How to Make $10K/Month on Substack: My Blueprint
The step-by-step system I used to scale my newsletter into a six-figure business and how you can hit $10K/month too.
The Dream (and the Skepticism)
When people hear “$10,000/month from a Substack newsletter,” most raise their eyebrows.
It sounds like a fantasy. A pipe dream. Something only possible for celebrity writers or people with massive social followings.
But here’s the truth: $10K/month on Substack isn’t fantasy. It’s math. It’s systems. And it’s possible for anyone willing to treat their newsletter like a business instead of a hobby.
I know because I’ve done it. And I’ve seen hundreds of other writers and creators do it too.
$10K/month isn’t luck. It’s leverage. And you can build it.
Why $10K Matters
$10,000 a month is $120,000 a year.
For most people, that’s life-changing money. It’s the difference between being chained to a job you hate and having freedom to design your life. It’s the point where your newsletter stops being “a side hustle” and becomes your full-time income.
And here’s the kicker: it’s not as far away as you think.
At $10/month, you need just 1,000 paying subscribers.
At $5/month, you need 2,000.
Stack on sponsorships, affiliates, or digital products, and you can get there even faster.
This article is my blueprint for how to do it.
The Old Script vs. The New Playbook
We were taught the old script:
🎓 Go to school.
💼 Get a job.
🐑 Play it safe.
🪦 Retire… maybe.
That’s the system most people still cling to. But it’s broken. Jobs aren’t safe. Wages are stagnant. “Security” is an illusion.
The new playbook is this:
🌱 Start small.
🗓️ Publish weekly.
💳 Monetize early.
📧 Build your list.
📦 Launch products.
📚 Reinvest in your skills.
This is how you create real security. It’s not by obeying a corporation, but by building something you own.
The Mindset Shift: Newsletter as a Business
Here’s the biggest difference between people who make $100/month and people who make $10,000/month: mindset.
If you treat your Substack like a diary, it’ll pay you like one. If you treat it like a business, it can pay you like one.
That means:
Defining your audience.
Tracking your numbers.
Making strategic decisions.
Thinking in terms of systems and assets, not vibes.
A Substack newsletter is one of the simplest online businesses you can start. But it’s still a business.
Stop treating your newsletter like a hobby. Start running it like a company.
The Myth of Virality
Most new writers think they need to go viral to make money. That’s wrong.
Virality feels good, but it doesn’t convert. You don’t need millions of views. You need the right 1,000 people who care enough to pay.
Think about it: 1,000 true fans × $10/month = $10,000/month.
That’s not viral. That’s focused.
Why Substack Works
Substack is powerful because it combines two things most platforms don’t:
Email → direct ownership of your audience.
Payments → built-in monetization.
Unlike social media, you don’t need to game algorithms. Unlike traditional publishing, you don’t need permission. You own the list, you own the income.
That’s why I believe newsletters are the fastest path to online freedom right now.
The Math of $10K/Month
Let’s break down the numbers.
1,000 subs × $10/month = $10,000/month.
2,000 subs × $5/month = $10,000/month.
500 subs × $20/month = $10,000/month.
Even if you only convert 5% of free subscribers to paid, that means you need:
20,000 free subs → 1,000 paying.
10,000 free subs → 500 paying at $20.
Add in sponsorships ($2K–$3K/month once you hit 10K+ free subs), affiliates, or premium tiers, and you can reach $10K sooner.
When you know the math, it stops feeling impossible and starts feeling inevitable.
$10K/month isn’t magic. It’s math.
Setting Up the Blueprint
So how do you get there?
This is the system I use, and the same one I teach inside Substack Bestseller Academy. It’s not about grinding 100 hours a week or waiting for luck. It’s about following a clear playbook:
Build an audience you own.
Publish content that converts.
Monetize early and strategically.
Optimize for conversions.
Diversify income streams.
Retain paying subscribers.
In the next sections, I’ll break down each part of this blueprint in detail. By the end, you’ll have a step-by-step plan to hit $10K/month on Substack — and maybe beyond.