Your Substack Could Turn Into a Real Business If You Do It Right
Here's how I turned mine into a solid stream of income.
When I started writing on Substack a year ago, I had no idea what it would become.
All I knew was this: if I could build an audience online, I’d figure out how to monetize it somehow.
I’d spent a few years writing on Medium, getting paid through their partner program.
The platform pays based on how much engagement your content got from readers. It was an easy way to make money from writing and still is.
But Substack? Substack is different.
Rather than write and hope the algorithm spreads your content, you’re building an email list of people who get your work delivered straight to their inbox whenever you hit publish.
This means you now have several ways to monetize your writing instead of relying on platform payments alone.
It’s like going from a socialist system straight to capitalism. Instead of waiting for “community payment,” you’re free to monetize your audience however you want.
Here’s what that looks like:
You can turn on paid subscriptions and put a paywall on your premium content.
You can create digital products like ebooks, templates, or courses and sell them to your audience.
You can attract high-ticket clients for coaching, ghostwriting, marketing, or any professional service you offer.
You can monetize with affiliates or sponsorships once you have enough reach.
The opportunities multiply once you have direct access to an engaged audience.
Once I understood this, I saw a big opportunity to turn my Substack into a viable business.
I did some simple math: If I could get 100 people who trust me enough to spend $500 a year on my offers, that’s $50,000 in annual income. That’s enough for me to quit my job and do this full time.
So here’s how I turned my Substack into a business that pays me every month and how you can do the same.
How to Turn Your Substack Into a Business That Pays You
Now, I get it. Not everyone writing on Substack plans to monetize.
Some people treat their newsletter purely as an outlet to share their ideas, and that’s perfectly fine.
But if you’re someone who sees this as an opportunity to turn your skills into an income stream, you’re in the right place.
More and more people keep joining the platform, and I believe 2026 is going to be the fastest growth period for Substack writers yet.
Like I said before, Substack gives you complete freedom to monetize however you want.
Since you “own” your audience with a mailing list, you’re not at the mercy of the platform when it comes to making money.
With that said, here are the ways I’ve monetized my Substack this year, the results I’ve gotten, and what I’m planning for next year.
Paid Subscriptions
This is by far the easiest way to monetize on Substack.
Simply turn on the paid subscription feature and your readers can start paying for premium content.
For the first six months after launching my newsletter, paid subscriptions were my only monetization method.
However, over time, my content strategy evolved and so did my approach to monetization.
For most of 2025, I haven’t promoted paid subscriptions as heavily because I’ve focused more energy on creating and selling digital products.
At the moment, this newsletter has 2,800 total subscribers and 59 paid subscribers. That’s not bad considering I haven’t pushed paid subscriptions as much as I could have.
The lesson? Paid subscriptions are a solid foundation, but they’re just one piece of the puzzle.
Digital Products
This has been my main monetization route this year, and honestly, it’s been a game-changer.
I’ve earned over $20,000 this year from just a handful of digital products I created over the last 12 months.
It’s been challenging—I’d never created a digital product before the start of this year—but also very exciting.
Digital products are a fantastic way to monetize your content. If you’ve already figured out solutions to problems you once had, chances are someone else is struggling with those same problems right now.
One of the things I love most about digital products is that unlike paid subscriptions, you create the product once and keep selling it over and over. It’s truly leveraged income.
In 2026, I’ll continue working on new products and offers that clearly help you grow or monetize your newsletter audience.
Coaching
This is another area I’ve been focusing on over the last few months.
I’ve talked to countless people and answered hundreds of questions in my DMs.
For the most part, I didn’t charge for this—I genuinely love helping people who reach out.
But in recent months, I’ve started offering paid Substack audits to writers and creators who are struggling to find their footing on the platform.
With all the experience I’ve gained from helping writers one-on-one, coaching will become a major part of my monetization strategy in 2026.
I plan on refining this offer and investing more time and energy into growing this income stream.
Finally, the Creators Club Community
This is the one I’m most excited to launch in 2026.
After writing this newsletter for 15 months, I’ve learned that the best way to offer exclusive value to my audience is through a private community of serious creators who are ready to take their Substack to the next level.
I’m already working on making this the best possible private group for writers and creators who read this newsletter.
Here’s what you’ll get as a member:
Exclusive access to courses, tutorials, and workshops designed specifically for Substack growth.
Growth sprints and challenges to help you stay accountable and make real progress.
A support group of writers and creators who are learning and supporting each other every step of the way.
The community will be hosted on Skool and will launch on January 1st, 2026. I’ll be sending invites to anyone interested in joining.
If you’d love to be part of this small circle of committed creators, you can lock in your spot now with a paid annual subscription to this newsletter.
Subscribe right now and you’ll get 50% off the price when we officially launch.
Don’t wait—secure your spot today.
P.S. Lone wolves don’t win on Substack.
The best way to grow your audience is to be part of a small community of creators who take this seriously.
When you’re surrounded by people who are doing the work, you stay motivated, get real feedback, and connect with others.
Upgrade your subscription today and I’ll send you an invite on December 31st to join the Creators Club community. Let’s build something real in 2026.
Love this! My big goal for 2026 is to turn my Substack into income. This is very helpful! I’ve subscribed and I’ll keep my eyes peeled for more from you in the New Year! Happy Early New Year 🫶🏼
This is super helpful, Mark. Thank you so much for sharing!