In recent years, Substack has revolutionized the way writers monetize their content, offering tools to easily launch newsletters and build paid subscriber bases. However, as Big Desk Energy highlights in its article "Death by a Thousand Substacks", the promise of true independence for creators on Substack comes with strings attached. Beneath the surface, Substack’s business model raises serious concerns about platform dependency, control, and the erosion of writer autonomy.
The Illusion of Independence
Substack markets itself as an enabler of independent publishing, a space where writers can directly connect with their audiences without interference. However, much like other platforms such as Amazon for sellers, Substack's creators are increasingly constrained by the platform's rules and ecosystem. While Substack may help writers grow, it ultimately retains control over critical aspects of the writer-reader relationship.
For instance:
- Substack controls the user interface and reader experience, often prioritizing its own brand over the writer's.
- Creators lack full ownership of their audience; email lists are tied to Substack, limiting writers' ability to migrate elsewhere without friction.
This dependency is reminiscent of social platforms like Facebook or Twitter, where initial promises of visibility and control gave way to algorithmic shifts and profit-driven decisions that sidelined creators.
The Dark Patterns Driving Substack Growth
Substack's success isn't solely due to empowering writers. The platform employs several tactics that benefit its ecosystem but compromise the autonomy and long-term interests of its creators.
- Forcing Readers Into the Substack App
Substack aggressively promotes its app through mandatory download prompts during signup and embedded calls-to-action in newsletters. Readers often unknowingly subscribe to the app, effectively severing the direct relationship between writers and their audiences. - Network Recommendations and Accidental Subscribers
Substack auto-selects subscription recommendations for readers, which can lead to accidental subscriptions. While this tactic inflates subscriber counts, it also brings low-quality subscribers who are less engaged, resulting in higher churn rates. - Substack’s Embedded Promotions
Writers pay to acquire readers, only for Substack to redirect those readers into its own ecosystem. By embedding app download links and network recommendations into newsletters, Substack quietly builds its platform at the expense of writer control.
Homogenization and Brand Dilution
One of Substack's most subtle yet damaging effects is the homogenization of its writers' brands. Regardless of a creator's unique voice or niche, newsletters are unified under the "Substack" branding. This undermines individual writers' efforts to establish their own identities, further tying their success to the platform's growth rather than their own.
As Big Desk Energy points out, writers effectively become subcontractors for Substack, ceding creative and operational control to the company.
Substack's Endgame: Building a Social Platform
Substack's long-term strategy appears to go beyond newsletters. By centralizing readers in its app, Substack is transforming from a publishing tool into a social network for newsletters. This shift threatens writers’ independence:
- Notifications and engagement are controlled by Substack, not individual publishers.
- The app dilutes the focus on individual creators in favor of networked discovery and platform-first interactions.
This transition mirrors the trajectory of platforms like YouTube, which began as a space for creators but increasingly prioritized its own monetization strategies, often at the expense of the very creators who fueled its growth.
What This Means for Writers
For writers using Substack, these patterns highlight a critical trade-off. While the platform simplifies the process of launching and monetizing newsletters, it also introduces significant risks:
- Loss of audience control: Your readers are effectively Substack's users.
- Diluted engagement: Network-driven growth strategies often bring disengaged subscribers.
- Platform dependency: Leaving Substack means starting over or navigating a cumbersome migration process.
Alternatives to Substack
Writers seeking true independence might consider alternative platforms that prioritize ownership and control:
- Ghost: An open-source platform for newsletters and content.
- Beehiiv: A Substack competitor with more customization options.
- ConvertKit: An email marketing tool that supports paid newsletters.
Conclusion
While Substack offers an attractive entry point for writers, the platform's strategies make it clear that true independence is elusive. Substack's focus on building its app and network often comes at the expense of its creators, diluting their brands and locking them into a system they don't control.
Writers must weigh the convenience of Substack against the long-term cost of platform dependency. As the Big Desk Energy article warns, relying too heavily on Substack might leave writers trapped in a system where their success ultimately benefits the platform more than themselves.
For those serious about building sustainable, independent writing careers, exploring alternative tools and prioritizing audience ownership is essential.
