Culture on Substack
The top 100 Culture writers on Substack's Bestsellers and Rising boards, with moves between my reads, follower counts, who's gaining recommendations and who recommends them. Boards read once a day.
Board read · moves compare with the read at Oct 31 19:47 UTC
- Writers on the two boards
- 172
- Median followers, Rising
- 13,802
- Smallest on the board
- 3
- Andrew Rose, #63
- New recommendations, 30 days
- 695
- to writers whose main category this is
Rising in Culture: new recommendations
Writers in this category who picked up the most new recommenders in the last 30 days. A new recommendation puts a writer in front of another publication's readers.
Cool Stories About Art
248k followers · #76 Culture Bestsellers
shit you should care about
844k followers · #41 Culture Bestsellers
Jordan Younger
67k followers · #11 Culture Bestsellers
Diabolical Lies
98k followers · #2 Culture Bestsellers
Jessica Valenti
283k followers · #8 Culture Bestsellers
Dean Blundell
114k followers · #10 Culture Bestsellers
Roxane Gay
308k followers · #27 Culture BestsellersNew recommenders per week, last 12 weeks; the orange bar is this week to date. Same scale in every panel. Dated by Substack; only recommendations still live. Outlined weeks are incomplete: Substack lists only a publication's 50 newest recommenders, so for busy writers older weeks can't be counted, and a 30-day count marked + is a floor.
Rising
Substack ranks Rising by recent growth in paid subscribers. Followers are my daily reading.
Climbed most since Oct 31: Emily Amick new at #6, Jesse Singal new at #7, Blocked and Reported new at #8, Julie Montagu new at #9, Link Lauren new at #10.
| # | Move | Writer | Followers | Recommended by | Watch |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ▲1 |  Dean Blundell@deanblundell |
113,522 | 65 +17 | |
| 2 | ▲10 |  Diabolical Lies@diabolicallies |
98,310 | 64 +20 | |
| 3 | 0 |  Rod DreherRod Dreher's Diary |
53,911 | 57 +3 | |
| 4 | ▲9 |  Philippa Perry@philippaperry |
52,931 | 58 +5 | |
| 5 | 0 |  Marina HydeAlways On with Marina Hyde |
55,058 | 41 +40 | |
| 6 | new |  Emily AmickEmily in Your Phone with Emily Amick |
98,064 | 59 +3 | |
| 7 | ▲36 |  Jesse SingalSingal-Minded |
229,751 | 63 +3 | |
| 8 | new |  Blocked and Reported@blockedandreported |
84,847 | 72 +4 | |
| 9 | new |  Julie MontaguGilded Heiresses |
16,735 | 29 +2 | |
| 10 | new |  Link LaurenLink’s Substack |
7,787 | ? | |
| 11 | new |  Kaizen AsieduClear Thinker |
96,382 | 51 +5 | |
| 12 | new |  Richard SpencerAlexandria |
12,697 | 51 +3 | |
| 13 | new |  Heather Cocks & Jessica MorganDrinks With Broads |
31,725 | 63 +3 | |
| 14 | new |  youngmi mayeryoungmi’s Substack |
7,353 | ? | |
| 15 | ▲4 |  Cool Stories About ArtCool Stories About Art |
247,962 | 73 +39 | |
| 16 | new |  StoryStudio ChicagoRough Draft by StoryStudio |
955 | ? | |
| 17 | new |  Tina BrownFRESH HELL Tina Brown's Diary |
158,435 | 68 +7 | |
| 18 | new |  Daniel PinchbeckLiminal News With Daniel Pinchbeck |
44,944 | 58 +3 | |
| 19 | new |  Christabel Mintah-GallowayRich Queer Aunties |
7,372 | 49 +4 | |
| 20 | new |  Syndekit@syndekit |
1,799 | ? | |
| 21 | new |  Julia RaesideWomansplaining |
8,120 | ? | |
| 22 | new |  CastinboxCASTINBOX - Annonces de Casting |
10,697 | ? | |
| 23 | new |  Jessica ValentiAbortion, Every Day |
