Running a Donation Based Substack
Can you turn on paid subscriptions if you don't have anything extra to offer?
Last week I turned on paid subscriptions. I’d been putting it off because I wanted to wait until I had something really cool to offer my paid subscribers.
Then I read How to Make Money with Substack: Unlock the Power of Subscription Newsletters by
.In it she talks about various monetization models, including what I’m calling the ‘donation model’. This is when you allow subscribers to upgrade to a paid subscription, even though you don’t offer them anything extra in return, except the opportunity to support you, your newsletter, and even other readers who can benefit from it but can’t afford it.
As of last week, I switched to a donation model. If you’re already a free subscriber, nothing will change. And I’m not offering anything extra to my paid subscribers.
Okay, that’s not entirely true. I’m offering the chance to support me as I write my next book, and I’m offering a free copy of that book when it’s finished. And I’m offering the occasional book giveaway of random books I love, because that just sounds like a fun thing to do for my tiny little paid community.
Here’s was my upgrade options look like right now (you’ll see them in your local currency of course).
So who should consider this type of paid model? Does it work for everyone? There’s no-one policing this, so anyone could try it, but here’s who I think it will work best for.
Those who are writing for change
If you’re reading this newsletter you probably want to change the world with your writing, and that means your newsletter might be a good candidate for this payment model.
If you have an important message, if you’re exposing corruption or exploitation, if you’re advocating for a marginalised group, or if you’re doing anything that aims to make the world a better place, you’re in a position to consider this model.
I fall in this category - I believe – as I continue to spread the message that your words have power, teach you how to use them for good, and build a community of world-changing writers who can help each other spread their respective messages.
Those who have a wide range of subscribers
You might think that those who have high-income subscribers are the ones who would do best out of this model. After all if you’re on a very high income something like $5 or $7 a month is nothing. You may well be happy to pay it to support a writer you love, even if you’re not getting much in return.
However, one thing that some on this model (including me) stress is that any paid subscriptions help keep the newsletter free for others.
It’s hard carving out time from paid work to create a newsletter each week, especially if you have family care duties as well (I’m a full-time carer for my elderly mother). Paid subs make it easier. And then they enable me to spread my message far and wide, to those who can’t afford a paid sub as well as those who can.
Some people on a higher income are more than happy to be helping keep worthwhile writing free for others.
Those who hate to hustle
Many people look on their Substack purely as an income stream and are happy to hustle hard to get those paid subs. They’ll put a lot of work into marketing their paid offers and providing ever more impressive offers, like coaching and video training and online courses. Me, not so much. I’m a full-time writer with a message I think is important, but I’m really not a hustler.
I’m going to keep producing this weekly newsletter whether you pay for it or not. I’m going to enable payments, and I’ll mention the opportunity to upgrade from time to time - but I won’t be constantly hard selling it. It’s up to you. Upgrade or don’t. I still love you.
Some thoughts from others I’ve been enjoying this week
12 non-obvious places to source outstanding writing ideas from
9.7K Substackers Made AI Slop Go Viral from
What else I’ve been up to this week
Reading: Write a Must-Read: Craft a Life-Changing Book (one of my top 18 books for writers)
Watching: The Season 5 of The Handmaid’s Tale to prepare for Season 6 (out on this side of the pond in early May, so no spoilers please)
Listening to: When We Cease to Understand the World by Benjamin Labatut (Audible Audiobook)
This week’s Medium post
Friend link, as always, so you can read for free if you’re not a member.
Before you go:
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I really appreciate your sharing your experience with this Substack monetization model. I read Karen Cherry’s article awhile back and definitely noted this option, but you helped clarify for me how it might work and for whom it might work best. I have created a “membership” model for the paid Substack options, but if it doesn’t get traction, I might move in this direction, especially as I get older (am now 75) and don’t want the pressure of creating the extra content. Thank you.
Hey Karen, thanks for the shoutout! And great work in describing which type of writers might enjoy the donational model.
For anyone else who reads this, my book isn't available on Kindle Unlimited any more, because its inclusion there prevented me from selling it in other places. But it's worth the (low) purchase price, I promise! 😁