A writer can publish open posts, ask for an email before someone keeps reading, and save their best work for paying readers. It all lives on their own web address with a 1% fee instead of Substack's 10%. The same site can later sell a book, course, or workshop.
The honest take
The newsletter model works: give most of it away, charge for the best of it.
The question is who owns the machine. On a network, the domain, the ranking and 10% of the revenue are theirs.
Here the list is yours, the domain is yours, and the writing can finally sell more than subscriptions.
The first thing readers see is a simple email box. The welcome email delivers your best free piece.
Open posts can appear in Google. Other posts ask for an email or stay private for paying readers.
Send an issue and publish it to the blog simultaneously; email any post to the list.
When the guide or workshop is ready, payment and delivery are already on the site. You can also offer a related extra.
$9/mo paid tier · 1% fee vs 10% · products when you're ready
Honest answer: the Substack network drives real discovery. A common play is keeping a free Substack for reach while running the paid tier and products on your own Otium site. Our /vs/substack page covers the math.
Yes — monthly or yearly subscriptions, with self-serve cancellation via a billing portal.
It can draft from a short description using the voice notes saved for your site. Many writers use the draft for structure, then rewrite it in their own voice.
free to build · a plan to go live · your own Stripe account
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