New Substack boom: Like an overdose of broccoli

I can't remember the last time I received a personal email. Invoices, advertising and Google Alerts accumulate in my private email folder.

But in the last few years there has been more positive news again. Tips on which non-fiction books I should read, a philosophical essay on romantic love or a rant against celebrities who market perfumes instead of music. I have the Substack boom to thank for the interesting emails.

A platform through which authors can send their newsletters (for free or for a fee). There is now also an app with a news feed in which recipes for pumpkin soups are lined up with holiday photos and paintings by unseen artists. And even though right-wingers and trolls have also discovered the platform, it is still a nicer Instagram. With a personal touch – but without annoying advertising.

Or as one Substacker aptly wrote: “Doomscrolling substack feels like overdosing on broccoli”. So the app doesn't leave you as negative as any meta platform, but with a feeling that you've just seen something beautiful, maybe even inspiring.

And even if most of the texts do not meet journalistic standards, the authors often discover trends and social developments more quickly than the average journalist.

So far, Americans have dominated the platform, but the platform is also becoming increasingly popular in Germany. In the last few weeks, the author Alice Hasters “In Between Things”, the editor Florian Kessler and the author Hengameh Yaghoobifarah with “Habibitus” have been added.

I don't have to worry that the trend will stop soon and my inbox will only consist of bills again. Because even if writing newsletters remains a hobby for many people that they give up quite quickly, the first authors in this country are now earning a six-figure amount with their newsletters.