International on Substack
The top 100 International 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 13:00 UTC
- Writers on the two boards
- 174
- Median followers, Bestsellers
- 9,872
- Smallest on the board
- 354
- Horizon Advisory Group, #98
- New recommendations, 30 days
- 215
- to writers whose main category this is
Rising in International: 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.
Claudia Faith
39k followers · #40 International Bestsellers
Veronica Llorca-Smith 🍋
31k followers · #42 International Bestsellers
Kristina God
59k followers · #14 International Bestsellers
Middle East Uncovered
28k followers
Phillips P. OBrien
230k followers · #1 International Bestsellers
Emerging Value
13k followers · #18 International Bestsellers
Michael McFaul
118k followers · #7 International 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.
Bestsellers
Substack ranks Bestsellers by paid subscribers. Followers are my daily reading.
Climbed most since Oct 31: BowTiedMara #67 to #65, Collective #57 to #56.
| # | Move | Writer | Followers | Recommended by | Paid | Watch |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 |  Phillips P. OBrienPhillips’s Newsletter |
229,771 | 76 +7 | Thousands | |
| 2 | 0 |  Tim MakThe Counteroffensive with Tim Mak |
289,970 | 83 +5 | Thousands | |
| 3 | 0 |  Jeff SteinSpyTalk |
84,158 | 61 +2 | Thousands | |
| 4 | 0 |  Viktor KravchukWar, Love, and Survival in Ukraine 🇺🇦 |
68,126 | 52 +2 | Thousands | |
| 5 | 0 |  Jonn ElledgeThe Newsletter of (Not Quite) Everything |
25,081 | 58 +2 | Thousands | |
| 6 | 0 |  Parallel MikeThe PM Report |
8,448 | 53 | 100+ badge | |
| 7 | 0 |  Michael McFaulMcFaul's World |
118,474 | 57 +5 | Thousands | |
| 8 | 0 |  John DoeCollapse Intelligence Agency |
9,872 | 38 +3 | 100+ badge | |
| 9 | 0 |  Iain MartinREACTION |
6,355 | 33 | 100+ badge | |
| 10 | 0 |  Ana CalinHOW WE GROW with Ana Calin |
103,122 | 55 +5 | 100+ badge | |
| 11 | 0 |  The Final Man@finalman |
12,511 | 50 | 100+ badge | |
| 12 | 0 |  Ken OpaloAn Africanist Perspective |
56,662 | 61 +5 | 100+ badge | |
| 13 | 0 |  Tanvi RatnaTanvi’s Substack |
11,683 | 42 | 100+ badge | |
| 14 | 0 |  Kristina GodThe Online Writing Club |
59,431 | 61 +8 | 100+ badge | |
| 15 | 0 |  Anna FifieldBetween Giants, by Anna Fifield |
6,803 | 52 +1 | 100+ badge | |
| 16 | 0 |  Eliana Summer-GalaiImpact Funding |
15,821 | 50 +3 | 100+ badge | |
| 17 | 0 |  Thomas des Garets GeddesSinification |
12,495 | 59 +2 | none shown | |
| 18 | 0 |  Emerging ValueEmerging Value - Emerging Markets coverage |
13,140 | 50 +7 | 100+ badge | |
| 19 | 0 |  EmilyA Week in Paris |
23,133 | 55 +2 | 100+ badge | |
| 20 | 0 |  Bryan BruceBryan Bruce Investigates |
5,751 | 51 +1 | 100+ badge | |
| 21 | 0 |  Sudan War Monitor@sudanwar |
3,653 | 53 +1 | none shown | |
| 22 | 0 | 10,329 | 51 | 100+ badge | ||
| 23 | 0 |  The Bismarck CablesThe Bismarck Cables |
60,151 | 50 +2 | 100+ badge | |
| 24 | 0 |  Sasha IngberHUMINT |
34,787 | 56 +1 | 100+ badge | |
| 25 | 0 |  David CarrettaIl Mattinale Europeo |
20,016 | 51 +3 | 100+ badge | |
| 26 | 0 |  Antony Stokes PhD LVO OBEAmbassador at Large |
9,035 | 44 +3 | 100+ badge | |
| 27 | 0 |  The CP Journal@thecpjournal |
2,554 | 17 | 100+ badge | |
| 28 | 0 |  Jennifer SteilLiminal with Jennifer Steil |
2,504 | 47 | 100+ badge | |
| 29 | 0 |  Michael PerryMichael Perry's Voice Mail |
11,694 | 50 | 100+ badge | |
| 30 | 0 |  Farida RustamovaVlast |
