Five years on Substack: the good, the bad and the money
Five years on Substack: the good, the bad and the money
I worked out how much I get paid per word to write newsletters
Happy 5th birthday to A-Mail!
In honour of this major milestone, I’ve reflected on all the good things about having a newsletter, some of the less good stuff and I also totted up how much money this lil email empire has made me.
There are some stone-cold figures in this post, including the total amount of money I’ve made in five years on Substack, plus my per-word rate (it’s a doozy!). If you want all the tea, you’ll need to upgrade to a paid subscription.
To everyone who reads this newsletter, thank you. The only reason it’s celebrating big achievements like this is because of you. <3
The good
Some of these points are about having a newsletter generally, others are specific to the Substack platform.
This newsletter saved someone's life: Okay, I'm exaggerating, but after writing about my frozen shoulder at the end of last year, a reader told me it prompted her to help her partner check out a similar problem. She reckons that prevented it from turning into something worse for him. Just call me the solutions journalist!!
Martin Lewis emailed me: The national treasure Martin Lewis, founder of Money Saving Expert, once emailed to say he likes my newsletter. I thought it was a scam, but nope, it was actually him. Not sure if he still reads it since I've shifted away from freelancing content, but honestly, that was a pinch-me moment because he's a personal hero of mine.
Owning my own ass: At this point, writing for mags and rags feels like a humiliation of epic proportions. If I even get a pitch past an editor, I'm paid peanuts and get to sign away my copyright for the privilege. That's why I love having my own newsletter – in the immortal words of Natasha Bedingfield: these words are my own. I retain my copyright, my email list and my dignity.
Writing weird stuff! It’s worth considering that perhaps my pitches don't get through because they're niche. I've written about my notebook collection, my high school art teacher cutting up my final project, my fear of turning into Rory Gilmore, and that time my boss busted me for skiving off work. Pieces I've loved (and so have readers btw 👀) that no publication would've commissioned. It’s a thrill and delight to write what I want and find it resonates, despite what the gatekeepers might say.
An email empire: Earlier this year, I decided to apply everything I've learned about newsletters and take it to businesses. I built a newsletter strategy service, launching emails for cool companies. It's been exciting to see this new venture take off and put my newsletter skills to use in a different way. (More on the money side of this below!).
A badly wrapped gift: I always return to how and why I started this newsletter. I was just let go from my editing job, dramatically becoming a freelancer overnight. The newsletter was my anchor in those early days, buoying me while I figured out my next moves. I still hold onto it as tightly as I did then.
The money: As mentioned, writing for trad media isn't great. Low rates, slow payment. On Substack, money is instant – no invoicing or chasing payments. As soon as someone pays, it goes into my Stripe account, and I can set it to automatically pay out to my bank account on my own schedule (I do this monthly).
The Substack staff: The people who run this platform are simply excellent. Just the best! Specific shoutouts to
, , and ofc to for convincing me to come over here in the first place 5 years ago.Substack writers: There are people I only became friends with thanks entirely to this platform:
, , , , , and many many more. (If you’re reading this and are like Anna bitch I thought were friends, WE ARE!! Writing this section was v stressful).Working with friends: This is beginning to feel like an Oscars speech but… over the years I’ve also got to work with my IRL friends on this newsletter.
has written for me; has edited me; has counselled me, and has drawn for me. I love working with pals ❤️THE READERS: Hands down, the absolute best thing about Substack is the readers. That’s you!! You are the best thing about having a newsletter. The conversations I've had, the stories shared, and the genuine connections made have been incredible. A bunch of friends who actually want to read what I write?? Utter madness. I can’t express how grateful I am to every single person who reads this newsletter 🥹 💌
The bad
Some of these are me problems, some are industry-level issues, and some are specific critiques of Substack.