Terms
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Publishing platforms and newsletters give writers the possibility of monetizing their writing in a meaningful way. Instead of launching affiliate programs, or saturating their platforms with advertising the writers are able to focus on the things they enjoy -- writing.
The exchange is mutually beneficial between creators and members. Writers are paid for their material, and users get the chance to access the content they enjoy, all while having an uninterrupted free of ads. No matter if you're a writer, journalist, or even a aspiring writer the following comparisons will assist you in making an informed choice about the platform is best suited to the needs of your.
Substack
Substack's main goal is to support creators and give them the tools needed to be successful. Substack offers many options that meet the needs of independent content creators. From audience monetization options to ownership, Substack lets writers control their own creative journey and build a sustainable career.
Features and pricing
It is marketed as "a space for writing that is independent," Substack offers writers the opportunity to launch a paid newsletter business, build community, and earn money through subscriptions. They claim that zero tech experience is required, and aim to "take all the responsibility, excluding the most difficult portion (the creating itself)." They guarantee "true autonomy" which means that the author retains the copyright on all their writing.
The process is simple. Writers have the option of importing posts they've written on different platforms like Mailchimp, WordPress, Tinyletter, Medium, Tumblr, as well as some custom-built websites as well as create a brand new website by starting from scratch within a couple of minutes. When the website is up and running, the creator decides what content is completely free and others are placed by Substack's Substack paywall. Substack takes 10% when a creator starts monetizing, but until that point, it's completely cost-free. The Substack team says it is possible to "start your Substack with breakfast and start earning money by lunchtime." Learn how to do just this.
Dashboard/Posts
The Dashboard page lists any blog articles you've previously made available, and also high-level stats of your latest post. These stats include: total views, number of people who received emails, and the opening rate.
Here you'll also see several buttons you can use for you to begin creating your next work of art. Buttons include: make a post new, a new podcast episode or a new thread. From this main dashboard, you can also view Subscribers, Stats and Settings.
Within Substack newsletters, they are referred to as 'posts which are posted on the author's Substack page for profile. When an account becomes active, Substack automatically creates a first draft post. The auto-message encourages people to sign up for the newsletter's creator and share the launch via social media. Edit or remove the initial pre-populated post or begin writing your next post.
Substack's homepage for posts
Editing or writing begins with the addition of titles, subtitles, and the author's name -- you could even invite guests authors to write -Then you'll have a sophisticated text editor which offers an opportunity to include paragraphs, headings, images, buttons, code, bold and italic text, quotes, and bullet points.
When you hit the Settings button, you'll have an opportunity to alter the post's visibility. It is possible to make the post private or public and choose whether or not to let comments be posted. You can edit your post's publication date, URL, and secret "draft URL" If you wish to share the article with friends or family (even prior to publication). You can send a test email, or alter the social media preview to make sure the image is perfect before sending it to your subscribers.
Once you have scheduled or sent the post, you return to the Posts page to see how many people have seen each one of your posts.
Subscribers
The subscribers dashboard shows you the number of your subscribers as well as paid subscribers, their gross annualized revenue, and subscriber numbers over the last 30 days, 90 days and throughout the day. It displays the email addresses of all your subscribers and their subscription type (free or paid), date the sign-up date, and revenue per person.
To add more subscribers You can join them via the email address they provide or you can export your current mailing list from MailChimp, TinyLetter, Patreon, and similar platforms to a CSV file and then upload it. The Substack upload tool can import any email address it locates, so only upload those that have signed up to your mailing list.
Stats
In the Stats page you can learn about the amount of traffic that was driven to your site and the amount of emails that you've sent over a 30-day interval, 90 days or even since the launch of your newsletter.
The Traffic tab shows the latest month's website visitors, as well as the origin. This could be from the article itself, your substack profile page or other social media platforms such as Twitter.
The Email tabs will provide detailed information on each post that includes the titles, date of publication and public or private audience (public or private) and delivery stats such as openings, opens rate, subscriptions that are free or paid after 1 day, and participation (likes and comments).
Settings
Here you can change the title and description of your publication. You can also edit discoverability options (such as tags) as well as personalize your About page, which will describe the advantages of reading your publication and signing up to become subscribers.
You also have plenty of ways to personalize your voice and the visual branding of your magazine, which includes your logo, cover image, email banner, as well as welcome message (which is emailed to users right after they sign up). You can edit email sending options such as your sender name, whether you would like to receive emails with replies to your articles, and also the your email address to RSS feeds, such as [email protectedemail protected]. There is also the option to join and unlink your social media accounts and Stripe for payment processing.
