I spend a lot of time talking about realistic ways to build income, so eventually I had to put the platform I’m writing on under the same microscope.
Can you actually make money on Substack?
Yes.
Is starting a newsletter the same thing as creating an income stream?
Not even close.
I don’t make any money from Substack right now. Maybe I eventually will, maybe the bigger value will come from products, partnerships, opportunities or other things that grow out of the audience I’m building.
That’s part of what I’m figuring out.
The bigger question, though, is what you expect your writing to do for you.
Are you trying to make subscription income? Build an audience? Attract clients or a publisher? Sell products? Land sponsorships? Or simply have a place to share what you know?
Those are very different goals, and they need very different expectations.
I dug into paid subscription math, subscriber fatigue, how long this can realistically take, other ways writers monetize their work, and one thing I think matters more as we get older:
Don’t build yourself another single point of financial failure.
If an income stream works, great. Build it.
Just don’t ask one platform, one client, one job or one paycheck to carry the whole damn boat.
For a more in-depth look at writing on Substack, the realities of monetizing it, and what you can reasonably expect, please check out my post on Substack here: https://midlifesidehustle.substack.com/p/can-you-actually-make-money-writing