Earning money on Substack? That’s easy. And by ’easy,’ I mean earning a single dollar. All you have to do is humble yourself, write some articles, set up a paid subscription, and then toss your Ko-fi link at the end of every post (just like this). Someone will pity you eventually and throw a few bucks your way.
But if you’re hoping to earn enough on Substack to actually live on? That’s pure fantasy, a complete waste of time, if that’s your primary goal.
Go learn to be a plumber instead.
But I bet you won’t listen to me. After all, every writer is the same; they all want to make money by just ‘writing whatever.’ But that’s simply not how it works. If you want even a sliver of a chance to earn money through writing, you need:
- To work your ass off
- Uninspired, boring tactics
- A moral compass so low it’s practically nonexistent
If that sounds like you, then fine, here’s how you can make money on Substack (2025 Edition):
The Classic Play: Write About Making Money Writing #
Like this very article.
Substack is teeming with writers. Some of them are quite well-off and willing to invest in their ‘future.’
This is where your opportunity to ‘cash in,’ ‘scam,’ or ‘fleece’ comes in.
Are you going to sell your readers a pipe dream, promising them overnight riches? Or are you going to tell them the truth?
Will your readers earn six figures from their writing next year? Or will they only make peanuts?
Six figures? Well, it’s certainly possible.
Anything is possible.
If 100 people subscribe to my Substack paid tier and choose the ‘founding member’ option, giving me $1000 a year, then I’d be earning six figures (minus the 10% cut and Stripe fees, of course).
But chances are, that’s not going to happen to you.
To increase your odds of earning (and incidentally, doing less work), create a paid writing community. Let them help each other out, doing all the work for you, and they’ll even enjoy it. It’s a win-win, right?
Don’t forget to occasionally interview other ’experts’ and have them share their experiences with your readers. That’s the official line, anyway. The unofficial reason is that it gives both of you access to new potential clients. Writers who have already bought courses or joined communities are likely to shell out money for more. It’s like tattoos; it’s addictive.
This might sting a bit: if you’re dead set on buying some ‘Substack masterclass,’ then you’ll never make money on Substack. 99% of consumers are just adding another brick to that pyramid of ‘creators teaching creators how to make money by teaching creators how to make money.’
Alright, moving on.
No Matter What You Write, Target the US Market #
This strategy has many benefits. English is a universal language, so targeting the US effectively means targeting the world. But the US should be your primary focus because:
- They have more money.
- Americans are more accustomed to paid subscription models than, say, Europeans.
- Not to mention the tipping culture. It’s almost non-existent in Europe, but in the US, people consistently pay more than the listed price on the menu. Perfect for your ’tip jar,’ isn’t it?
Another reason is that the entire world pays attention to what happens in the US.
You could, of course, write about Hungarian politics, in Hungarian. It’s niche, with less competition, but the problem is, Hungary has a population of less than ten million (9.59 million residents), and its GDP per capita is four times lower than the US.
You could also publish articles in English to attract American readers, but how many Americans would be interested in Hungarian politics?
More importantly, how many Hungarians care about American politics?
Just Write About US Society and Politics #
The beauty of this topic is that people all over the world love to read about it. Everyone on Earth knows Trump is the new US President. Outside of Hungary, nobody knows their president is Tamás Sulyok, though some might have heard of their Prime Minister, Viktor Orbán.
But I’d bet money that far more Hungarians know about Trump than Americans know about Orbán.
However, the problem with this topic is the intense competition. Even Hungarian writers, as long as their English is good (and many are fluent), can write about this.
So, you need to find a way to stand out.
You could be like Heather Cox Richardson, a brilliant history professor whose subscriber count is nearing two million, with tens of thousands of paid subscribers.
But writing daily and matching her quality is not something just anyone can do.
A simpler, less ethical, but highly effective approach is: pick a side, then relentlessly bash the other.
Don’t hold back, go all out.
You’re not here to make friends with those diseased cockroach-like ’enemies.’ You’re not here to convince these parasites to change their minds. And you’re certainly not here to be decent or offer constructive criticism. You’re here to make money!
So:
Maximize Controversy, Go All Out #
No matter what topic you choose, especially politics, being reasonable simply won’t work.
Nobody pays for ‘reasonableness.’
My apologies. It’s not my fault. Do I think being reasonable is better for society and our mental health? Yes, I do.
But we’re talking about how to make money here, so ‘reasonableness’ is off the table.
If you genuinely want to be reasonable, go read Jon Haidt’s Substack, ‘After Babel.’ If we listened to him, maybe we could save the next generation from irrational social media.
But for now, let’s focus on making money.
Here are some ironclad rules for making money on social media:
- Be shocking and highly controversial.
- Continuously tell yourself and your readers that you are right and everyone else is wrong, until you believe it yourself.
- Steal ideas, copy others.
- Monetize the ‘hatred’ by writing about those who criticize you.
- Lie.
Oh, and swearing and insulting your worthless enemies is also highly recommended.
Think I’m wrong? Well, f*ck you. (I replaced that letter with an asterisk because I’m old-fashioned and think algorithms might not catch such a subtle trick).
Pro tip: Don’t forget to post tons of memes on Notes. No need to rack your brain for original content. Just ‘borrow’ them directly from Facebook and Twitter.
It’s all just junk content that will further ‘shitify’ our feeds and our brains, but who cares?
Money talks.
But what if you happen to have some ethics, or a sound moral compass?
Copy the American Playbook, Then Redo It in Your Own Language #
Alright. This move isn’t exactly ethical, but if you’re an artist, ‘stealing’ is just ‘inspiration,’ right?
I won’t elaborate on this, as my focus is still the US market.
In Hungary, not everyone speaks English, and many prefer to read content in their native language.
If you’ve watched international YouTube creators, you probably understand what I’m talking about. Many of them take successful ideas from top American creators and adapt them to their own countries, reinterpreting them in their native languages.
Similarly, this can be done for niche, high-value topics typically discussed in English.
This brings me to my next, and final, point.
Become an Expert #
The problem with political and social topics is similar to the plight of writers. Anyone can be a writer, and anyone can write about politics. The result is usually trash, or at best, mediocre, but this noise is enough to scare your target audience away from your Substack.
On the other hand, niche topics requiring expertise are not so easily faked.
This is also what Medium CEO ‘Coach Tony’ recommends:
The creator economy gets all the hype, but it’s nothing compared to the ’expert economy.’ You can write furiously every day, master all the tools, and barely scrape by. But if you can write one article a month demonstrating your expertise, and then directly charge high prices, that’s a different story.
- When you’re an expert, you can write a semiconductor newsletter on Substack and charge $500 annually.
- When you’re an expert, you can write a financial market newsletter on Substack and charge $60 monthly.
- When you’re an expert, you can use ‘white hat content marketing’ to become a recognized, highly compensated thought leader in the market for retired individuals over 55.
In this scenario, you don’t even need to put your articles behind a paywall, because the clients who find you through your articles will bring in far more in consulting fees than any article subscription ever would. But if you do set up a paywall, it feels like someone is paying you to advertise yourself.
That feeling is simply amazing, unparalleled!
Oh, and one last thing #
I haven’t mentioned fiction and poetry because unless you’re an established author with several ’traditionally published’ books, you simply won’t make money from these.
Of course, you’re welcome to prove me wrong anytime.