How Your 5K-Subscriber Newsletter Can Become a 5-Figure Business (Proof Inside)
I built a newsletter income calculator based on real numbers that you can try for free
I started my Substack in May last year with no following and no experience. Six months later, I’m a Substack Bestseller with a FANTASTIC community. If you’re ready to start earning $1,000+/month from your writing in 2025, let’s make it happen together.
I’m here to help you every step of the way on your Substack journey.
Realistic Numbers for Your Newsletter Income
The other day, I was sitting in a tiny cafe in Buenos Aires, just finishing another newsletter, and thinking about where this journey will take me next.
As I reviewed my numbers and thought about my subscribers, one question kept coming back: why do people subscribe to me?
There are (I believe) quite a few reasons.
1️⃣ Probably the number one reason is because I share my journey on the go.
I started on Substack from scratch, and many in my audience can relate to that humble beginning. They don't come with a 6-year track record or thousands of subscribers—just like me. And don’t get me wrong, it’s obviously totally fine if you do. Those people simply worked on it longer and put in the time and effort to build that audience. Fine.
2️⃣ The second reason is that I started my journey because I wanted to earn with my writing. To create a life away from my usual startup hustle with late-night investor calls and things that make me anxious just thinking about them.
I want a life where I am in total control of navigating things that give me energy. Like my fantastic community here that makes me feel supported.
But, as you know, a community alone doesn’t pay the bills. I had to find a way to both earn money and build that community, and that’s exactly what I did.
✨ To sum it up, people subscribe because they get:
Real-time lessons from my Substack journey.
A peek into how much money can really be earned through writing online.
And while I was sitting in that cafe, I realized I wanted to share MORE with my subscribers. Something more concrete that combines my learned lessons with realistic earnings expectations.
My 2 Biggest Secret Lessons from Substack
During my Substack journey, I learned TWO very specific lessons that only time can teach you:
Conversion Rates: The promised 10% conversion rate from free to paid is a lie. At least for 95% of the people. If you are one of the lucky ones who actually get close to 10%, let me tell you that is special.
The norm is rather something like 0-4%. Which increases over time the more trust and credibility you have earned in your audience.Multiple Income Streams: Substack makes it very easy to add different income streams other than paid conversions. The usual order is something like this:
→ You start with switching paid subscriptions on.
→ You start promoting digital products through your newsletter, like PDF guides.→ You offer coaching/consulting/high-ticket courses.
These insights have been invaluable, and I wanted to share them with you in a practical way.
So, after much thought and testing, I created a (drumroll please 🥁)…
NEWSLETTER INCOME CALCULATOR 🎉.
It’s pretty straightforward, but it incorporates everything I have learned in my journey so far. Over time, I’d like to build it out more, but for now it’s specifically for SUBSTACK newsletters. You can access it here:
➡️ https://myonlineincomecalculator.com/
Please, let me know what you think about it and what else you’d like to see in there! Also, obviously, numbers can change for you, but this is what I have seen and learned so far.
Especially beginners can get a feeling of what is (and what is not) possible with your newsletter and how much time you need to put in to make it work.
Oh and, success on Substack takes effort. There are no magic shortcuts. Sorry about that. But if you put in the work, you will be able to see the numbers the calculator gives you. It does for me.
🙏 P.s. I created a calendar where you can see my events for free and paid subscribers and where to access them.
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love this
I think it's s but to early for me. I'm still in the "from scratch" phase. I actually have the most difficult time navigating this platform right now. I mean, I just figured out how to leave a comment.