This will be my last month hosting a newsletter on substack

Pack Your Bags, Friends. We're Moving!

Table of contents

-How Did We Get Here?

-Why Are We Moving?

-Where Are We Going?

-When Should I Be Ready?

-Notes for Those Thinking About Making a Move too

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How Did We Get Here?

Substack was a lifesaver when I joined in early 2020. It was still a relatively new company then, and the idea of it sounded promising- making it easier for independent writers to grow their own audience. It was a simple interface- a landing page that said “do you wanna subscribe?” and a list of my posts. There was no fee to join. And they had the option of paid subscriptions, which was really important because my primary earning was speaking engagements… and those had all been cancelled. I was fighting depression (like many of you), scared that I was going to deplete my savings, and quite frankly, I was sad that I wasnt going to be a part of your communities. I wasnt going to be speaking. I wasnt going to be answering questions. I wasnt going to be hugging you and reminding you of your agency. It all evaporated.

And then came substack. You all saved me. Those of you who still had disposable income decided to share. You gave me hope that I could have some level of financial security. You were my connection to the world. I was and always will be grateful.

Then a series of anti-black murders took place, including Ahmaud Arbery and a few months later George Floyd.

Suddenly my substack went from bringing in a few thousand dollars (enough to pay my rent and a couple bills) to more than 100K. But many of those new subscribers were not here for the long haul. They needed to relieve their guilt, and paying me was part of clearing their conscience. I knew it then. But like many things in life- the knowing didnt stop the feeling.

And it was painful to watch the sharp decline every month as people cancelled their subscriptions, yelled at me for any hiccups in cancellations, and primarily consumed the posts that contained my racial trauma.

I couldnt take it. Instead of feeling like I was a part of a community, I felt like I was a commodity to be consumed. So I cancelled everyone’s payment. Everyones. And I took a step back from posting here with regularity.

But as we gear up for the next four years, and as I get ready to release a new book- I want to be posting semi regularly again… but not here.

Why Are We Moving?

1. When I first joined substack, it was just a place to write newsletters. No bells or whistles. Clean posts. Direct relationship with subscribers. Very little noise. Just the words and you all.

But since then substack has added all kinds of features. They added their own social media platform. They expanded from a simple landing page to what looks like a whole website for the publication. They added audio, then podcasts, then video… And none of these things are bad, of course. The changes made some content more accessible, more interactive, more fun.

But I could see this was no longer just about supporting writers… the mission seemed to be about supporting creatives- again, not a bad thing. But I had fallen in love with the original mission in all its simplicity. Substack was increasingly becoming a place I didnt recognize. And their investments reflected that. It appears that substack is no longer (never was?) interested in being a home for small independent writers, but to became a place where displaced writers could build a media empire, exclusively using substack’s products.

I cast no judgment on this endeavor, but personally if I was going to build my own media empire (and I just might), I would do it elsewhere. I share why in the section “Notes” below.

2. Not long after I joined substack, I was made aware of a disturbing issue. One of substacks authors was using their newsletter to attack my friend based on her transness. A small band of us who were deeply concerned about this confronted substack. We were told that substack was also concerned and would be having several meetings about the matter. But ultimately we were told that the newsletter didnt contain a particular call to violence, and would be allowed to stay. Those who were able to divest then, did. But with the pandemic raging and this being my only source of income, I couldnt.

Rather than getting better about this over time, substack has only continued to disappoint.

When I first reached out to substack about my friend, we all had hopes that substack would quickly realize how important the issue of hate speech is to us. But that didnt happen. You can read about it here. But the short version is that substack is reluctant to kick people off the site for speech against protected classes. They are making money off Nazi propaganda. And because substack has built out their platform, I have to assume those newsletters are also being recommended (in other words marketed) via substacks systems.

Now it is true that I cannot divest from every place that allows hatred. I’d have to never interact with tv, newspapers, book publishers, social media, and the list goes on. This isnt about perfection. It’s about the ability to say, I can do something about this. I cant do something about everything. But I can do something about this.

Other folks also concerned about this doubling down have taken other approaches. For example, some writers dont allow paid subscribers at all- that way they can use substacks platform but never give the company a dime.

There are always multiple forms of resistance for those who are able.

I have read that caving into pressure, substack did remove some Nazi newsletters. But I dont have any hopes that this is an internal commitment.

3. Substack isnt profitable yet, at least not as of November 2024. And that is concerning for two reasons. For the moment, substack is only going to be around for as long as its leadership can convince investors to keep giving. And they currently NEED that political content (even if vile) because it pays their bills too.

