My Thoughts on Getting Paid on Substack

Why this monkey dances a little less these days

I’ve gotten a few messages from a few of you in recent months not exactly complaining about the cost of subscribing to my Substack (or, more precisely, the cost of subscribing to the many different Substack newsletters you want to read), but still communicating its inconvenience to you. I hate talking about money but after thinking about it for a few weeks, I thought maybe it would helpful to chat about this. This is a public post and the comments are open, so feel free to chime in with your thoughts. I always want to hear where you are on these things.

Okay, so, first for longtime readers of sayable.net where everything was free to read, it’s been communicated to me that the change felt a bit jarring, as thought your years of loyalty weren’t being rewarded but punished by now having to pay to read. I can see how it might feel that way, but I wonder if it could be considered that my years of work on Sayable now have a somewhat commensurate amount of reward? It’s still far, far, far below minimum wage, barely a few cents per post, but for me, it’s the thought that counts. The few dollars you send my way says, “Hey, I think your work is worth more than nothing and here’s my way of saying it with my actions.”

Next, freelance writing has never been a particularly lucrative career. Even bigger websites who make bank on the backs of writers like me, still pay what amounts to less than 5-10 pennies per word (for a 1000 word article, that’s about $100). For the amount of work that goes into research, queries or pitches, emails with editors (Oh the emails!), the actual writing and editing process, sharing the links afterwards, and engaging with comment sections, the writer is barely getting paid anything.

We wouldn’t ask this of a plumber or a lawyer or a bank teller or a teacher (well, maybe we do of teachers but that’s another conversation) or an IT specialist, why do we ask it of writers? What it communicates is that writing isn’t a real job, it’s a side job or a passion project or only for starving artists.

Side note: Nate has been reading (and regurgitating) a book on the history of marriage and sex through the middle ages and one thing we talked about this morning is how much suddenly changed in the 14-1500s and on. The printing press changed everything in the church and world in ways we can’t even imagine today. I don’t even think the existence of the Internet can compare with the invention of the printing press. If that’s true, then a wordsmith’s work is really important and if we want them to do good, true, and beautiful work, we ought to want to pay them a living wage to do so.

If, however, someone who is writing is not doing the good, true, and beautiful work you want to see more of in the world, you don’t have to support them. (I’m convinced that the Internet has actually watered down the existence of good, true, and beautiful work because it’s so easy to produce mediocre, wishy-washy, and lackluster work.)

Okay, to my Substack in particular, a few things.

First, you do not have to pay to read me. There are thousands of other thinkers and writers saying wonderful things to whom you can give your hard-earned cash. Or not. It’s up to you.

Second, if you are unable to pay to read me, I’ve said since the beginning you can simply email me and communicate this and I’ll comp you a paid subscription, no questions asked.

Third, if you do choose to pay to read me, here’s what your money is going toward:

First, it’s going to help me give more complimentary subscriptions to those who cannot afford to pay.

Second, it’s going toward the very real time I spend making this newsletter what it is.

Third, it’s helping to support our family in the space between book payments (My publisher pays out in three installments, 1/3 upon accepted proposal, 1/3 upon final manuscript, 1/3 upon publication—that’s all spread out throughout the two years it takes from conception to publication.). I’m only writing the book for a third of that time, so my work for the other two-thirds is primarily Substack, freelance articles, the minimal speaking engagements I do, and other one-off writing projects I might pick up.

The writing life in 2023 is a lot of hustle and hustle has never been the preferred life of a writer. Getting paid a few dollars a month from my readers on Substack helps me hustle a lot less. Significantly less. Markedly less. I cannot communicate to you how much less hustle I’ve had to do since beginning paid subscriptions. This means my writing is (hopefully) better, more contemplative, more meditative, less hungry for clicks and shares. The difference in my spirit cannot be overestimated.

I have loathed the relationship between social media platforms/algorithms and writing as vocation for years and made no secret about it. But having a paid option for Sayable has freed me from social media in ways I couldn’t have imagined even a year ago. Yeah, sure, the likes and shares and shiny things are very nice over there, they feel good to see, but they feel awful to have to keep churning out. Having a paid Substack has allowed me to delete my personal Facebook profile and just keep an author page up, which I passively share links to with an IFTT app. It has allowed me to opt out of Twitter entirely and to give a somewhat mediocre attention to Substack Notes or Instagram Threads, and it’s enabled me (most of all) to treat Instagram like the original photo sharing app it was designed to be and mostly stop with the micro-blogging. My numbers absolutely suck over on all those platforms. I’m absolutely stalled out on all of them and I absolutely don’t give a lick about it. I feel done with algorithms and sharing frenzies and humble brags and like numbers and emoji engagements. That is hustle, that’s all it ever was for me. It was exhausting and distracting and contributed nothing truly good to my writing.

This, though? Getting to write longer form pieces and unpack ideas more extensively and having space for beauty and the nuance of truth and the complexity of goodness? Count me in. I’ve always been in. Since 2001, I’ve been blogging and it’s always been my favorite writing medium and I can’t believe I get to still do it and so many of you are willing to pay what amounts to about 50 cents a week for it. You’re not paying me what my work is worth, not even close, and I don’t ask you to. But your 50 cents a week (or through the end of today only, your 25 cents a week!) says to me that you affirm my decision to opt out of hustle and algorithms and all of it. Consider it like a friendly hat tip as we pass one another on the road, or a pay it forward in the Starbucks drive-thru, or a few dollars in the tip jar at your favorite cafe. It’s not enough to live on, but it’s enough to say, “I see you and I value you and I want you to keep on keeping on.”

You’re not paying for the privilege of reading my illustrious words and copious verbiage and smart and intellectual wisdom (because, let’s face it, I’ve got none of it for you). You’re paying so I have the huge blessing to continue opting out of hustle culture and that’s good for all of us. That’s how I see it and I thought it would be good to communicate that.

What do you think? Let me know in the comments.

Do you think Substack is just another social media algorithm waiting to happen?

Do you see the $15 or $30 a year as elitism? Why or why not?

Do you struggle with limiting the Substacks you get to read because of the paywalls? (

Emily P. Freeman

had a great piece on this last week)

Is there work you do that you feel should be acknowledged with a tip and isn’t?

Also, not to be too much of a dancing monkey, but today is the last day of August and therefore the last day I’m running the half-off for a year’s subscription to Sayable, $15 instead of $30 a year. Grab it while you can👇🏼

Gustav Rienacker, Boy with Squeeze Chest and Dancing Monkey on Capri, 1912

Have you ordered my latest book? A Curious Faith: The Questions God Asks, We Ask, and Wish Someone Would Ask Us. Available now, wherever books are sold: Amazon | Baker Book House | Bookshop

Also available: Handle With Care: How Jesus Redeems the Power of Touch in Life and Ministry

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