I Spent 3 Years on Substack and Earned $45K

Here’s what I learned

In August, I celebrated 3 years on Substack. I’ve earned US$45K from direct subscriptions so far. It feels good.

My Stripe dashboard with one year’s income. I’ve earned US$45K in just over three years. Screenshot: author.

If you’re interested in using Substack I have a ton of Medium articles about how to get started, how to use the software and what strategies work best, so go ahead and check them out.

In this post I share the three things that helped me get where I am today, what’s changed through my Substack journey and how you can emulate my success.

But first, let’s smash some Substack myths.

3 Substack myths you should not believe

Myth #1 Substack is an alternative to Medium

If I had a dollar for every time someone asked if Substack is better than Medium I’d be laughing all the way to the bank.

Substack isn’t an alternative to Medium and it’s not better than Medium, that’s like asking if apples are better than oranges. The two platforms work in different ways and do different things. You can use both platforms successfully, and many writers do, including big names like Tim Denning and Tom Kuegler and Sinem Gunel.