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 19:47 UTC
- Writers on the two boards
- 174
- Median followers, Rising
- 2,554
- Smallest on the board
- 4
- Rochelle PI, #70
- 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 · #39 International Bestsellers
Veronica Llorca-Smith 🍋
31k followers · #41 International Bestsellers
Kristina God
59k followers · #14 International Bestsellers
Middle East Uncovered
28k followers · #46 International Rising
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.
Rising
Substack ranks Rising by recent growth in paid subscribers. Followers are my daily reading.
Climbed most since Oct 31: Plestia new at #3, Mexico Decoded new at #5, David Obelcz new at #6, Jane Smith new at #7, Brendan Boyle new at #9.
| # | Move | Writer | Followers | Recommended by | Watch |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | new |  Phillips P. OBrienPhillips’s Newsletter |
229,771 | 76 +7 | |
| 2 | 0 |  Anna FifieldBetween Giants, by Anna Fifield |
6,803 | 52 +1 | |
| 3 | ▲22 |  PlestiaPlestia's Diaries |
12,682 | 32 +11 | |
| 4 | ▲20 |  Debra ShushanThe Debrief with Debra Shushan |
6,158 | 51 +5 | |
| 5 | new |  Mexico Decoded@viririos |
12,724 | 51 +1 | |
| 6 | ▲12 |  David ObelczMalcontent News - Where the Truth Matters |
1,628 | 8 | |
| 7 | new |  Jane SmithThe Smith Guide to Uruguay |
206 | ? | |
| 8 | ▼4 |  משכיל בינהNonZionism |
4,208 | 26 +3 | |
| 9 | new |  Brendan Boyle@brendanboyle |
1,178 | ? | |
| 10 | new |  ShilevCizí zeď |
1,822 | 16 | |
| 11 | new |  Giorgi RevishviliRussia Analyzed |
9,947 | 42 +3 | |
| 12 | new |  Claudia FaithWander Wealth |
39,181 | 60 +9 | |
| 13 | new |  Ali AmbrosioOrigins & Routes |
16 | ? | |
| 14 | new |  yumiko sakuma 佐久間裕美子sakumag |
3,109 | 37 | |
| 15 | new |  Pieter WaterdrinkerWATERDRINKER DE VRIJE BALLING |
1,166 | ? | |
| 16 | new |  Kerry PetersShortlistHR |
6,730 | 19 | |
| 17 | new |  Ana CalinHOW WE GROW with Ana Calin |
103,122 | 55 +5 | |
| 18 | ▲26 |  Thomas des Garets GeddesSinification |
12,495 | 59 +2 | |
| 19 | new |  徒步的骑手@caminodetexas |
10,725 | 50 +1 | |
| 20 | new |  Alex SteinLove of the Land |
3,257 | 36 +2 | |
| 21 | new |  Veronica Llorca-Smith 🍋The Lemon Tree Mindset 🌳🍋 |
30,569 | 56 +9 | |
| 22 | new |  Veronica Sherman@veronicasherman |
1,760 | ? | |
| 23 | new |  SimulationCommanderScreaming into the Void |
10,231 | 51 | |
| 24 | new |  Bron Taylor@profbrontaylor |
487 | ? | |
| 25 | new |  Stephanie DolmatSea Witch Diaries |
305 | ? | |
| 26 | new |  A Pastry Problem@elizabethlaime |
1,141 | ? | |
| 27 | ▲39 |  Brian MierDe-Linking Brazil |
923 | 7 +1 | |
| 28 | new |  Germa ltd@germa2026 |
176 | ? | |
| 29 | ▼2 |  David CarrettaIl Mattinale Europeo |
20,016 | 51 +3 | |
