Newsletter

The Substack Alternative

Substack takes 10% of your revenue and owns the platform. Medium controls the algorithm. ConvertKit charges monthly regardless of income. Ghost + Neutrino gives you 100% ownership with Stripe taking only 2.9% for payments.

Your content. Your audience. Your rules.

Publishing, Perfected

Writing-First Workflow

Write in any Markdown editor – iA Writer, Obsidian, Notion. Copy and paste into Ghost with all formatting preserved. No reformatting. No broken layouts. No wrestling with editors.

The Layout System handles everything:

• Long essays scale elegantly
• Short updates look intentional
• Mixed media stays organized
• Code blocks for technical newsletters
• Galleries for visual storytelling

Hero Moments

Every edition can start with impact using Full Screen Hero Cover. Feature illustration. Data visualization. Photo essay opener. Even video for special editions.

Your newsletter isn't confined to email dimensions. The web version showcases your content properly.

Growing Your Audience

Conversion Opportunities

Engagement Tools optimize for subscriber growth:

• Homepage: Tag-based sections showcase your best work by topic
• Navigation CTA: "Subscribe" button always visible
• Pre-footer: Newsletter signup with compelling copy
• Inline signups: Capture readers mid-article at peak engagement
• Post endings: Author byline leads to about page with subscribe CTA

Free to Paid Pipeline

Memberships & Monetization enables sophisticated business models:

Freemium: Public posts for growth, premium analysis for paying subscribers
Hard paywall: Everything behind subscription from day one
Hybrid: Mix of free, registered-only, and paid content
Tipping: Optional support without gating content

Ghost handles billing, taxes, member management. You handle the writing.

Reader Experience

Choose How They Read

Modes & Contrast respects reader preferences:

• Light mode for morning coffee reading
• Dark mode for night owls
• System mode follows their device
• Hybrid mode for image-heavy editions

Every reader gets their preferred experience automatically.

Email + Web Harmony

Ghost sends beautiful emails while Neutrino perfects the web experience. Readers can:

• Read in email client
• Click through to web for full experience
• Browse archives by topic
• Search past editions
• Comment and discuss

Building Community

Beyond Broadcasting

Turn subscribers into community:

• Comments on posts for discussion
• Member-only posts for exclusivity
• Email replies go directly to you
• Social sharing built in

Segmentation & Personalization

Send different content to different tiers:

• Free subscribers get weekly roundup
• Paid members get daily analysis
• Premium tier gets direct access

All managed through Ghost 5.0 Compatibility features.

Professional Polish

Your Brand, Not Theirs

Branding & Customization means your newsletter looks like yours:

• Custom fonts that match your voice
• Brand colors throughout
• Your logo, not platform branding
• Custom domain, not platform subdomain

Navigation That Scales

Navigation Options grow with your publication:

• Start with About, Archive, Subscribe
• Add topic sections as you grow
• Include podcast, resources, events
• Footer handles extensive archive links

Monetization Models

Individual creator: Personal essays, paid subscriber community
Industry analyst: Free news, paid deep dives
Company newsletter: Marketing content, no paywall
Educational series: Free basics, paid courses
Niche publication: Specialized content for professionals

Why Not Stick with Substack?

Platform risk: They control everything. Algorithm changes. Policy shifts. Account suspensions.

Revenue share: 10% forever vs 2.9% payment processing only

Design limitations: Every Substack looks like Substack. No brand identity.

Data ownership: Your subscriber list stays with them

SEO limitations: Substack subdomain vs your own domain authority

Real Success Patterns

Tech commentary: Daily free takes, weekly paid analysis. $50K MRR within first year.

Creative writing: Serial fiction with paid chapters. Community in comments.

Industry newsletter: B2B insights. High-ticket subscriptions. Corporate bulk deals.

Local journalism: Community-funded reporting. Events for paid members.

Launch Strategy

Week 1: Import existing subscribers, set up payment tiers
Week 2: Customize design, create pillar content
Week 3: Launch with founding member discount
Month 1: Establish publishing rhythm, grow through content

The Business Case

Substack: $10K/month revenue = $1000 to platform
Ghost + Neutrino: $10K/month revenue = $290 to Stripe + $25 Ghost hosting

That's $8,140 more per year in your pocket. At $50K/month, it's $40,700 more.

Own your audience. Own your platform. Own your business.