15,847 | 51 | 100+ badge | |
| 31 | 0 |  Simon HuntSimon Hunt Strategic Brief |
10,409 | 25 +3 | 100+ badge | |
| 32 | 0 |  Giorgi RevishviliRussia Analyzed |
9,947 | 42 +3 | 100+ badge | |
| 33 | 0 |  Dan PerryAsk Questions Later |
41,283 | 52 | 100+ badge | |
| 34 | 0 |  Mexico Decoded@viririos |
12,724 | 51 +1 | 100+ badge | |
| 35 | 0 |  Collapse Life@collapselife |
19,597 | 53 +1 | 100+ badge | |
| 36 | 0 |  Lisa Noelle Voldengoutlaws of chivalry |
70,294 | 50 | none shown | |
| 37 | 0 |  Debra ShushanThe Debrief with Debra Shushan |
6,158 | 51 +5 | 100+ badge | |
| 38 | 0 |  Anne-Kathrin GerstlauerTextHacks |
22,677 | 50 +3 | 100+ badge | |
| 39 | 0 |  משכיל בינהNonZionism |
4,208 | 26 +3 | 100+ badge | |
| 40 | 0 |  Claudia FaithWander Wealth |
39,181 | 60 +9 | 100+ badge | |
| 41 | 0 |  Dr. Angela KingdonAutistic Culture News |
9,882 | 50 +1 | 100+ badge | |
| 42 | 0 |  Veronica Llorca-Smith 🍋The Lemon Tree Mindset 🌳🍋 |
30,569 | 56 +9 | 100+ badge | |
| 43 | 0 |  Patrick LawrenceThe Floutist |
7,630 | 50 | 100+ badge | |
| 44 | 0 |  Benjamin HiesDigital Citizen |
6,225 | 47 +4 | 100+ badge | |
| 45 | 0 |  Marc SchulmanTel Aviv Diary |
6,776 | 51 | 100+ badge | |
| 46 | 0 |  Filip Molcan11 Cheap Houses in Europe |
16,583 | 51 +1 | 100+ badge | |
| 47 | 0 |  Avivah Wittenberg-Cox4-Quarter Lives | Elderberries |
6,621 | 50 +1 | 100+ badge | |
| 48 | 0 |  Lyric Hughes HaleeconVue |
4,055 | 32 | 100+ badge | |
| 49 | 0 |  Alessandro PalomboThe Ale's Letter |
18,615 | 51 +1 | none shown | |
| 50 | 0 |  Eitan Chitayat@eitanchitayat |
4,141 | 21 +2 | none shown | |
| 51 | 0 |  Senta DepuydtLa lettre de Senta |
11,036 | 51 +2 | 100+ badge | |
| 52 | 0 |  René VolpiOffbeat Chronicles |
34,407 | 51 +1 | 100+ badge | |
| 53 | 0 |  yumiko sakuma 佐久間裕美子sakumag |
3,109 | 37 | 100+ badge | |
| 54 | 0 |  Glenn Blumhorst@glennblumhorst |
3,096 | 2 | 100+ badge | |
| 55 | 0 |  Dominik PreslDecoding Geopolitics |
10,627 | 37 +3 | 100+ badge | |
| 56 | 0 |  CollectiveCollective Insights |
610 | 4 | none shown | |
| 57 | 0 |  Kerry PetersShortlistHR |
6,730 | 19 | 100+ badge | |
| 58 | ▼54 | Viktor KravchukWar, Love, and Survival in Ukraine 🇺🇦 |
68,126 | 52 +2 | Thousands | |
| 59 | 0 |  Terrell Jermaine StarrThe Unofficial Diplomat |
12,048 | 53 +3 | 100+ badge | |
| 60 | 0 |  Michelle KuoA Broad and Ample Road |
9,694 | 52 +2 | none shown | |
| 61 | 0 |  AurelienTrying to Understand the World |
12,641 | 51 +3 | 100+ badge | |
| 62 | 0 |  Defcon LevelDefcon Alerts Threat Monitor |
21,522 | 50 +1 | 100+ badge | |
| 63 | 0 |  Brent D. Cates@brentcates |
3,165 | ? | none shown | |
| 64 | 0 |  Gill BCharlie's Refuge: Saving Street Dogs |
1,531 | 14 +1 | 100+ badge | |
| 65 | ▲2 |  BowTiedMaraBowTiedMara - Argentina & Geoarbitrage |
7,035 | 48 | 100+ badge | |
| 66 | ▼1 |  Hollie McKayMaternal Dispatches with Hollie McKay |
9,465 | 50 +1 | 100+ badge | |
| 67 | ▼1 |  The Coop ScoopThe Coop Scoop by Marc Cooper |
4,441 | 53 | 100+ badge | |
| 68 | 0 |  Godfree RobertsHere Comes China |
9,177 | 51 | 100+ badge | |
| 69 | 0 |  Sam LoweMost Favoured Nation |
12,456 | 50 +2 | 100+ badge | |
| 70 | 0 |  Etienne COTE-PALUCKHAÏTI MAGAZINE par DÈYÈ MÒN ENFO |
1,966 | 19 | 100+ badge | |
| 71 | 0 |  Mohammed R. MhawishMohammed R Mhawish |
11,200 | 52 | 100+ badge | |
| 72 | 0 |  Texas ArcaneVault-Co Communications |
4,034 | 36 +1 | 100+ badge | |
| 73 | 0 |  Richard MedhurstRichard Medhurst’s Newsletter |
31,870 | 51 | 100+ badge | |
