What I Can’t Do on Substack, I Do With Gumroad
Synergy at its best
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My Medium friends can read this story over there as well.
Substack has become my writing home. Just as much or even more than Medium.
In fact, Substack has become more than just a place to publish. It’s now my daily blog, my weekly newsletter, and my main social media network (with Substack Notes).
Alongside Medium, Substack is the foundation of my online presence.
Why?
It’s simple, minimal, and easy to use
It’s free
It’s robust and well-designed
And readers are there
Substack’s Upsides
I find myself drawn to the Substack editor.
Its clean interface and intuitive design make daily blogging feel less like a chore and more like a conversation with readers.
I ditched Notion for writing almost completely, too. I draft in Apple Notes, and then directly work in Substack for the final touches and publishing.
My subscribers and followers on Substack know that a new post will likely appear in their inbox each Tuesday, with more content being published every day.
The built-in email delivery system is robust and reliable. The analytics, while not overly complex, provide just enough insight to understand what resonates with my audience. Additionally, I hooked my Substack publication up to the Google Search Console to get even more insights about visitors and bounce rates.
And then there’s Substack Notes. This relatively new addition has transformed Substack from a publishing platform into a social network for writers and readers.
A more focused version of X/Twitter, with less distraction than other platforms.
I use it to share quick thoughts, engage in real-time discussions, and share the work of other creators.
Substack’s Downsides
However, despite my affection for Substack, there are certain functionalities it simply doesn’t offer. For good reason, I might add.
But I need some of those.
Most critically, Substack lacks robust email automation capabilities.
This is by design. Substack doesn’t want to become an email marketing platform like Kit, MailerLite, or Beehiiv. I am fine with that.
But for some things, I need a bit more. When someone signs up for my newsletter, I want to be able to send them a series of emails, delivered in a specific order and at predetermined intervals.
Simple email automation, basically.
This could be a “getting started” sequence, a series introducing my core ideas, or even a short course delivered directly to their inbox.
Substack’s email functionality is primarily broadcast-based: you send an email, and everyone on your list receives it. There’s no native way to create drip campaigns, segment subscribers based on their actions, or trigger emails based on specific events.
This is a limitation for anyone looking to nurture their audience systematically, onboard new subscribers effectively, or deliver evergreen content in a structured manner.
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Turn your iPhone home screen into a stunning Vision OS* version.
Enter Gumroad
For this purpose, I use another tool I love. Gumroad.
And for something else as well. Substack doesn’t offer any native e-commerce capabilities. And it shouldn’t, in my opinion.
I sell digital products: e-books, templates, designs, and exclusive content packages. While I can certainly mention these products in my Substack posts and newsletters, there’s no integrated way to host, manage, and sell them directly on the platform.
A great tool to do this on Substack is called Sidestack*, if you’re looking for something like that.
I have already been using Gumroad for years. For me, Gumroad is the perfect complement to my Substack workflow, handling everything that Substack doesn’t.
Digital Products
First, Gumroad is my undisputed home for digital product sales.
The setup is incredibly straightforward, allowing me to create product pages quickly, set pricing, and manage sales and customers.
The checkout process is seamless, and the platform handles all the payment processing, tax calculations, and file delivery.
This integration of sales into my broader online strategy is invaluable. Instead of relying only on affiliate links or external payment processors, Gumroad provides a unified solution for me.
Email Automation
Gumroad also provides the email automation features that Substack lacks. When someone purchases one of my products on Gumroad, they are automatically added to a specific email sequence.
More generally, I also run automation-based newsletters through Gumroad, separate from my Substack newsletter.
This enables me to deliver content in order and from the time someone signs up.
The Bottom Line
The beauty of this dual-platform approach lies in its synergy.
Substack allows me to focus on writing and community building.
It’s where my daily blogs and weekly issues land, and where I connect through Notes.
Gumroad, on the other hand, helps me to monetize and deliver evergreen content in a structured, automated way. It’s where my products live, and where I can build out those email sequences that Substack can’t handle.
In essence, what I can’t do on Substack, I do with Gumroad.
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Thank you for this. I’m going to check out Gumroad.🙏💙
Perfect timing on this as I was looking for e-commerce solution, love they are merchant of record. As new to all this trying to eliminate distractions so I can focus on creating.