Integrations and compatibility
One of the most important features of Substack's offering is the possibility to import content from many other platforms. This saves you time since you do not have to duplicate your content from each platform you use. Substack allows you to import content from the Mailchimp, WordPress, TinyLetter, Tumblr, website RSS feed Podcast RSS feed Stripe and more.
However, a lot of Substack's focus on integrations is data and tracking So you are able to add the following: Facebook Pixel ID, Twitter Pixel ID, Parse.ly Pixel ID, Google Analytics Pixel ID, Google Tag Manager ID Google Site Verification, and Facebook Site Verification.
These pixels allow for monitoring your readership/engagement levels and some create an integration with advertising platforms. For example, if you add the Facebook Pixel ID (found on your Facebook Business Page) to your Substack, Facebook can track audiences for relevant advertisements.
Medium
Medium, on the other hand, is a content creation and publishing platform which houses various articles by many writers. Medium is a social-based discovery platform, where writers are able to reach out to a wide public and connect with people who read online and have similar interest. Medium provides a straightforward interface, a variety of social features as well as an inbuilt distribution network.
Prices and Features
Medium.com offers a wide range of tools and functions to readers and content creators. It has become a go-to website for organizations and individuals to share ideas, stories, and knowledge with a global community.
You can easily create and format articles using a simple and intuitive editor. Medium provides a distraction-free writing space with all the necessary formatting options such as headings, lists as well as images and embedding multimedia information. After you've written your article, you can upload it and make it available to everyone or limit the publication to a specific audience.
Access to unlimited access is $5 USD/month if you pay each month or $50 USD/year if the year is paid in advance.
Dashboard/Home
Similar to the social media sites, Medium offers an extensive audience of followers and readers who actively seek out interesting content. Thanks to the algorithm and curation mechanism, which includes an editor's choice' newsletter, articles have the potential to gain recognition and reach a huge number of people. It can assist creators as well as writers reach out to people who read their articles, develop a following, and increase their influence in their respective areas of expertise.
Medium has a large user base, providing writers with the opportunity to communicate to an even larger audience and get exposure for their work. Medium's vast reach guarantees that your articles have the chance of being discovered by readers who share an interest in your subject matter.
The platform's curated sections help surface content to relevant readers and increase the chance of engagement and visibility. By leveraging these discovery mechanisms it is possible to tap into Medium's distribution network and maximize the visibility of your content.
Post editor
Medium offers a broad array of tools to create content, including advanced formatting options, embedded media support with images and video, and the capability to include customized code fragments. The platform enables writers to write visually pleasing content with rich media components and is suitable for those who create content using digital media and prefer an approach that is more visual.
Through Medium's post editor, which is flexible, writers can customize the style and appearance of their posts to match with their own personal branding. The platform supports multimedia integration that allows for seamless addition of photos as well as videos and other interactive elements. It doesn't matter if you'd like to display your skills in photography or display facts through graphs and illustrations, Medium allows you to make captivating material.
Network effect
Medium creates a sense community with features such as comments, highlights, as well as suggestions, which allow writers to interact with their audience. The tools for engagement facilitate deep discussions and create a supportive atmosphere for writers to communicate to their readers.
Medium's network effect plays an important role in increasing the visibility of writer's content. If readers interact with the content via claps, comments and shares, the algorithms of Medium take note of the interactions and display the articles for a wider public. The network effect allows writers to reach out beyond their existing follower base and attract new readers who are interested in their particular field.
How to make money: Medium's Partner Program
Medium operates on a different monetization model known as Medium Partner Program. Medium Partner Program. Writers can join this program and make money on the basis of the engagement their articles receive which includes applauds (Medium's equivalent of likes) and reading time. (While there is a chance to earn is present in Medium, earnings is less certain compared to Substack's subscription-based model.)
The Medium Partner Program encourages authors to focus on creating engaging and thought-provoking articles that are a hit with readers. By rewarding articles based on comments from readers and their interactions, Medium promotes the development of quality content that is captivating and entertains its readers. The model offers the chance for publishers to earn a profit as well as maintain a cost-free and accessible publishing platform.
Conclusion: Medium vs Substack
Substack and Medium offer different things to cater to different creators -- the best way to choose the platform for you is to consider what you want to get out of your newsletter/publishing platform. Substack empowers independent writers with monetization options, audience ownership, and a simple yet targeted experience for writing. However, Medium offers a vast audience, include features for discovering as well as a sense of belonging.
In providing unique and valuable content to your subscribers, you can generate income as well as sustain your artistic endeavors. Both choices serve a unique function, but it's your choice to decide which is best for you and your target audience. Happy writing!