I didn't have a plan when I arrived onto the Substack platform in 2022 but I did hook stripe up straight away and set prices for my paid subscribers.
I was open to receiving money in new ways at that time. It felt magical compared to waiting 3months for commissioners to pay my invoices or worst still losing them for months at a time.
In fact, I've made over £100k since I started there. That's a lot of money through one platform I know. And yes £92k of that is through my Substack membership and an extra £11k through my paid newsletter.
The thing is there are SO many ways to USD $10k/ £10k on Substack and you don't have to make it hard for yourself.
You might think...
My list is small - mine was 350 people.
I don't want to feel salesy - I never mentioned the paywall - it's just about the way you present value to people and your model.
I don't know if anyone will pay for my writing/ what I've got to say/ share - Have you said it all though? Have you tried using your DEEP authentic voice online? Substack is a NEW engine for culture - over 5 million people pay for writing on there. You're fine love. You don't have to be a best selling author to get paid.
I don't know if I can 'be consistent' - you don't have to be but also are you consistently doing other things like eating and brushing your teeth? Posting on social media? Yep I'm sure you are - consistency doesn't mean every week it means when you want to and you tell your audience that and set your boundary from the off.
I'm still figuring it out? Me too babe! I'm four years in - that's the fun bit!
I feel like I'm too late - there are only 50 million people inside the Substack network v 4billion on IG - you're early love - you have time. The digital download economy was valued at $124 billion in 2025, with projections to reach over $416 billion by 2030. Substack's economy is BRAND new.
$10k sounds alot - ok let's break it down...
See, there are lots of ways but more than that, long form writing helps engage your audience more quickly that short form social media posts. In shortening the nurture timeline, you get to present your beautiful offers to the world and get paid more quickly than trying to go viral on socials and managing the audience into a complex email funnel.
"On the very first day, I recouped the entire cost of the course simply by implementing the changes Claire recommended in the first lesson and sending 1 email to my list."
"I love Claire's open hearted, enthusiastic and generous sharing and support around Substack. It has extended my goals, I've managed to get Bestseller status (101 paid subs) within months of working with her, all whilst working intuitively, from the heart, with flexibility and always keeping my writing at the heart."
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"I've been overjoyed to be a Diamond Member at Sparkle on Substack, but I also snatched up Claire's book and attended the World-Class Substack workshop she ran with co-author Russell Nohelty.
Following one tip they shared led to me more than doubling paid subscribers (and my annual income from Substack) in three days!
Now let's see what happens when I read through my notes and try any of the other dozen ideas I had on just that one call. You owe it to yourself to learn from Claire if you want to build a sustainable Substack that brings you (and your readers) joy."
Hi, I'm Claire. I'm an Engagement Consultant and Mentor and I started my journey with Substack in 2022. I've built my audience to 15k readers across two publications, work with over 500 members and I'm so excited to share more with you. Come join us.