282,591 | 79 +17 | |
| 24 | new |  Jane PrattAnother Jane Pratt Thing |
18,274 | ? | |
| 25 | new |  shit you should care about✿ shit you should care about ✿ |
844,171 | 55 +23 | |
| 26 | new |  The Aces@theaces |
208 | ? | |
| 27 | new |  Candice WuehleBimbo Summit: A Pop Culture Study |
9,109 | ? | |
| 28 | new |  Julia SamuelThe Therapy Works Substack |
14,512 | 52 +3 | |
| 29 | new |  James ShanahanNot Cultural Studies |
151 | ? | |
| 30 | new |  John FultonThe Eastside Rag |
10,710 | 47 +2 | |
| 31 | new |  The Paris End@theparisend |
12,683 | 53 +3 | |
| 32 | ▲37 |  Carson GriffithRich People Shit |
18,400 | 47 +6 | |
| 33 | new |  Mark WayneRadio Free Empire Media |
4,252 | ? | |
| 34 | ▼3 |  What's Up in NY This WeekWhat's Up in NY This Week |
28,784 | 28 +2 | |
| 35 | ▼2 |  Mandy HofmockelJournalism jobs and a photo of my dog |
18,589 | 51 | |
| 36 | new |  難波拓斗 | Takuto NambaLiving Lab Project |
372 | 2 +1 | |
| 37 | new |  Molly YoungThe Life and Errors of Molly Young |
20,301 | ? | |
| 38 | ▲9 |  John AndersonOur Civilisational Moment |
21,216 | 45 +3 | |
| 39 | new |  Mystic MichaelaAura Culture with Mystic Michaela |
6,806 | 47 +2 | |
| 40 | new |  Wrenbrownstudy_group |
4,634 | ? | |
| 41 | ▲57 |  Old Money Luxury@oldmoneyluxury |
13,802 | 19 +3 | |
| 42 | ▲57 |  Katie RomeroBite The Apple |
31,931 | 50 | |
| 43 | ▲23 |  Brandi MorinIndigenous Insider |
15,713 | 53 +7 | |
| 44 | new |  Roxane GayThe Audacity. |
307,720 | 86 +16 | |
| 45 | new |  Camille Sojit PejchaPleasure-Seeking |
18,596 | ? | |
| 46 | new |  Clare FrancesFamous and Beloved Newsletter |
7,504 | ? | |
| 47 | new |  Sithara RanasingheSithara In Your Computer |
14,297 | ? | |
| 48 | new |  Anthony B. Bradley@anthonybbradley |
10,585 | ? | |
| 49 | new |  Eli SteeleMan of Steele’s Substack |
16,774 | ? | |
| 50 | new |  Nick CatucciRiffPost |
85,856 | 7 | |
| 51 | new |  Artvsm@artvsm |
18,192 | ? | |
| 52 | new |  Katie RexAcquired Taste |
1,224 | ? | |
| 53 | new |  Abigail BlairSoft Negotiation - Modern Dating Advice for Women |
4,253 | 7 | |
| 54 | new |  Newshound News@newshoundnews |
6,152 | ? | |
| 55 | new |  Emma ForrestThe Peaceful Transfer of Power |
5,515 | ? | |
| 56 | new |  Thais FarageNo News, Bad News |
40,969 | 53 | |
| 57 | new |  Celia FarberThe Truth Barrier |
36,665 | ? | |
| 58 | new |  Molly CrabappleInk Vault |
21,646 | ? | |
| 59 | new |  Ashley BakerOut of My Element |
1,019 | ? | |
| 60 | new |  Jessica @ Post-Wealth ProjectThe Post-Wealth Project |
1,823 | ? | |
| 61 | new |  Nicole NessThe Park Slope Walk |
6,588 | ? | |
| 62 | new |  Elizabeth DayDAYLIGHT by Elizabeth Day |
46,456 | ? | |
| 63 | new |  Andrew Rose@andrewrose386447 |
3 | ? | |
| 64 | new |  Behind the Narrative 📣@behindthenarrative7 |
12,086 | ? | |
| 65 | ▼47 |  Ross BarkanPolitical Currents by Ross Barkan |
101,742 | 59 +3 | |
| 66 | new |  Malynda Hale#WeNeedToTalk |
11,389 | ? | |
| 67 | new |  Ellie WilliamsFOR THE GIRLS |
7,608 | ? | |
| 68 | new |  deepculture@deepculture |
28,918 | ? | |
| 69 | new |  Christine SneedBookish |
5,359 | ? | |
| 70 | ▼24 |  An Angel of Vengeance@angeldevenganza |
896 | 4 +1 | |
| 71 | new |  Welcome.jpegWelcome Magazine |
20,494 | ? | |
| 72 | new |  Amine Drissi BoutaybiAmine Drissi Boutaybi Magazine |
2,628 | ? | |
