Why Substack is not a substitute for your author website
I’m in quite a few writer Facebook groups and I’ve heard a lot of chatter lately about people ditching their author websites / blogs and moving everything over to Substack.
Substack is definitely the cool, new(ish) kid on the block and is especially popular with writers who like the fact that, unlike other social media platforms, it proritises long-form written content.
I know of many successful bloggers (usually writing in the non-fiction space) who’ve actually been paid by Substack to move their blog across to its platform, which has helped drive its popularity and growth as these bloggers brought their loyal subscribers with them.
Now, while I think Substack is great - and I know of many authors who have had a lot of success building followers and even monetising their Substack feeds - it is not a substitute for having your own author website, and I would never advise that you replace your author website with it.
And if it comes to a choice between having a Substack page or having your own author website then I would always recommend prioritising your own website.
And not just because I build them for a living (I promise!), but because of all the reasons I’m about to explore in this post.
The allure of Substack
I can see why so many authors are excited about Substack.
One thing I have found when I played around with it is that it’s incredibly easy to use and pretty well designed (although I find their main interface confusing, the blogging back-end is super intuitive and speedy and packed with nifty features like easy ways to share your content on other platforms).
There are a ton of authors on Substack already, including big names such as James Patterson, Joyce Carol Oates and Salman Rushdie.
Many authors are tech phobic and the simplicity of setting up your Substack to create a home for your writing and email newsletter without any of the technical hassle of website management is obviously appealing.
There’s also the community aspect of Substack - which makes it quicker to ‘grow’ your subscribers, and also, the possibility of monetising your writing.
(But I have some thoughts on monetising author newsletters that I’ll share later!)
The limitations of using Substack as your only online presence
There are tons of great things about Substack, but there are also many reasons why it can’t ever fully replace your author website.
Here are a few:
1) Platform dependency
Building your audience on Substack means your content and subscriber list are tied to a third-party platform.
If Substack changes its policies, experiences technical issues, or declines in popularity, you could lose the connection to your readers that you have so carefully built.
It’s the same with any social media platform - and I’ll just reference my much-repeated mantra: relying on social media / external platforms as your main online presence is like building your house on someone else’s land.
2) Branding constraints
While there’s lots to admire about the way Substack works, there’s no getting away from the fact that it offers limited customisation options, which can restrict your ability to create a unique author brand.
An author website allows for complete control over design, user experience, and content presentation.
Your author website is LITERALLY your home on the internet and you can decorate it however you please!
3) SEO limitations
I know that most authors don’t know much about SEO, but carefully writing tons of interesting, well-researched articles that don't drive traffic to your own website feels like a bit of an own goal to me.
Content published on Substack does not contribute to your author website's search engine optimisation (SEO).
By hosting content on your author website, you can attract organic traffic through search engines.
More than 50% of the traffic to this website comes from SEO (people searching for things on Google then finding my site in the results). It’s literally the engine that runs my business.
If I published this content on Substack, it wouldn’t show up in Google automatically - unless I verified my Substack and submitted a sitemap.
And even after doing that, I would have to be very strategic to ensure my posts ranked as highly as posts from ‘normal’ organic websites as Google prioritises sites on a custom domain (this is a bit technical but basically all Substacks are hosted on Substack’s domain, which makes them subdomains rather than custom domains).
And even if I did get traffic from Google to my Substack, what are the chances of people clicking off my Substack page to go visit a page on my website and find out more about my web design services?
Very small.
Substack, like all platforms, wants to keep readers on its platform. It doesn’t want them to go elsewhere!
4) Monetisation challenges
While Substack offers monetisation through paid subscriptions, do bear in mind that it takes a percentage of your earnings. And that actually, monetising your author newsletter isn’t something you necessarily want to do.
I get it, it feels super attractive - ooh I can make some extra money just by sticking my blog behind a paywall? - but actually you need to think about the long-term goals of your newsletter.
Most authors want to earn money from their books.
Author newsletters are meant to be a marketing tool to help drive awareness and interest in your books.
Putting your newsletter behind a paywall is going to really throttle its growth and prevent your newsletter from doing what it should be doing: driving sales of your books.
5) Better for non-fiction authors
Something else I think is important to understand is that Substack is much more effective for non-fiction authors.
It is far easier to build an audience around a specialist subject or niche, to brand yourself as a thought-leader or a micro-influencer in that space, and create consistent content on that topic.
If you write fiction, it’s going to be incredibly difficult to make your content stand out on Substack - the platform is already crowded with many writers writing generic content on ‘being a writer’ or on their works in progress.
