Readfeed vs Substack for Authors: Newsletters or a Book Business?
Substack is built for newsletters. Readfeed is built for books. If you write books, here is why a book-native platform changes what you can sell and how you connect with readers.
Same Goal, Different Native Object
Substack and Readfeed both help writers build an audience they can earn from. The difference is what each platform is natively built around. Substack's native object is the post — the essay, the newsletter, the paid subscription. Readfeed's native object is the book — the title readers buy, sample, discuss in a club, and gather around for a live event.
If you write essays and want recurring subscription revenue, Substack is purpose-built for that. If you write books, you have probably felt the friction of trying to make a newsletter tool do a book's job. Readfeed removes that friction.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Capability | Substack | Readfeed |
|---|---|---|
| Built around | Newsletters and posts | Books |
| Direct ebook sales | Workarounds only | Yes, ~90% to author |
| Recurring subscriptions | Yes | Not the focus |
| Live ticketed events | No | Yes, built in |
| Book clubs and discussion | No | Yes |
| Signed copies and tipping | No | Native |
| Reader discovery on-platform | Limited | Yes, book-native |
| Own and export your audience | Yes | Yes |
| Platform fee | 10% + processing | 10% on ebook sales (0% with Author Pro) |
Where Substack Wins
Substack is the right tool if your product is your writing cadence — a weekly essay, a serialized column, or a paid newsletter with a recurring subscription. Its email delivery, its recommendation network for newsletters, and its subscription mechanics are mature and hard to beat for that format. Nonfiction authors and columnists in particular thrive there.
Where Readfeed Wins
Readfeed wins wherever the product is a book:
- You sell the actual book. Upload an EPUB and sell it directly, keeping roughly 85 percent — no cobbling together a Gumroad link inside a newsletter.
- Live events you can charge for. Host ticketed launches, AMAs, and Q&As and keep the ticket revenue. Substack has no native live-event ticketing.
- Community forms around your titles. Book clubs, discussion, and readable samples turn readers into a durable community, not just a subscriber list.
- Book-native discovery. Readers browsing books can find you. On Substack, you are found mostly by people already looking for newsletters.
- You still own your audience. Like Substack, Readfeed lets you keep and export your reader relationships.
The Smart Stack
The strongest author setups are not either/or. Use a newsletter — Substack or otherwise — as your update channel, and use Readfeed as your storefront and community: where readers buy the book, join the club, and attend the launch. Compare the direct-sales math further in Readfeed vs Amazon KDP and the creator-membership angle in Readfeed vs Patreon.
Getting Started
Sign up as an author free, upload your ebook, and schedule your first live event. Setup takes minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should authors use Readfeed or Substack?
It depends on what you sell. Substack is excellent for essays, serialized writing, and paid newsletters. Readfeed is built for authors who sell books — direct ebook sales at roughly 85 percent, signed copies, live ticketed events, and book clubs form around your titles. Many authors use a newsletter for updates and Readfeed as the place readers actually buy and gather.
Is Readfeed cheaper than Substack for authors?
Readfeed takes roughly a 15 percent fee on direct ebook sales and lets authors keep ticket revenue from live events. Substack takes 10 percent of subscription revenue plus payment processing. The bigger difference is what you can sell — books, events, and signed copies natively versus recurring newsletter subscriptions.
Can I run a newsletter and use Readfeed at the same time?
Yes, and many authors do. Use your newsletter for regular updates and use Readfeed to sell books, host live events, and build the reader community around your titles.