ...I'm dropping the start of my serialised historical novel The Wrong Man tomorrow (Saturday). I only expect a few people to love it and a few more to think it's OK. At least it will be free, so I hope readers will hang in there! I'm happy to have the option this platform provides. I've read a couple of free serialised novels on here and even though the editing may not be top-notch, I've enjoyed their plot and characters.
I’ll post some of my tried and true Substack writers on my page.
Yes - I wish there were some kind of a combined bulk option. Hard to solve how to pay how much to who, but this comment is right about the $ adding up. That also stops me from subscribing to all that I like.
That could be interesting... and maybe Substacks choose to opt-in to the bulk option. I have had to cancel subscriptions and given myself a monthly SS budget. Now if I want to subscribe to someone new, I've got to cancel another. It is a bit of lesson for me --- the subscriptions I WON'T cancel are essential, therefore those are the ones I should study hard to see what they are doing RIGHT!
Agree 100% Ben Thompson Stachery said that Substack could and should introduce youtube style ads (as in they manage ad inventory not individual creators) paid subs are ad free the rest get ads
2nd alternative is bundling, 4 or 5 creators join forces less per subscriber but more overall revenue
For comparison i can subscribe to the NY Times City Journal print edition (posted Germany!) and Unherd for the same cost as a single substack
I am not a fan of the adds. They are annoying.
I also think it distracts from the commentary!
I would be willing to pay a small fee for the content.
I DO NOT want ads on Substack. People can have affiliate links instead if they choose. Those are not intrusive like an ad.
No to ads!
I just switch my Subs every month or so, the ones I follow all get some support over the year at some point, did that with Twitch and some Patreon channels over the years.
*my paid subs I meant
I just subscribed to your Substack. Because of this comment. And I also like owls
Thank you, Witold! I haven’t posted anything but my comments on other people’s posts I liked and reposted on my page, but you’re inspiring me to get started… for free, of course!
I actually turned on the paid model today and am offering original art to those who pay. So I assume that maybe just a few people will subscribe and then I can give them back much more than writing. All of them. I was also thinking about giving special offers to those who decide to pay if they want to buy objects or art available in my shop. For me the subscription model is a way to finally have a door on some content and be able to write about things I have not been able to write about for years.
I agree with you that it could be difficult to subscribe to many writers here at the same time. But for me this whole model has a different meaning. Oh, and I currently have one paid subscriber. And he is quite brilliant. 🤷♂️✨
I am going to weigh in as a YouTuber, hopefully that is not a dirty word here. I have to say their model seems pretty perfect. I don’t care about seeing ads, especially when I know my fellow creators get a cut, and the ability to pay YT to opt out of ads, which we creators also get a cut of, works for people who hate them. I would love to see that model here
I don’t quite understand the point you’re making. I just know that I can’t afford to subscribe to everyone whose work interests me. I need to plan how to move my subscriptions around & if I’ve understood correctly, annual subscriptions have to be cancelled at the beginning of the subscription & expire at the end of the year. That can’t be right I must have misunderstood
You'll like Medium then--one annual fee of $50 gives you access to hundreds of writers. https://medium.com. I'm on there as https://medium.com/@dgilesphilosopher.
True on the Medium front - I started there and it was life-changing.
Your comment gets me to rethink my model, thank you Genevieve.
SAME! As Substack gets more popular, I find more and more paywalled articles. It is disappointing (to say the least) when you hit that paywall portion of an article. I think it will get harder and harder to get paid subs when so many people are joining the platform and charging a subscription fee. Too many choices! That's where you've got to work hard to make your Substack essential so people will pay (if that is the goal). I don't currently paywall, and am considering a paid model where extras like coaching and programs are paid, but not my posts.
My paid subscribers get artwork sent to them that’s otherwise available at much higher price points. So it feels different
That is a special perk!
I write on Substack, but I totally appreciate your feelings. I am organizing a petition aiming at improving affordability at Substack. https://www.china-translated.com/p/making-substack-affordable-for-average
Most people will just pay for the 3-4 favorite publications. There are millions of potential customers, so it's not impossible to accumulate 1,000 true fans. As for halfway down paywalls, they're annoying but we shouldn't expect anything for free.
I am torn on the paywalls. I get it - writers should be paid. Although as more and more join Substack as writers -- I think it may get harder to get paid subs. You're right... 3-4 paid favorites (how do we get to be one of them!?) I've decided to not paywall posts, but rather a paid model where people get some valuable extras (coach session, workbooks, mini-course etc), but anyone can read for free.
You can also create two separate sections on the Substack: one free and one paid, where you put all the coach sessions, workbooks, mini-course, etc.
On my Substack, I have four separate sections though they are all paywalled https://www.asiancenturystocks.com/
This is great advice Michael! I like how you’ve set your sections up - I’ll do this as well! THANK YOU!
I have the very same thoughts!!!
I think allowing one time donations of any amount AND/OR a smaller quarterly subscription, for example, would bring more consistent readership.
Provides an option fir those with deeper pockets to contribute more money.
The All or None subscription approach is financial Monkey Mind!
After all, isn't what we want as creatives, is first to be seen and heard? ❤️
Same here. I have subscribed to writers who wrote about subjects that were important to me, and then I unsubscribed due to being unable to keep up with the content on a regular basis - feeling overwhelmed. As a senior, myself, on a fixed income I completely understand. The money adds up over time. I read what I can for free and even then there is so much more that would fill too many hours in a day.