from Nicolas Cole 🚢👻 | by Nicolas Cole 🚢👻

Substack just launched 4 new product features. • Writer & Reader Profiles • Flexible Paywalls • File Embeds • NFT Embeds Here's how each one works, and why I think Substack will be the next BIG digital writing platform 🧵👇

1/ Writer & Reader Profiles I started writing on @SubstackInc very early on. But my biggest issue with the platform was its lack of Discoverability Flywheel. With Writer/Reader profiles, Substack is going to become the next big social writing platform. Start now. t.co/jhfAJbh5E2

2/ Flexible Paywalls Paywalls in the publishing world are still an emerging category. NYT, WSJ, etc., are JUST now making the move. Substack's flexible paywall feature + Profiles is going to turn every writer into a mini free/paid publication. This is the future. t.co/ZxeaQ4jXwT

3/ File Embeds What do comics, poets, and financial analysts have in common? All thrive using visuals in their writing. This feature signals Substack has aspirations of making each person's "publication" a multimedia experience. Get ready 📈📈📈 t.co/EIDuW8dBqu

4/ NFT Embeds Building on the above: Everyone on Substack knows Twitter is the biggest traffic driver for newsletter readers. And Twitter is investing heavy in crypto/blockchain. Substack's awareness of NFTs signals 2 things:

a) What kind of writers they want to attract. For example, one of their most-popular newsletters is Not Boring by @packyM -- very crypto/web3 focused. b) What kind of functionality/financial ecosystem they plan to build. Don't be surprised if Substack starts accepting BTC/ETH.

Me, @lochhead and @EddieWouldGrow have been writing on Substack for almost a year now. Our weekly newsletter on category design, called Category Pirates, is one of Substack's Top 10 paid business newsletters. t.co/uWfyCa3aJZ