Here is how indie authors on Substack and MailerLite grow lists, earn reader trust, and turn attention into income. We compare strengths, share real examples, and give a simple hybrid workflow you can copy. Use this guide to pick the right jobs for each tool and track what matters.
Substack helps authors publish posts, build community, and sell paid subscriptions in one place. MailerLite gives flexible email design, segmentation, landing pages, and automations. Together they form a simple stack: write where discovery happens, automate where sales happen.
Why this works
Readers find you where conversation already lives, then you deepen the relationship with targeted messages. Substack’s network effects and built-in comments help new readers see your work. MailerLite’s groups, tags, and workflows deliver the right message at the right time.
- Discovery engine: Recommendations, Notes, and cross-posts help more readers see you on Substack.
- Conversion engine: Lead magnets, sequences, and launch emails in MailerLite turn interest into sales and reviews.
- List safety: You always control exports and imports between systems, so you can change tools later.
Substack playbook
What Substack does best
- Friction-free publishing and a simple paywall for monthly or annual support.
- Network effects via Notes and recommendations that help new readers discover you.
- Comments, polls, and easy cross-posting that feel like a social feed.
Fees are simple when you add paid subscriptions: Substack takes 10% and Stripe adds processing and a billing fee. See Substack’s pricing overview.
Tactical ideas for authors
- Fiction: Serialize short arcs. End each post with a teaser and a reader question to boost replies.
- Nonfiction: Publish 2 to 3 focused updates per week. Use Notes for quick takes to stay top-of-mind.
- Paid tiers: Offer early access, bonus scenes, or office hours. Keep the free tier healthy to fuel growth.
Notes is Substack’s short-form feature for quick posts and sharing inside the network. Learn how Notes works.
MailerLite playbook
What MailerLite does best
- Clean drag-and-drop editor for book promos, ARCs, and launch emails.
- Automations for welcome series, sampler funnels, or review reminders.
- Landing pages and lead magnets to segment readers by genre or interest.
As of September 23, 2025 the Free plan supports up to 500 subscribers and 12,000 monthly emails. See MailerLite’s Free plan update.
Author-friendly integrations
Use MailerLite’s official BookFunnel integration to add readers who claim your sample or bonus story straight into the right group for follow-ups.
| Job to be done | Best tool | Tip |
|---|---|---|
| Serialized chapters | Substack | Post on a schedule and add a free recap post each month. |
| ARC and review funnels | MailerLite | Tag early readers and trigger timed reminders. |
| Preorder campaign | Both | Hype on Substack; deliver timed sequences in MailerLite. |
| List hygiene | MailerLite | Run a re-engagement automation every 90 days. |
The hybrid blueprint
- Publish consistently on Substack for discovery and community.
- Offer a clear lead magnet that lives on a MailerLite landing page.
- Send a short welcome sequence that orients new readers and surveys genre interest.
- During launches, post on Substack and send segmented MailerLite emails to buyers, reviewers, and new readers.
- After launch, nurture with monthly updates and occasional surveys to keep segments clean.
Case studies
Nonfiction: History newsletter at scale
Letters from an American shows how a clear thesis, frequent posts, and community notes can build one of the most read publications on Substack. The takeaway for nonfiction authors: consistent, topical analysis paired with reader Q&A builds trust that later supports books, courses, or memberships.
Fiction: Craft plus story
Story Club with George Saunders blends short-story craft lessons, office hours vibes, and curated readings. Fiction writers can adapt the pattern: alternate serialized chapters with behind-the-scenes posts to invite replies and sustain momentum.
Pattern to copy: Free public posts grow reach. Paid or bonus posts reward the core. Targeted MailerLite sequences convert interest into reviews, preorders, and long-tail sales.
Revenue math in plain English
If you enable paid subscriptions on Substack, your take-home is subscription price minus Substack’s 10% and Stripe processing and billing fees. Use paid tiers to fund your time, but do not stop nurturing the free tier that fuels growth. Source: Substack pricing.
Setup steps: moving between Substack and MailerLite
- Export from Substack when needed for backup or migration. You can export your list from your Substack Dashboard. CSV
- Import to MailerLite by CSV and map fields to groups or tags for genre and format. See MailerLite import steps.
- Send the right first message: a short welcome with a sampler link, reading order, and a single CTA.
- Automate follow-ups: reviews after 7 days, preorder nudge at 21 days, and a re-engagement check at 60 days.
Metrics that matter
- List growth velocity: net new subscribers per week across both tools.
- Active reader rate: opens plus clicks divided by total subscribers for last 30 days.
- Reply depth: average meaningful comments per post on Substack.
- Launch impact: sales or reviews per 1,000 sends on MailerLite.
Common pitfalls and simple fixes
- Double-sending: Keep announcements in one place. Use MailerLite for segmented promos and Substack for the story and conversation.
- Over-automation: Shorten sequences. One welcome email plus one follow-up beats a 7-part drip for most authors.
- Weak lead magnet: Offer one strong sample or bonus, not five choices.
- Messy data: Use groups for genre and tags for reader actions. Clean inactive contacts every 90 days.
Service spotlight
Author platform setup: Want this hybrid stack built for you? Our marketing team can connect your Substack, create MailerLite automations, and design a simple lead-magnet funnel.
Helpful internal links
- Plan your path with our self-publishing guide.
- See ideas in author marketing for list growth and launches.
- Get your hub right with author websites.
- For fiction, read Substack for novelists.
FAQs
Is Substack good for fiction and nonfiction?
Yes. Nonfiction grows fast on news and analysis. Fiction works when you pair serialized arcs with community posts and keep a steady cadence.
Do I still need MailerLite if I use Substack?
If you only publish and chat, Substack may be enough. If you launch books, manage ARCs, or segment by series, MailerLite’s automations and groups help a lot.
How do I move subscribers between tools?
Export a CSV from Substack, then import into MailerLite and map to the right groups. Send a welcome so readers know what to expect in each channel.
What should I charge for paid subscriptions?
Most authors test $5–$8 per month. Keep a strong free tier to grow, then offer early access, bonus chapters, or office hours for paid supporters.
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