| 30 | new |  The CP Journal@thecpjournal |
2,554 | 17 | |
| 31 | new |  Sandro BaricevicThe Investiture |
10,371 | ? | |
| 32 | new |  Ethan S. BurgerThe past is the present, isn't it? It's the future, too |
267 | ? | |
| 33 | ▼22 |  Akram Kharief MENADEFENSEMENADEFENSE ANALYSES |
4,819 | 25 +5 | |
| 34 | new |  Sasha IngberHUMINT |
34,787 | 56 +1 | |
| 35 | new |  Bryan BruceBryan Bruce Investigates |
5,751 | 51 +1 | |
| 36 | new |  Frida GhitisINSIGHT by Frida Ghitis |
4,102 | 49 | |
| 37 | ▼8 |  Eitan Chitayat@eitanchitayat |
4,141 | 21 +2 | |
| 38 | new |  Bridge IndiaBridge India's Newsletter |
4,859 | ? | |
| 39 | new |  Julia Willemyns@jujulemons |
1,062 | ? | |
| 40 | ▲1 |  Leave It To AnnaLeave It To Anna |
2,690 | 34 +2 | |
| 41 | new |  Congo Confidentiel@congoconfidentiel |
1,253 | ? | |
| 42 | new |  Avivah Wittenberg-Cox4-Quarter Lives | Elderberries |
6,621 | 50 +1 | |
| 43 | new |  Terrell Jermaine StarrThe Unofficial Diplomat |
12,048 | 53 +3 | |
| 44 | new |  Parisian Sundays I Marie G.Parisian Sundays |
3,895 | ? | |
| 45 | new |  Aid, Poverty, GrowthNadeem’s Substack |
1,191 | ? | |
| 46 | new |  Middle East Uncovered@middleeastuncovered |
28,040 | 52 +8 | |
| 47 | new |  Gaza Great Minds FoundationGaza Great Minds |
1,895 | ? | |
| 48 | new |  Jerry B. MarchantIS IT PROPAGANDA?® |
75,952 | ? | |
| 49 | new |  John DuerdenHow Football Explains Asia |
1,346 | ? | |
| 50 | new |  Melissa Chaudhry"It's a Matter of Integrity" by Melissa Chaudhry |
4,021 | 13 +3 | |
| 51 | new |  Peter Zoehrer@peterzoehrer667525 |
450 | ? | |
| 52 | new |  Sam LoweMost Favoured Nation |
12,456 | 50 +2 | |
| 53 | ▼13 |  Benjamin HiesDigital Citizen |
6,225 | 47 +4 | |
| 54 | new |  Cindy YuChinese Whispers |
3,831 | 22 +3 | |
| 55 | new |  Emily HartEmily Hart | Reporting from Colombia |
1,163 | 21 | |
| 56 | new |  Christian SpillmannLa Matinal Europea |
7,326 | ? | |
| 57 | new |  Arash Azizi@arashazizi |
740 | ? | |
| 58 | new |  Pouya NikmandOutliving Iran |
599 | ? | |
| 59 | new |  PCWhat's Happening in China |
3,964 | ? | |
| 60 | new |  Yuri MinamideJapan Uncovered |
3,017 | ? | |
| 61 | new |  Dr Amy HochadelCities that Refuse to Fail |
17 | ? | |
| 62 | ▲36 |  Keith McHenryAnarchist Cook |
962 | 14 | |
| 63 | new |  Decent™️ Jonathan@decentfijc |
874 | ? | |
| 64 | new |  Jerome BabateNursing Diaspora |
6,792 | ? | |
| 65 | ▼33 |  Andreea CoscaiEurowaves |
3,208 | 50 | |
| 66 | new |  InaeLike A Korean Academy🏫 |
5,034 | ? | |
| 67 | new |  J.P. AtwellThe Island Intelligencer |
2,762 | ? | |
| 68 | new |  Community Powered ResponsesPower To Praxis |
429 | ? | |
| 69 | new | Veronica Llorca-Smith 🍋The Lemon Tree Mindset 🌳🍋 |
30,569 | 56 +9 | |
| 70 | new |  Rochelle PITuonela |
