For most of the history of media relations, the hardest part of the job was the pitch. Finding the right reporter was a matter of pulling up a masthead or searching a media database. That is no longer true. A growing share of the writers your audience trusts do not work in a newsroom at all. They publish how to find the right publications, and how to pitch a writer who answers to nobody but their readers. This guide covers why Substack matters for PR, how to find the right publications, and how to pitch a writer who answers to nobody but their readers.
Why Substack belongs on your media list
The scale is hard to ignore. Substack passed 5 million paid subscriptions in 2025, and the company's CEO has said more than 50 writers on the platform earn at least $1 million a year. High-profile journalists, including Derek Thompson, Jim Acosta, and Chuck Todd, left established outlets to publish independently in the same year. Poynter reported in April 2026 that Tangle, a politics newsletter that started as a side project, now has 12 full-time staff and roughly $4 million in annual subscription revenue.
The trend reaches well past the famous names. Muck Rack's State of Journalism 2026 survey found that 37% of journalists now publish independently under their own name or brand, up from the prior year. The Reuters Institute's 2026 trends report found that 70% of publishers are concerned that creators are taking attention away from their content, and 39% worry about losing top editorial talent to the creator ecosystem.
Put simply, the expert quote that used to land in a trade magazine can now land in a newsletter with a more engaged readership, and that newsletter is often easier to reach.
What the data says about Substack publications
Featured recently analyzed the 38,746 Substack publications in its Find Substacks database. A few numbers stand out for anyone building a newsletter outreach list:
90.8% of publications have Substack direct messages open. You do not need to find an email address for nine out of ten writers.
77.7% list at least one social account, and 48.4% list two or more. Instagram (46.5%) and X (43.5%) lead, followed by LinkedIn (27.9%), YouTube (23.8%), Facebook (17.7%), and TikTok (16.8%).
The median publication has 4,000 free subscribers. 24.5% have 10,000 or more, and 733 publications have passed 100,000.
57.5% offer paid subscriptions, 19.9% carry a Substack bestseller badge, and 32% also run a podcast.
47.7% launched in 2024 or later. These are new publications with writers who are still building their source networks.
Among topic-tagged Substack publications in the database, 32.0% cover culture, arts, and media, 20.0% cover business, startups, and marketing, 19.8% cover lifestyle subjects, 15.7% cover health, wellness, and science, 12.5% cover politics and world affairs, 11.7% cover technology, AI, and data, and 11.6% cover finance, crypto, and economics.
The last two points matter most. Nearly half of these publications are less than three years old, and a writer who launched in 2025 is far more likely to welcome a well-matched expert than a columnist with a 20-year Rolodex.
How to find the right Substacks
Substack's own search is built for readers, not for PR professionals, and it does not show you how to contact a writer or how large their audience is.
Featured's new Find Substacks capability was built for exactly this job. Inside the Featured chat, you type a request in plain language, such as "find Substack writers who cover supply chain logistics" or "find Substack publications about women's health." Each result comes back as a card that shows the publication's subscriber count, follower count, and the year it started publishing. The card tells you whether the writer's direct messages are open and links to the DM, and it lists the writer's related social accounts. When you find a fit, Featured drafts a collaboration pitch you can edit and send.
Whichever tool you use, build your list around topic fit first and audience size second. A 3,000-subscriber newsletter that covers your exact niche will outperform a 50,000-subscriber general-interest publication almost every time.
How to pitch a Substack writer
Newsletter writers get many of the same pitches journalists do, and they have the same complaints. In the Muck Rack survey, 43% of journalists said they seldom receive pitches relevant to their beat, 69% prefer pitches under 200 words, and 71% reject pitches that feel overly promotional. Cision's 2026 State of the Media report found that 42% of journalists want to connect with verified subject-matter experts. Those preferences apply with extra force to a writer who has no editor assigning stories and no obligation to read your email.
A few rules that work:
Read three recent issues before you write. Reference a specific post. Writers can tell within one sentence whether you subscribe.
Offer something the writer cannot get elsewhere. Original data, a first-hand account, or an expert who will answer follow-up questions on the record. Muck Rack found 40% of journalists value original data or research.
Pitch a collaboration, not a placement. Many Substack writers run guest posts, Q&A formats, or cross-promotions with other newsletters. Ask what format fits their publication.
Use the channel the writer prefers. If their DMs are open, use them. If they list LinkedIn or X, a short, public, complimentary note before the pitch builds familiarity.
Keep it under 200 words, follow up once, and then stop. Half of journalists say one follow-up is ideal, and 46% delete pitches that keep arriving without a reply.
Where this fits in your PR program
Substack outreach does not replace traditional media relations or source requests through HARO. It adds a channel where the audience is self-selected, the open rates are high, and the writer is often reachable in a single message. With a searchable database of 38,746 publications, the research that used to take an afternoon now takes a sentence.
Try it now at featured.com.
