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Featured Launches Find Substacks So PR Professionals Can Find and Pitch Substack Writers by Topic

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Analysis of the 38,746 publications in the new database finds 733 with 100,000 or more subscribers, and nearly half launched in 2024 or later

Scottsdale, AZ, United States, October 20, 2026 · 3 min read

Featured, the AI co-pilot for PR, today launched Find Substacks, a database of 38,746 Substack publications (as of October 2026) that PR professionals can search by topic in plain language. Each result shows the publication's subscriber count, follower count, the year it launched, whether the writer accepts DM requests on Substack with a link to the writer's profile, and the writer's linked social accounts. Clicking Draft Pitch produces a starting draft that the user edits before sending, and results download as a CSV. No login or setup is required to run a first search.

The launch follows a shift in where industry coverage comes from. Substack passed 5 million paid subscriptions in March 2025, and Muck Rack's State of Journalism 2026 survey found that 37% of journalists now publish independently under their own name or brand. Media databases have added newsletter writers in response, but finding the right Substack for a story has still meant checking publications one at a time.

Screenshot placeholder of the Find Substacks search interface
Find Substacks lets PR professionals search 38,746 publications by topic.
What the data shows about 38,746 Substack publications · 90.8% · accept DM requests on Substack · 77.7% · link at least one social account · 4,000 · median free subscriber count · 733 · publications with 100,000+ subscribers · 57.5% · offer paid subscriptions · 47.7% · launched in 2024 or later
What the data shows about 38,746 Substack publications · 90.8% · accept DM requests on Substack · 77.7% · link at least one social account · 4,000 · median free subscriber count · 733 · publications with 100,000+ subscribers · 57.5% · offer paid subscriptions · 47.7% · launched in 2024 or later
Top topics among tagged publications · Politics and policy · 8.3% · Technology · 8.0% · Education · 6.9% · Business and strategy · 6.2% · Books and writing · 5.4% · Startups and venture capital · 5.3% · Media and journalism · 5.3% · Finance and investing · 5.1% · Among the 18,899 publications with a topic tag. A publication can carry more than one topic, so shares add to more than 100%.
Top topics among tagged publications · Politics and policy · 8.3% · Technology · 8.0% · Education · 6.9% · Business and strategy · 6.2% · Books and writing · 5.4% · Startups and venture capital · 5.3% · Media and journalism · 5.3% · Finance and investing · 5.1% · Among the 18,899 publications with a topic tag. A publication can carry more than one topic, so shares add to more than 100%.

The easiest way to get ignored by a newsletter writer is to treat 38,000 publications as a list to blast. The right way is to find the three that already cover your subject and write to them like a reader. Find Substacks is built for the second approach. Relevance over volume is the whole product.

— Brett Farmiloe, Founder and CEO, Featured

Find Substacks is available now on featured.com.

About Featured

Featured is the AI co-pilot for PR, a platform that helps PR professionals and subject-matter experts land media placements, build brand authority, and grow AI visibility. The company owns and operates HARO (Help a Reporter Out) and Connectively as standalone products within its portfolio. Learn more at featured.com.

Media contact

Brett Farmiloe
Featured
brett@featured.com

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