Start your private Substack

A new-and-improved way to keep in touch with friends, build communities of interest, or test the waters for a publication

Today we’re making it easier than ever to start a Substack.

Our new-and-improved private publications work much like private Instagram profiles. Curious readers can now request to subscribe to a private Substack, and the writer can choose to approve or decline each subscription request.

Private Substacks are great for:

• Keeping in touch with friends. On Substack, you get a direct line of communication to all of your subscribers via email and our apps. Algorithms don’t decide if your friends will see your posts.

• Building communities of interest. Host conversations about niche topics with posts, Threads, and Chat.

• Testing the waters. See if there’s an audience for your writing before publicly launching a Substack.

To start your own private publication and claim a Substack URL, simply start a Substack and select “Private” in your settings.

Have you been running a private Substack? Tell us about how you’re using it in the comments.