More details may have cropped up on The rumor of Facebook’s rival Substack for freelance writers and publishers. Axios sources says Facebook is almost ready to start testing “partnerships” for the currently unnamed system with a handful of creators, and has shed light on how this publishing platform works.
This is apparently a free system that will connect to Pages, allowing you to post live videos, stories and other material that goes beyond articles and newsletters, you can also create groups and consult the statistics of your work. And yes, there will eventually be ways to make money from your writing, such as subscriptions and “possibly other forms” of income. Facebook is paying the test group to help start the tools, according to tipsters.
The tool is supposed to power the Facebook Journalism Project by giving journalists and other writers a way to disseminate their work, especially after the pandemic left many people out of work. In keeping with Facebook’s long tradition imitate products, however, it can also be about thwarting rivals. Substack is the clear example with over 250,000 paying subscribers, but Facebook may also have to worry Acquisition of Revue by Twitter and LinkedIn’s planned creation program. This future publishing tool could keep writers and readers on Facebook, especially if they thrive on multimedia content.
