Is Substack the best platform for writers? Is it right for you?

In this interview, publishing expert Jane Friedman explores Substack’s social media-like features, blogging-like functionality, podcast-host possibilities…and its implications for writers. From using Substack “Notes” to community cross-promotion, it’s an ecosystem worth understanding.

Substack is more than just newsletters—it’s a blog, social media, podcast host, and email marketing tool all-in-one platform. Perfect for beginners, but should we trust it with all of our content?

Learn the pros and cons of Substack on our latest episode of the “Ann Kroeker, Writing Coach” podcast after skimming the show notes and summary below.

But first…

Meet Jane Friedman:

Jane Friedman has 25 years of experience in book publishing, with expertise in business strategy for authors and publishers. She’s the co-founder and editor of The Hot Sheet, a paid newsletter about the book publishing industry with over 2,500 subscribers, and has previously worked for Writer’s Digest and the Virginia Quarterly Review. In 2023, Jane was awarded Publishing Commentator of the Year by Digital Book World.

Jane’s website, janefriedman.com, offers a wealth of resources for authors. She writes many of the articles herself and also features guest writers who are experts in various aspects of writing and publishing. You may have followed some of the many links I’ve shared in my own newsletter, as Jane’s content and curation of expert input consistently provides top-notch education and encouragement for writers across genres.

Jane’s most recent book is The Business of Being a Writer (sponsored post/affiliate link to Amazon) (University of Chicago Press), which received a starred review from Library Journal. And a new edition is to be released in Spring 2025.

Jane is everywhere. She’s been in The New York Times, The Atlantic, CNN, Wired, BBC, The Guardian, CBC, The Washington Post, Fox News, USA Today, and NPR.

And now she’s here on the “Ann Kroeker, Writing Coach” podcast, discussing Substack for writers.

https://youtu.be/JP2EuDDDGRI


Mentioned in the show (it’s a lot!):

• Read Jane’s thorough and thoughtful analysis of Substack from March 2024:  https://janefriedman.com/substack-is-both-great-and-terrible-for-authors/


• Sign up for Jane’s free newsletter, Electric Speed, or see if The Hot Sheet, her paid newsletter for publishing professionals, is right for you.


• Leigh Stein (switched from offering a free MailChimp newsletter to offering a paid Substack): the website signup page: https://www.leighstein.com/newsletter | direct link to “Attention Economy” substack: https://leighstein.substack.com/ 


• Ann mentions paying for George Saunders’ “Story Club” substack: https://georgesaunders.substack.com/ 


• And paying for Jeannette Ouellette’s “Writing in the Dark” substack: https://writinginthedark.substack.com/ 


• Article in The Verge about the Substack controversy about Nazis using the platform: https://www.theverge.com/2024/1/8/24030756/substack-nazi-newsletter-content-moderation


• Alternatives to Substack include Beehiiv https://www.beehiiv.com/ and Ghost. https://ghost.org/ 


• All the Substack newsletters Jane subscribes to here: https://substack.com/@janefriedman/reads 


• Courtney Maum’s “Before and After the Book Deal” https://courtneymaum.substack.com/ 


• Elle Griffin’s “Elysian Press” (Jane warned that her decision to unsubscribe from all substacks and only use the app means she’s encouraging others to do the same and will lose all of her own subscribers): https://www.elysian.press/ 


• Dr. Jen Gunter’s “The Vajenda”:  https://vajenda.substack.com/ 


• Peter Schoppert’s “AI and Copyright” substack: https://aicopyright.substack.com/ 


• Benedict Evans’ tech analysis newsletter on his own solution (possibly MailChimp with Memberful, a WordPress plugin to manage the subscription version): https://www.ben-evans.com/newsletter 


• Helen Lewis’s The Bluestocking as patron model substack: https://helenlewis.substack.com/ 


• John Warner’s patronage model: https://substack.com/@biblioracle 


• The Tangle news source, by Isaac Saul, mentioned by Jane as an example of subscription model with free and paid that is not using Substack: https://www.readtangle.com/ 


• Peter Attia – no way would he be on Substack, having built an empire on his own website


• Ann’s Substack, “Story Hatchery”: https://annkroeker.substack.com

Jane Friedman Substack Interview Transcript:

Ann Kroeker [00:00:00 ]:
I’m Ann Kroeker, writing coach. If you’re tuning in for the first time, welcome. If you’re a regular, welcome back. Today, you’ve joined hundreds of established and emerging writers who are discovering ways to reach their writing goals and have fun by being more curious, creative, and productive. And this is the Ann Kroeker Writing Coach Podcast. Today, I have publishing expert Jane Friedman on the show. If you don’t know Jane yet, you should and you will. Let me tell you just a little bit about her.

Ann Kroeker [00:00:28 ]:
Jane has 25 years of experience in book publishing. She’s the co founder and editor of The Hot Sheet. It’s a paid newsletter about the book publishing industry with over 2,500 subscribers, myself included. She has previously worked for Writer’s Digest and Virginia Quarterly Review. In 2023, Jane was awarded publishing commentator of the year by Digital Book World. Her book, The Business of Being a Writer, received a starred review from Library Journal and is coming up with a new updated edition in 2025. And Jane is everywhere. She’s often a keynote speaker at writing conferences.

Ann Kroeker [00:01:03 ]:
She’s been in the Atlantic, BBC, NPR. I mean, you name it. She’s probably been featured there in some way. And now she’s featured right here on the Ann Kroeker Writing Coach podcast. So let’s welcome her. Well, welcome Jane Friedman. It’s good to have you on the show.

Jane Friedman [00:01:17 ]:
Thank you, Ann.

Ann Kroeker [00:01:18 ]:
So when I asked you to be on the show, you you right away said sure, which was really refreshing and fun. And then I asked you, what would you like to discuss that you haven’t been able to explore as much as you’d like on other events, podcasts, speaking engagements, whatever. And right away, you said, sub stack. And I am curious why that came to mind so quickly and then why that was top of mind.

Why Jane picked Substack to Discuss

Jane Friedman [00:01:40 ]:
Well, it’s something that writers ask me about on a almost daily basis. And it’s a really complicated issue. And so it’s hard to give a single answer without getting into really like a 30-minute discussion about that writer’s background, their goals, you know, it’s it’s and and I too feel torn personally as someone who’s really invested in newsletters as a format, both to deliver great writing and content and as a marketing tool. Like, even I don’t use Substack, after developing a really robust list. I don’t feel like I need to, but I’m still drawn to it, because it does have this marketing power and networking power associated with it.

I think the confusing thing for so many folks is that you can still be active on Substack, and I am, without sending your newsletter through it. So in any event, there are all of these different layers to it. And oh, and then just to throw another variable in there, I don’t think Substack is always operating in a way that I think is what? Well, let’s put it this way.

Jane Friedman [00:02:53 ]:
They’re funded by venture capital. They’re gonna have to turn a profit at some point. And so there’s I have, you know, I never quite trust companies that aren’t yet turning a profit, which may be unfair, but there it is.

Ann Kroeker [00:03:06 ]:
Well and that’s why we’re having this conversation so that we can inform people who tune in. We can’t personalize it. Like you said, we can’t have that 30-minute conversation with an individual, but hopefully