4 | ? | |
| 71 | new |  JennAnything at all |
4 | ? | |
| 72 | new |  Gigi Goode@thegigigoode |
705 | 0 | |
| 73 | new |  Anne-Kathrin GerstlauerTextHacks |
22,677 | 50 +3 | |
| 74 | new |  Misha’s Angels@mishasangels |
464 | ? | |
| 75 | ▼41 |  Leon LiaoChina as a System @leonliao |
2,540 | 30 +3 | |
| 76 | new |  Tom Watling@tomwatling |
152 | ? | |
| 77 | new |  Andrew StokolsSinocities |
9,351 | ? | |
| 78 | new |  THE FRONTLINER@thefrontliner |
102 | ? | |
| 79 | new |  Fairfield HouseFairfield House News |
1,554 | ? | |
| 80 | new |  Laurence F. SanfordSOS - Sanford on Security |
279 | ? | |
| 81 | ▼1 |  LotannaChelugodu |
2,607 | 19 | |
| 82 | ▼34 |  The Angry Buddhist ☯️@jamesordonez |
120 | 0 | |
| 83 | ▲3 |  Interest of Justice@interestofjustice |
31,740 | 54 +1 | |
| 84 | new |  ChemoyogiChemoYogi |
1,308 | ? | |
| 85 | new |  chophitalunachophitaluna's Substack |
15 | ? | |
| 86 | new |  Will RichardssonThe Cure for Boredom |
131 | ? | |
| 87 | new |  Entangled Curiosities@entangledcuriosities |
603 | ? | |
| 88 | new |  CediChronicles@cedichronicles |
1,741 | 6 | |
| 89 | new |  Renaud Nicolas PetitSinarum 🇬🇧/🇺🇸 |
272 | ? | |
| 90 | new |  Miles CraneScreenVibes |
1,764 | ? | |
| 91 | new |  The HIG NewsThe Hague Institute for Geopolitics |
6,520 | ? | |
| 92 | new |  Researching UkraineAn American in Ukraine |
5,947 | ? | |
| 93 | new |  Dominika@dominikawiktoria |
243 | ? | |
| 94 | ▼63 |  Brian CroninPostcards from the Center of the Universe |
574 | 2 | |
| 95 | new |  SoftPower/FulStories@christopherwurst |
176 | ? | |
| 96 | ▼84 |  CollectiveCollective Insights |
610 | 4 | |
| 97 | new |  Pyongyang Examiner@pyongyangexaminer |
116 | ? | |
| 98 | new |  Dylan CombellickDylan’s Substack |
215 | ? | |
| 99 | ▼60 |  高口康太（Kota Takaguchi)The Tokyo Desk on China |
280 | 0 | |
| 100 | new |  Edward ZaydelmanLive the Possibility |
7,594 | ? |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phillips P. OBrien | 3 | 1 | ▲2 | ||
| Anna Fifield | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | ▲2 |
| Plestia | 25 | 25 | 3 | ▲22 | |
| Debra Shushan | 2 | 24 | 24 | 4 | ▼2 |
| Mexico Decoded | 5 | new | |||
| David Obelcz | 18 | 18 | 6 | ▲12 | |
| Jane Smith | 7 | new | |||
| משכיל בינה | 6 | 4 | 4 | 8 | ▼2 |
| Brendan Boyle | 9 | new | |||
| Shilev | 28 | 10 | ▲18 | ||
| Giorgi Revishvili | 11 | new | |||
| Claudia Faith | 12 | new | |||
| Ali Ambrosio | 13 | new | |||
| yumiko sakuma 佐久間裕美子 | 10 | 14 | ▼4 | ||
| Pieter Waterdrinker | 15 | new | |||
| Kerry Peters | 16 | new | |||
| Ana Calin | 17 | new | |||
| Thomas des Garets Geddes | 30 | 44 | 44 | 18 | ▲12 |
| 徒步的骑手 | 19 | new | |||
| Alex Stein | 20 | new |
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.