One possibility is to publish your fiction on Substack - as my client Eleanor Anstruther has done very successfully, but in this situation I would see your Substack as another writing venture, rather than a vehicle for promoting your novels or a replacement for your author website.
Making the most of Substack as a fiction author →
6) Limited automations for newsletters
This isn’t something that’s going to make a huge difference to most writers, but I think it’s also important to acknowledge that Substack doesn’t offer much flexibility with automations.
For example, you can’t set up a ‘welcome funnel’ of automated emails that go out on a schedule after someone subscribes.
You can only send one welcome email.
There are also limited options for delivering freebies or ‘lead magnets’ to new subscribers.
It’s just much less flexible than other dedicated email marketing tools such as Mailchimp, Squarespace Campaigns and Kit.
What your author website offers that Substack can’t
So let’s talk a bit about the amazing benefits you get from having your own author website.
Here are the advantages of having your own author website:
1) Complete ownership
You have full control over your content, design, and user experience, ensuring your brand is authentically represented.
It also means that (provided you use a platform like Squarespace, or keep your security settings up to date if you use Wordpress) you don’t have to worry about being locked out of the platform, hacked or compromised.
Why I don’t recommend Wordpress for your author website →
You also don’t have to worry about the platform you built your online presence on being sold to someone like Elon Musk.
2) Enhanced SEO
As I talked about above, regularly publishing content on your author website improves its search engine ranking, making it easier for readers to discover your work.
Readers then land on YOUR website and YOU are in control of their ‘journey’ once they get there - you can make it super easy for them to click through to other pages on your website and hopefully find out more about your books (or better still, buy them!)
3) Direct monetisation
On your own website, you can sell books, merchandise, or offer paid subscriptions without sharing a cut with third-party platforms.
You can even set up online courses or sell digital products!
The options are limitless.
6 great Squarespace features for authors →
Substack doesn’t allow you to sell products directly through its site.
Maybe this is something they have in their pipeline, but at the moment it’s very much about ‘selling’ your posts, and they take quite a hefty cut for the privilege.
4) Comprehensive analytics
Access to detailed website analytics allows you to understand visitor behaviour and tailor your content accordingly.
This is yet another thing I love about Squarespace! The built-in analytics are super interesting and show me immediately which content is resonating with people visiting the site, whereabouts in the world they live, where they’ve come from and lots more - all of which helps me plan future blog posts like this one!
5) Long-term stability
Last but not least - your author website serves as a permanent hub for your work, unaffected by the rise and fall of external platforms.
I have had my author website since 2012! 13 years and still going strong. It has evolved with me as my career has evolved.
Integrating Substack into your author platform
The way I see it, Substack is an amazing tool that can be added to your author marketing arsenal, much in the same way that social media platforms are part of your overall marketing toolkit.
So, while I truly believe that an author website and self-managed mailing list should be your primary focus, here are some ways that Substack can still play a complementary role:
Content syndication
Republishing selected content from your blog to Substack can certainly help you to reach a broader audience and drive traffic back to your website.
Community engagement
The community aspect of Substack is incredible and can be really powerful for driving awareness of your author brand.
You can make use of Substack’s community features to foster discussions and engage with readers in a different format.
Conclusion
While Substack offers a user-friendly platform for newsletter distribution, it shouldn’t replace the foundational elements of an author’s online presence.
Prioritising the creation of your own website and building a self-managed mailing list ensures long-term control, flexibility, and growth.
By integrating Substack strategically, you can enjoy its benefits without compromising your independence as an author.
FAQs
Can Substack replace a website?
While Substack offers a platform for publishing newsletters, it lacks the comprehensive features and control that an author-owned website provides. A personal website allows for complete branding, SEO benefits, and flexibility that Substack cannot fully replicate.
What is the downside of Substack?
Dependence on a third-party platform, limited customisation, potential monetisation constraints, and lack of SEO benefits for your personal brand are some drawbacks of relying solely on Substack.
Should I blog on Substack or my own website?
Blogging on your own website is still the best option for full control over your content, branding, and SEO benefits. Substack can be used as a supplementary platform to reach additional audiences.
What is the Substack controversy?
Substack has faced criticism for its content moderation policies, particularly regarding the platforming of controversial figures and content. This has raised concerns about the platform's stance on misinformation and hate speech.
Is Substack a good platform for writers?
Substack can be beneficial for writers seeking an easy way to distribute newsletters and monetise content. However, it should complement, not replace, an author’s own website and mailing list.
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