The Best Substacks for Writers in 2026

Michelle Richmond is The New York Times bestselling author of nine books of fiction, including most recently The Wonder Test, and the creator of the five-week Substack for Authors course, where aspiring and published authors build an author platform on Substack.

These days, morning coffee usually involves a deep dive into Substack, where I catch up on publishing news, discover writers whose work I haven’t read before, and get a glimpse into the lives and process of writers I admire.

Here are some of the Substacks for writers I rely on—including bestselling novelists, literary agents, publishing experts, and inspiring teachers. A few of my favorite newsletters are focused on screenwriting, as I’m new to the medium (I wrote my first feature-length on contract last year).

As I gear up for the release of my ninth book, a spy thriller set in Paris (the second book in the Lina Connerly series), I’m also turning to Substack for marketing guidance. There’s so much of it here, it can be difficult to sift through, so I’m highlighting the Substacks that I find most valuable as a writer, including several Substacks to which I am a paid subscriber.

• Pitch Your Novel by Karin Gillespie (the Substack I bookmarked, restacked, and engaged with the most in 2025)

• The Caffeinated Writer (weekly posts on the craft of fiction, how to break into publishing, where to submit your novel, how to build your author platform on Substack, and the business of writing)

• Delivery and Acceptance by Alia Hanna Habib (Great industry advice from a literary agent who represents nonfiction)

• Sub Club by Kailey Brennan DelloRusso, Benjamin Davis Karina Kupp, Shelby Stretton, Justine Payton and Svetlana Litvinchuk — it takes a big team to curate this Substack packed with calls for submissions and the inside scoop on literary agents accepting submissions

• Dear Fiction by Brooke Lea Foster (most optimistic newsletter by a fiction writer, created in my Substack for Authors course)

• The Talking Bone by Rene Denfeld (best “where have you been all my life?” writer I just “discovered” through Substack )

• Better Days by Neal Allen (best mindfulness-meets-writing newsletter)

• The Shit About Writing Team, a spinoff of the podcast, by Carly Watters, Cecilia Lyra, & Bianca Marais (“advice, guidance, and support from publishing industry experts and insiders”

• Make Writing Your Job by Amy Suto features daily job listings for writers.

• Thriller Thursday (the perfect place to find your summer reads)

• A Reading Life by Petya K. Grady, “a space for anyone who wants to live an intellectually inspired life,” featuring Petya’s weekly book recommendations and “The Reading Life of…” series, where readers talk about what they’re reading and why (the Substack that will inspire you to read more)

• Brooke Warner’s Writerly Things (inspiration to help you keep writing)

• Literary Leanings by Michelle Martin (thoughtful book recommendations from a photographer on the coast of Maine)

• The Bookshop section of Zibby Owens’s Substack has book recommendations and author interviews

• Receipt from the Bookshop by Katie Clapham (the Substack that made me laugh the most, and why I’ll never walk into an indie bookstore without buying a book)

• Lost in the Marginalia by Barbara VanDenburgh

• Good Thing Going by Lena Dunham (books and style and many other things…the Substack I was most surprised and charmed by this year)

• Armistead Maupin — Barbary Lane Dispatches (the best storytelling Substack for people who love San Francisco, the newsletter I listened to/watched/quoted the most)

• Joyce Carol Oates (personal essays and excerpts from earlier books)

• Practical Screenwriting by Tony Tost (exactly how it sounds)

• 5AM Story Talk by Cole Haddon (best daily images and stories from the screenwriting trenches)

• Max Winter (the Substack I learned from repeatedly in Notes, excellent insights on film adaptations for fiction writers)

• Hope for Film by Ted Hope (the best big archive of thoughtful posts on writing and film culture from an industry insider)

• Underexposed by Alex Rollins Berg (a fantastic newsletter by writer and director Alex Berg, featuring interviews with filmmakers and posts on “the hidden treasures of cinema”

• Cut to: Writing a Movie, by Lauren Greenwood (Great posts on writing screenplays, shooting a short film, and more from a working screenwriter)

• Story and Plot by Tom Vaughan (I bought one of Tom’s screenwriting courses & found it helpful)

• Audrey's Weekly Email Newsletter by film & TV literary manager Audrey Knox

Thank you again for reading the Caffeinated Writer! Wherever you are geographically, whatever your phase of life/love/health, I hope books and writing continue to bring you joy and comfort (and entertainment!) in 2026.

As always, happy writing.

Michelle

about the cover photo: I snapped this picture at the restaurant inside Musée d'Orsay in 2025. Paris, where I used to live, is the setting of my new novel, forthcoming from Grove Atlantic.