What is Substack?

If you work in the media or public relations, you have likely heard the word “Substack” in the past few years, likely on the regular in the past several months.

So, what is it?

Launched five years ago, Substack is an online platform that allows writers to create a profile, obtain subscribers and send newsletters to subscribers showcasing their work as well as source opportunities and best bets for coverage from them. The platform even allows for payment, meaning writers may require a fee to subscribe or a combination of fee and free subscriptions.

In my side hustle as a freelance writer, I have not yet moved to the platform. However, I’ve seen several dozen colleagues do so in recent months, and I now subscribe to two dozen writers’ Substack pages locally, nationally and even a few globally. I found most through personal connections, but also played around to find others here.

While it is getting to be a lot to read every newsletter from every subscription, beyond media opportunities it is a great place to view how news and ideas come together based on topics, trends, breaking news and more.