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Meta and YouTube aren\u2019t the only platforms looking to benefit<\/a> from TikTok potentially disappearing \u2014 Substack wants in on the action, too.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The company announced Thursday it\u2019s launching a $20 million \u201ccreator accelerator fund,\u201d<\/a> promising content creators they won\u2019t lose revenue by jumping ship to Substack. Creators in the program also get \u201cstrategic and business support\u201d from Substack, and early access to new features. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cWe established this fund because we\u2019ve seen creators who specialize in video, audio, and text expand their audience, revenue, and influence on Substack, where the platform\u2019s network effects amplify the quality and impact of the work they\u2019re doing,\u201d the company said in a blog post.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n This pivot on Substack\u2019s part has been in the works for a while \u2014 for months, the company has been marketing itself not as a newsletter delivery service but as a creator <\/em>platform similar to Patreon<\/a>. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cOn Substack, [creators] can build their own home on the internet: one where creators, not platform executives or advertisers, own their work and their audience,\u201d the blog post reads. The post also cites \u201cbans, backlash, and policies that change with the political winds\u201d as a reason creators can\u2019t depend on traditional social media services.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n That\u2019s all fine (we at The Verge <\/em>have been saying this for a while<\/a>). But creators focusing on Substack are also subject to ebbs and flows depending on what the company is prioritizing: first, it was newsletters, then it was tweet-like micro blogs<\/a>, followed by full-on websites<\/a> and livestreaming<\/a>. For some<\/a>, Substack\u2019s initial stated mission of giving more freedom to independent writers is fading. And TikTok creators looking to move to Substack will need to rebuild their following all over again \u2014 you obviously can\u2019t export your TikTok followers.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The $20 million fund isn\u2019t the first time Substack has offered a pool of money meant to entice creators. Under a program called Substack Pro, the company poached top media talent from traditional newsrooms with higher pay, health insurance, and other perks. That program ended in 2022, with Substack cofounder Hamish McKenzie saying<\/a> the deals weren\u2019t employment arrangements but \u201cseed funding deals to remove the financial risk for a writer in starting their own business.\u201d In other words, welcome to Substack. Now that you\u2019re here, you\u2019re on your own \u2014 which is more or less the deal other platforms offer.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n