‘I earn ₹2.3 crore a year’: Writer reveals how her Substack became a lucrative side hustle

San Francisco writer Amy Suto reveals how she built her Substack audience, job board and writing community over three years.

A freelance writer has turned a newsletter about the realities of writing into a business generating more than $263,000 in annual recurring revenue. What began as a way to answer questions from fellow writers eventually grew into a paid job board, community and resource platform.

Amy Suto has built a thriving community on Substack. (Business Insider)

According to Business Insider, Amy Suto, a 32-year-old freelance writer based in San Francisco, started her Substack in June 2023. She now has more than 58,000 subscribers and says the venture has become a significant bonus alongside her writing career.

How did Amy Suto start her Substack?

Suto began her career as a television writer in Hollywood before moving into freelance and ghostwriting work. She later published a book about building a six-figure freelance writing career after repeatedly being asked how she found writing opportunities.

While working from a café in Paris, she realised there was a problem she could potentially solve. She had more work than she could accept and was running out of people to recommend to clients.

That idea eventually led to “Make Writing Your Job”, a platform designed to connect writers with freelance opportunities and resources.

In 2024, Suto added a job board to her Substack, initially posting opportunities that she could not take on herself. The response encouraged her and her husband, Kyle Cords, to expand the service and search for writing jobs across the internet.

The platform later grew to include free resources, author interviews and a series called “The Guest Stack”, featuring creators discussing how they built their audiences.

How did the Substack reach $263,000?

Suto credits consistency as one of the biggest reasons behind the newsletter’s growth. She says she has published every week since starting it, while social media, Substack Notes, LinkedIn and Threads helped bring in new readers.

The business also relied heavily on organic growth rather than advertising. According to Business Insider, Suto says they have spent less than $100 on advertising.

The job board helped accelerate the business. Members can access different subscription options, including a standard plan costing $19 a month and a founding membership priced at $550 a year.

The venture reached six figures in annualised revenue around the middle of 2025 and has since more than doubled. It now generates over $263,000 in annual gross recurring revenue.

What is Suto’s advice for other writers?

Suto believes writers should focus on creating genuinely useful free content before expecting readers to pay. She also recommends choosing a subject they can continue writing about with genuine interest.

Despite the success of her Substack, writing remains her main source of income. Her freelance memoir ghostwriting work continues to be her primary business.

“Building our Substack has been an incredible bonus,” Suto told Business Insider. “It’s a side hustle, and my primary income still comes from freelance memoir ghostwriting.”

For Suto, the biggest reward is not simply the revenue. She says hearing from subscribers who found work through the platform has made the project particularly meaningful.