In the last few weeks, we’ve had a growth spurt. Several wonderful publishers have started paid newsletters on Substack. They’re brilliant and we love them all. Here’s why you should subscribe to each.
Griefbacon
Journalist Helena Fitzgerald writes personal confessional essays that blend love and melancholy to strike on something that is simultaneously poignant and romantic. “Travel is the hope to experience the world as obliterative, the clean and unladen opposite of the self,” Fitzgerald wrote in a recent essay. Her writing lingers lightly in the mind forever. She is a pure talent, and Griefbacon is her gift.
No Complaints
Author and podcaster Caroline Crampton has been writing No Complaints as weekly arts and culture links round-up since 2014. Now, in addition to the weekly missive, Crampton, who’s head of podcasts for The New Statesman, is writing regular commentary about podcasting culture, covering the art, practice, and beauty of audio storytelling. No Complaints is a must-read for anyone who loves podcasts.
Versioning
Adam Roberts has been curating and commenting on the best writing for web developers and designers since 2014. Since then, Versioning has grown into a cult hit thanks to Roberts’ deft mix of humor and links to useful resources, accruing more than 49,000 subscribers. Now, Roberts is focusing full-time on newsletters for his employer, SitePoint, and ditching the ads from the company’s marquee publication in favor of payments from readers.
Work Futures
Researcher and analyst Stowe Boyd has been writing for decades about technology’s impact on the way we work. In Work Futures, he presents bullshit-free analysis of how AI, robotics, social media, and other major tech developments are upending business conventions and refactoring the economy. Read why Stowe moved Work Futures from Medium to Substack.
Mixtape
British writer Dan Dalton saves you from having to stay on top of what’s great in indie music by curating weekly playlists of 10 great songs. Dalton, whose debut novel Johnny Ruin comes out in March, creates his playlists based on themes such as mood, location, and time. As one subscriber put it: “Each mixtape tells a story and always makes Sunday more beautiful.” Read why Dan moved Mixtape from Tinyletter to Substack.
SupChina
Independent publisher SupChina is building a community of English-speaking people who care about China—not just the news or economy, but also culture and the arts. SupChina has made a name for itself with its email newsletters, covering “China in 2 minutes a day” and boasting features like “Word of the day,” photos by Michael Yamashita, and links to the most interesting writing about the Middle Kingdom. It also produces the excellent Sinica podcast, hosted by Jeremy Goldkorn and Kaiser Kuo. The publisher’s weekly Substack newsletter sits at the center of its new membership program, SupChina Access.
We’re proud to host every one of these publications and can’t wait to see what the future holds for them. In the meantime, keep a close eye on Substack. We have something interesting to reveal next week...
Welcome to a new batch of Substack publishers