For me, the reasons to leave are outweighing the reasons to stay… and there are good reasons some people stay. I want to be clear that this is not a call to divestment. There is no judgment for those who love substack. I plan to continue (free) subscriptions to writers I love. And I want those writers to be supported if you want to have a paid subscription. I just know that after being here for almost 5 years, it’s time for me to go.

Where Are We Going?

Im not sure yet! Ive got my list narrowed down, and my team will be making a decision about where we will go soon. You can see the reasons why I am considering each of these in the “Notes” section, but here is a quick list of the current front runners. Ghost. Flodesk. Benchmark. Beehiiv. Buttondown. Kit. I’d love to know if you have experience with any of these companies as users or as someone who receives a newsletter. In the meantime, I am reading everyone’s Terms of Service, y’all. I want to do my best to make sure our next home honors us and our work well.

Wherever we go, know that I plan to make the transition as easy as possible. My hope is that you won’t have to lift a finger to keep receiving my newsletter.

When Should I Be Ready?

My hope is to move in February. I want to spend time doing a little more research, but by the end of February we should be enjoying our new digs.

Thank You

I deeply appreciate y’all sticking with me- through the ups and downs, as I try new things, as I migrate… so many of you have been here for me, honoring my humanity and love of creativity. Im grateful always.

Joy + Justice,

Austin

*****

Notes For Those Thinking About Making A Move Too

Okay, this next section is for those who also have newsletters who are thinking about moving from substack.

Caveats first. If you have a small list, arent seeking paid subscribers or want a place where you can write, podcast, have social media- a one stop shop… substack might be great for you. Its important that you know my list is tailored to my needs, and yours might be different.

1. Substacks model is great for unpaid subscriber lists. Substack is not a great deal if you have a large paid subscriber list. Remember when I said, I was making 100K on substack? That’s not entirely true, because I was paying substack 10K. Since they dont have a flat monthly fee, I was giving them 10% of my income.

Even if I was to pay $300 a month on a different platform, that’s still only 3.6K for a year… That’s a difference of more than $6,000 that I could be using to pay artists, invest in new authors, or other endeavors that I care about. Having a big list for free on substack seems appealing because so many other platforms make you pay for having a larger and larger list. But if those folks are turning into paid subscribers, be sure to do the math. A monthly fee might feel more painful, but it could be better than quietly paying substack.

2. I repeat that substack has been in business since 2017, and they have yet to turn a profit. That is concerning if you are planning to build your community or your business here. Please be sure to regularly back up your subscriber list… just in case.

3. Alright! Here is what Im considering and why. This list is in no particular order. I am not a journalist so I have vetted nothing I am about to share. These are my observations based on what I understood as not a lawyer…

Ghost: I actually used ghost for a different email list, and I enjoyed it. They have a clean interface. I love the direct connection to unsplash for adding photos. They are run by a nonprofit and are open source. And they have publicly stated that they do not allow hate speech- period. I know of a few companies that moved from susbtack to Ghost because they are vocal about this commitment.

Benchmark: Their terms of service clearly state that they will pull newsletters for racism or prejudice. I dont know if they have or if they would, but I appreciate that they have considered it and put it in their terms of service.

Kit: Used to be ConvertKit. They have been around (under the other name) for a while, and that is encouraging. I like shiny new companies, but there is much to be said for longevity. And Kit is geared for creatives, as opposed to corporate marketing newsletters. They have segmentation, automation, a digital store and the ability to have subscribers and/or ads- multiple revenue streams.

Beehiiv: I’ll be honest, they look cool. They do have a clause in their terms of service about removing anything that is against a protected class. They are a little on the high side for white label branding, but if you dont mind their branding, it's not a bad price for larger lists. They appear to have similar features to Kit, including an internal service for access to ad providers which may be interesting for some of you.

Flodesk: doesnt charge based on a large email list! They have one flat fee which is almost unheard of. In their terms of service, they cover protected classes as well as misinformation (which feels very important right now). Ive been hearing mixed reviews on it though. On the up side- open rates after migrating are good and the templates are pretty. On the downside- folks are saying the templates can be temperamental and sometimes text gets converted to images for the reader.

Buttondown: This is one of the more expensive options with a large list, but there is a lot to like. They pride themselves on not using bots- when you need help, you get a person. They not only have a hate speech policy, they also have a climate commitment. They dont lock you into a contract. You pay a monthly fee and if at any time, you want to leave- you can without losing money on a yearly contract. I love the idea of posting from my own email (not having to log into the site), concierge migration, and you can allow paid subscribers to name their own price!

So that’s my list so far. There are others more focused on corporate business marketing. There are some that are probably better for building that media empire (consider patreon or Kajabi). If youre actually more about courses than writing, that’s a whole new set of options. My suggestion is to make a list of your priorities- what is core to your needs… then find that product.

***please feel free to share your experiences with other platforms