I just got a notice from Substack that I’m #63 rising in Business.
What!? I’m so surprised and stoked.
And what does Substack use to determine that ranking? Anyone know?
That’s what tribe member, online course instructor, and teacher
shared together with this screenshot:
Rodney is relatively new to Substack, and I sooooo felt his excitement.
Maybe you also got one of these exciting messages and did your happy dance or you saw others sharing these mini successes on Substack Notes and were just thinking:
What the…
So let me explain what the Substack leaderboard is and what the new “rising in (category)” means.
I’m a global top #25 Substack writer. Currently, I’m at #21 in the Substack category #Education.
Funny story: Before I went on what became a two-month mini-retirement (as Tim Ferris would say) with my family, I was ranked at #24. Lessons learned: Take an extended break this summer! You’ll never be this young again, no matter your age and the Substack leaderboard ranking changes all the time.
I’m writing this at 6 am in a small hotel room in Austria. Here in Saalbach Hinterglemm (1000m) in the heart of the Alpes, near the famous ski village Kitzbuehel, we’re surrounded by 2000ers.
This high-altitude air always keeps waking me up early.
But now let’s get started by reading this post and by watching the replay of our LIVE masterclass where I answered ALL your burning questions…
What Are Substack Leaderboards Anyways?
On a meta level, the new leaderboards bring the Substack ecosystem to life.
They are tools that help writers and creators find…
new peers,
newsletters to subscribe to,
potential collaborators,
inspiration.
help the Substack built-in audience discover fresh, compelling voices (like yours).
I think Substack’s leaderboards are amazing.
They can show you who’s….
growing fast
who’s earning big
and give you ideas, inspiration, and
even motivation to keep going (although your list is super teeny tiny).
However, at the same time, I know many stress too much about the rankings, so I hope with this post I can calm your nervous system.
If you zoom in, there are two main types of leaderboards:
What Does “Rising” On The Substack Leaderboard Mean?
Since the beginning of 2025, Substack shows you the fastest-growing publications in each Substack category.
Substack has 29 Substack categories ranging from #Business to #History:
You can find these on the Explore page.
As you can see now, “New Bestsellers” is the first thing you see. That’s new.
“New Bestsellers” shows you trending newsletter writers who are “rising” on Substack as WOW-worthy tribe members to watch…
in #Philosophy (also already a global bestseller!):
in #Education (also a global bestseller already)
or
in #Sports (on her way to become a global bestseller):
(Of course, many more members of the Online Writing Club are “rising” and trending on Substack. I SEE you all and cheer you all on, even if you’re not mentioned here. In case you have an incredible success story to share,, I might have missed, let me know in the comments. Hugs!)
Now, what does Substack use to determine that ranking?
Money!
This ranking is based on paid subscription growth (!) - updated on an hourly basis.
This is perfect for new writers starting to make waves on Substack who are not yet featured on the top bestsellers page.
Who Am I “Rising” With?
Also, it’s always interesting to see who you’re rising with. Since it’s updated on an hourly basis. This is where…
“Kristina I’m on the leaderboard… no I’m not “rising” anymore”
… is coming from.
I think it’s insane. So, for your mental health, keep this in mind. It’s changing HOURLY!
Here’s a WOW-worthy moment of my online writing life. I got featured together with #1 global bestseller in #Education and million dollar writer and ghostwriter, Cole from “Write with AI”:
He’s a legend.
My tip: Take a screenshot for your motivation and inspiration board and see it as a funny milestone rather than complaining or crying your lost your “rising” status.
It’s not worthwhile on Substack that is a river. People come and go. The river flows.
What Is A Global Top Bestseller?
Again, it’s about money!
The top bestseller ranking highlights the highest-earning publications, ranked by annual recurring revenue (ARR).
It celebrates sustainable, long-term success and subscriber loyalty.
Here, you can see that #20 is a writer who shares how to nourish your puppy. On #22 it’s about rhetoric, and on #23, it’s about teaching French.
To give you a feel for the money that is in the pot: The top bestsellers earn $200,000+ (depending on the category).
Where To Find The Substack Leaderboards?
Click on your avatar
Click on EXPLORE (https://substack.com/browse)
Click on one of the 29 categories that interest you
Check out the new leaderboards in this category
Here’s a full list of the 29 Substack categories for you:
Where Do I Find “Bestsellers” vs. “Rising” Newsletters on Substack?
Once you select a category that interests you, you can explore the two boards.
Let’s pick #Humor where you can see the top 100+ bestsellers globally…
and rising such as tribe member and humor writer
who is often trending…
How Often Do The Substack Leaderboards Get Updated?
The Substack leaderboards are updated frequently.
“Rising” every few hours.
Global bestsellers daily.
You’ll get a notification when you appear in “rising”.
My tip: Don’t stress too much about it. Similar to Medium, where I became a Top Writer in multiple categories… it’s often a vanity metric and even the biggest substackers share they are experiencing high churns this summer. Ans many tribe members tell me their growth is super slow.
At the same time, others have one viral post on Notes and “rise” super fast as founding member
who’s now a bestseller with almost 30,000 (!) subscribers within 6 months.Here’s her guest post:
How Am I Ranking On Substack In My Country?
A few months back, I was talking with a Substack representative and this person told me I’d belong to the TOP #50 authors in Germany.
I was soooo surprised and stoked.
“I can show you… Most writers don’t know about this.”