| 74 | 0 |  Martin KuzReporting on Ukraine |
5,674 | 20 +1 | none shown | |
| 75 | 0 |  Melissa Chaudhry"It's a Matter of Integrity" by Melissa Chaudhry |
4,021 | 13 +3 | none shown | |
| 76 | 0 |  Elizabeth Silleck La Rue, Esq.The Conscientious Emigrant by Conscientious Emigration™ |
5,849 | 50 +1 | none shown | |
| 77 | 0 |  Cindy YuChinese Whispers |
3,831 | 22 +3 | 100+ badge | |
| 78 | 0 |  IBSIAfrica-Israel Weekly |
5,889 | 51 +1 | 100+ badge | |
| 79 | 0 |  Elise LabottCosmopolitics by Elise Labott |
58,606 | 56 | 100+ badge | |
| 80 | 0 |  The FAO JournalFAO Journal of International Affairs |
6,733 | 35 | 100+ badge | |
| 81 | 0 |  Nicolas TenzerTenzer Strategics |
7,044 | 51 | none shown | |
| 82 | 0 |  Feyi Fawehinmi1914 Reader |
8,502 | 51 | none shown | |
| 83 | 0 |  Stranger's Guide@strangersguide |
30,803 | 51 | none shown | |
| 84 | 0 |  Thomas PM BarnettThomas P.M. Barnett’s Global Throughlines |
1,163 | 21 | none shown | |
| 85 | 0 |  Feds For FreedomFeds for Freedom |
11,478 | 28 | none shown | |
| 86 | 0 |  Anna BowlesAnna Talks Ukraine |
1,835 | 36 +2 | none shown | |
| 87 | 0 |  Mackenzie Knowles-CoursinWaypoints |
509 | 3 | none shown | |
| 88 | 0 |  China eVTOL News@chinaevtol |
2,741 | 10 | none shown | |
| 89 | 0 |  Joe Tuzara, M.D. @TuzaraPostTuzara Post Newsletter |
8,822 | 45 +2 | 100+ badge | |
| 90 | 0 |  徒步的骑手@caminodetexas |
10,725 | 50 +1 | 100+ badge | |
| 91 | 0 |  SimulationCommanderScreaming into the Void |
10,231 | 51 | 100+ badge | |
| 92 | 0 |  Emily HartEmily Hart | Reporting from Colombia |
1,163 | 21 | 100+ badge | |
| 93 | 0 |  Alex SteinLove of the Land |
3,257 | 36 +2 | 100+ badge | |
| 94 | 0 |  Robert WuBaiguan - China Insights, Data, Context |
20,794 | 58 +1 | 100+ badge | |
| 95 | 0 |  Irene KigaisIrene’s Substack |
5,081 | 40 +2 | 100+ badge | |
| 96 | 0 |  Rebecca BardachBetween Despair and Determination |
672 | 6 | none shown | |
| 97 | 0 |  Jacob DeanA Year in Oaxaca |
3,500 | 19 +1 | none shown | |
| 98 | 0 |  Horizon Advisory GroupIraq Horizons |
354 | 4 | none shown | |
| 99 | 0 |  Frida GhitisINSIGHT by Frida Ghitis |
4,102 | 49 | none shown | |
| 100 | 0 |  ShilevCizí zeď |
1,822 | 16 | none shown |
The top 20 on every read
Rank on each read of the Bestsellers 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 | Move |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phillips P. OBrien | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Tim Mak | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Jeff Stein | 3 | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| Viktor Kravchuk | 4 | 4 | 4 | 0 |
| Jonn Elledge | 5 | 5 | 5 | 0 |
| Parallel Mike | 6 | 6 | 6 | 0 |
| Michael McFaul | 7 | 7 | 7 | 0 |
| John Doe | 8 | 8 | 8 | 0 |
| Iain Martin | 9 | 9 | 9 | 0 |
| Ana Calin | 10 | 10 | 10 | 0 |
| The Final Man | 11 | 11 | 11 | 0 |
| Ken Opalo | 12 | 12 | 12 | 0 |
| Tanvi Ratna | 13 | 13 | 13 | 0 |
| Kristina God | 14 | 14 | 14 | 0 |
| Anna Fifield | 15 | 15 | 15 | 0 |
| Eliana Summer-Galai | 16 | 16 | 16 | 0 |
| Thomas des Garets Geddes | 17 | 17 | 17 | 0 |
| Emerging Value | 18 | 18 | 18 | 0 |
| Emily | 19 | 19 | 19 | 0 |
| Bryan Bruce | 20 | 20 | 20 | 0 |
History starts on Oct 31, 2026. Each day adds a column.
Who recommends International writers
Publications with the most live recommendations pointing at writers whose main category is International. If you write in this category, these are the readers' lists worth being on.