🌸Substack’s NEW Flower Badges Just Expose Everything

Who’s supporting, who’s not, and why your paid status on Substack just went public

The Substack landscape just shifted.

And it all starts with… a flower.🌸

GIPHY

You might think:

What flower?!

I mean that new little gray bloom you’re seeing next to people’s names?

Months ago, an industry insider already told me something was coming.
“A ranking system,” he said. And that at some point we would pay for being more visible on the platform.

He wasn’t wrong.

For the 50,000+ writers on Substack came…

• Bestseller rankings

• Rising Bestseller rankings

Now for the readers (most writers are also readers, of course)…flowers.🌸

Like watching better? Here you go. I just recorded this for you!

Just Like Real Flowers These Badges Don’t Grow In Vacuum

They need soil (the platform), water (your writing), and light (paid subscriptions).

No light, no bloom.

That’s the idea.

Substack is turning financial support into a visible signal, a bloom next to your name.

I tested it myself before writing this post. Waited a bit before I add my two cents.

Here’s What I See

• People with 10+ subs who had told me they couldn’t afford mine and were asking me for a scholarship.

• People with zero subs except mine, those folks deserve an extra warm welcome.