{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Dataset",
  "name": "How much does a paid newsletter make?",
  "description": "A paid newsletter with 1,000 subscribers at $10/month typically grosses $10,000/month or $120,000/year — but after Substack's 10% take and payment fees, the creator nets ~$105,000. Most paid newsletters convert 5–10% of their free list to paid, so a 10,000-free-subscriber list typically produces $50–$100K/year in paid revenue.",
  "url": "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/answers/how-much-does-a-newsletter-make",
  "dateModified": "2026-07-10",
  "creator": {
    "@type": "Organization",
    "name": "RevenueLab",
    "url": "https://www.revenuelab.fyi"
  },
  "license": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "keywords": [
    "Newsletter Revenue Calculator",
    "Substack Revenue Calculator"
  ],
  "distribution": {
    "@type": "DataDownload",
    "contentUrl": "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/api/public/page.json?path=answers%2Fhow-much-does-a-newsletter-make",
    "encodingFormat": "application/json"
  },
  "json": {
    "type": "answer",
    "question": "How much does a paid newsletter make?",
    "shortAnswer": "A paid newsletter with 1,000 subscribers at $10/month typically grosses $10,000/month or $120,000/year — but after Substack's 10% take and payment fees, the creator nets ~$105,000. Most paid newsletters convert 5–10% of their free list to paid, so a 10,000-free-subscriber list typically produces $50–$100K/year in paid revenue.",
    "tableTitle": "Paid newsletter economics",
    "columns": [
      "Paid subs",
      "Monthly gross ($10/mo)",
      "Free list to reach it"
    ],
    "rows": [
      {
        "label": "100",
        "value": "$1,000",
        "note": "1K–2K free"
      },
      {
        "label": "500",
        "value": "$5,000",
        "note": "5K–10K free"
      },
      {
        "label": "1,000",
        "value": "$10,000",
        "note": "10K–20K free"
      },
      {
        "label": "5,000",
        "value": "$50,000",
        "note": "50K–100K free"
      }
    ],
    "context": "The free-to-paid conversion rate is the single most important number. Free-first newsletters usually convert 3–8%; paywall-heavy newsletters convert 10–20% of the initial-subscribe cohort but grow the free list far slower. Sponsorships and referrals stack on top: a 10K-subscriber newsletter can earn $500–$3,000 per sponsored issue.",
    "methodology": "Standard newsletter benchmarks from Substack, beehiiv, and industry reports (2024–2026).",
    "dateModified": "2026-07-10",
    "relatedCalculators": [
      {
        "label": "Newsletter Revenue Calculator",
        "to": "/newsletter-revenue-calculator"
      },
      {
        "label": "Substack Revenue Calculator",
        "to": "/substack-revenue-calculator"
      }
    ],
    "relatedReading": []
  }
}