| 73 | new |  Lizzie HorvitzWinging It |
194 | ? | |
| 74 | ▼15 |  Kaja Gołuchowska@kajagoluchowska |
1,368 | 1 +1 | |
| 75 | new |  In Three Podcast@inthreepod |
117 | ? | |
| 76 | ▼52 |  CrosbyThe Midriff Letters | Midriff Magazine |
547 | 1 | |
| 77 | new |  Jill WingerPrairie Philosophy |
3,337 | 21 +3 | |
| 78 | new |  Connie SchultzHopefully Yours |
139,672 | 60 +2 | |
| 79 | new |  Martin GeddesFuture of Communications |
24,159 | ? | |
| 80 | new |  Librarian of CelaenoThe Library of Celaeno |
20,603 | ? | |
| 81 | new |  jamilah lemieuxJamilah Lemieux's BS Blogcast |
2,033 | ? | |
| 82 | new |  Gianluca Nicoletti@gianlucanicoletti |
1,918 | ? | |
| 83 | new |  The Sondheim Hub@thesondheimhub |
4,555 | ? | |
| 84 | new |  Amber TamblynThe Sharpening with Amber Tamblyn |
64,544 | ? | |
| 85 | new |  Mia SherinRailed |
11,567 | ? | |
| 86 | new |  Sam's Social Media ClubSam’s Social Media Club |
43,438 | ? | |
| 87 | new |  Alice Vincentsavour by Alice Vincent |
25,621 | ? | |
| 88 | ▼16 |  A. Eevie BatemanJust Say The Damn Thing |
8,773 | 51 +14 | |
| 89 | ▲11 |  Cindy GallopDear Cindy |
5,853 | 50 +1 | |
| 90 | new |  Anne LamottHallelujah Anyway |
171,524 | 58 +6 | |
| 91 | new |  Patrick MarlboroughThe Yeah Nah Review |
3,191 | 33 +3 | |
| 92 | new |  OOONYCOut of Office NYC |
3,005 | ? | |
| 93 | new |  AlexsiaraThe Hobby Hour |
5,440 | ? | |
| 94 | new |  Theresa DestrebecqWhy Read Alone with Collective Curiosity |
368 | ? | |
| 95 | new |  David AaronovitchNotes from the Underground with David Aaronovitch |
41,808 | 55 +1 | |
| 96 | new |  Natalie JarveyLike & Subscribe from Natalie Jarvey |
151,856 | 50 +1 | |
| 97 | new |  Algis Ramanauskas@algisramanauskas |
3,904 | ? | |
| 98 | new |  Niall HarbisonHappy Doggo |
18,936 | 50 +6 | |
| 99 | new |  Popbitch@popbitch |
5,494 | ? | |
| 100 | ▼60 |  Greg LukianoffThe Eternally Radical Idea with Greg Lukianoff |
90,324 | 54 +1 |
The top 20 on every read
Rank on each read of the Rising board. Darker is higher. A gap means the writer was outside the top 100 on that read.
| Writer | Oct 3107:00 | Oct 3113:00 | Oct 3119:47 | Nov 621:50 | Move |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dean Blundell | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | ▲1 |
| Diabolical Lies | 14 | 12 | 12 | 2 | ▲12 |
| Rod Dreher | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | ▲1 |
| Philippa Perry | 8 | 13 | 13 | 4 | ▲4 |
| Marina Hyde | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 0 |
| Emily Amick | 6 | new | |||
| Jesse Singal | 43 | 43 | 7 | ▲36 | |
| Blocked and Reported | 8 | new | |||
| Julie Montagu | 9 | new | |||
| Link Lauren | 10 | new | |||
| Kaizen Asiedu | 65 | 11 | ▲54 | ||
| Richard Spencer | 12 | new | |||
| Heather Cocks & Jessica Morgan | 13 | new | |||
| youngmi mayer | 14 | new | |||
| Cool Stories About Art | 15 | 19 | 19 | 15 | 0 |
| StoryStudio Chicago | 16 | new | |||
| Tina Brown | 17 | new | |||
| Daniel Pinchbeck | 18 | new | |||
| Christabel Mintah-Galloway | 22 | 19 | ▲3 | ||
| Syndekit | 20 | new |
History starts on Oct 31, 2026. Each day adds a column.
Who recommends Culture writers
Publications with the most live recommendations pointing at writers whose main category is Culture. If you write in this category, these are the readers' lists worth being on.