How to Earn by Writing on Fika

We are happy to announce that writers can now earn money directly from their readers on Fika by offering paid subscriptions on their publication.

What’s new for writers

You can now turn your Fika publication into an engine to grow and earn as a writer.

Continue posting free publications to grow your audience, then offer paid content and other benefits for your most loyal readers. This way you keep your writing habit alive and thrive as a writer while having the option to earn and turn your writing into a source of income.

On Fika, instead of relying on an algorithm to reach new people, you own your audience and relationship with your readers. Your followers can read your work on the web or by email, and you can move your list if you ever need to. Paid subscriptions give your readers a way to support you.

How paid subscriptions work on Fika

• Every post has three access levels: public, subscribers-only, or limited to specific paid tiers.

• Public posts are open to everyone and are a great way to build your audience. Share them widely on social media with a single click after publishing and invite others to read and follow your work.

• Subscribers-only posts are open only to the people who follow your publication. Although the content is still free to read, they are already part of your inner circle and show up every time to read what you publish.

• Paid-tier posts are reserved for readers on the paid subscription tiers you set up. This way, your best work or special perks meant only for your biggest supporters stays exclusive.

You can share published content as a blog post and an email newsletter, including paid-only posts. On Fika, this is called a Publication.

When a paid Publication goes out by email, free subscribers receive a short preview. They always have the option to upgrade to read the full piece.

This way, your free subscribers among your email contacts can have a glimpse of what they are missing out on, while paid readers get the full experience.

Ask your readers to share your work in the middle and end of your posts. This can help new people discover you. Once you have a small base of paying readers, much growth can come from word of mouth, as well as your readers forwarding and sharing your work.

Next, we will look at how to set up your paid publication on Fika.

Setting up your paid Fika publication

1. Log in to your Fika account

   • Go to Fika and sign in or create a new account.

2. Open your publication

   • From your dashboard, open your publication or create one if you are new to Fika.

3. Enable monetization with Stripe
   

   

   • Go to Publication → Monetization in your Fika navigation.

   • Choose your country from the dropdown list.

   • Accept the terms and conditions.

   • Click Create New Account to start Stripe onboarding in a new tab.

   • Fill in the details Stripe asks for (personal or business info, ID documents, bank account for payouts).

   • Finish the Stripe setup. When you return to Fika, you will see a screen with your tiers.

   • If you stop halfway through setup, you can return later and click Continue setup on the Monetization page.
     

     

4. Set up paid tiers

   

   • On Publication → Monetization, click Add New to create a tier.

   • Add a Name for the tier (e.g., “Supporter” or “Premium”).

   • Write a short Description of what subscribers get.

   • Set a monthly price (minimum 5 EUR/month).

     • Optionally add an annual price so yearly members save.

   • Click Create to save the tier. You can edit or delete tiers later if you need to adjust your offer.
     

     

5. Turn on payments and check your dashboard

   • In the Stripe Account section on the Monetization page, toggle Allow Payments on so new readers can subscribe.

   • Click View Dashboard to open your Stripe dashboard, where you can see transactions and manage payouts.

6. Publish your first paid post

   • Write a post, then go to the Publish page for that post.

   • Under Audience, choose:

     • Everyone for public posts.

     • All Subscribers for free followers and above.

     • Paid Tiers, and tick the tiers that should get full access.

   • Under Delivery, toggle Send Via Email if you want it to go out as a newsletter.

   • If the post is for paid tiers only, you can turn on Include free subscribers so free readers get a teaser and a prompt to upgrade.

   • Check the live recipient count, send a test to yourself to ensure your email looks good, then click Publish.

7. Track growth and fees

   • On the Monetization tab, check your paid subscriber count and your current Fika platform fee percentage (the fee goes down as you gain more paying readers).
     

   • Use the Audience tab to see your subscribers, filter them by tier, and track audience growth over time.
     

     

If you have any questions, go to our Help Center or reach out to the Fika team at fika@fika.bar.

How payments and fees work

• Subscriber payments go straight into your connected Stripe account, minus Fika’s platform fee and Stripe’s processing fees.

• Fika’s platform fee is a small percentage that lowers as you gain more paying subscribers.

  • 0-99 paid subscribers: 10%

  • 100-499 paid subscribers: 8%

  • 500+ paid subscribers: 7%

• Payouts to your connected bank account follow the schedule set up in Stripe.

• You can pause new subscriptions or disconnect Stripe from your publication anytime in the Monetization settings.

There is no upfront cost to start publishing on Fika. You can write for free, build your audience, and only pay platform fees once you start earning from paid subscribers.

Ideas to make your paid publication worth it

Creating what readers want to pay for is key to a successful paid publication strategy. It takes more than just locking content behind a paywall.

Many successful writers start with the simple strategy of publishing one free post and one paid post each week. This way everyone still gets value while paid subscribers receive something more in return for their support.

A few ideas to create a successful paid publication include:

• A weekly free essay plus a weekly paid deep dive or behind-the-scenes breakdown.

• Extras that provide paying readers with something they can use like checklists, templates, or short guides.

• Q&A sessions, close reading sessions, or small group calls for readers who want more interaction.

• Book notes, personal insights, case studies, or interviews you share only with paying members.

This way you don’t take anything away from your existing readers, but you open a door for those who want more. With a consistent publishing schedule, you will grow both your free and paid subscriber audience. Over time, if readers love your free newsletter, many will choose to upgrade.

The best way to shape your paid tiers is to ask your readers what they want. Metrics can also show what resonated most with your audience. You can then build your paid tier around those topics.

Try not to create too many tiers, as that can confuse new readers. One or two clear options (for example “Supporter” and “Full Access” or “Book Club” and “Writer’s Room”) is usually enough to start.

Why build on Fika

• Translate your publication automatically with Fika to reach a wider audience.

• On other platforms, your reach changes with the algorithm. On Fika, you don’t rely on an algorithm to reach new people. Own your audience by delivering your publication directly to their inboxes.

• Fika handles everything so you can focus on writing and connecting with your readers; no technical setup, plugins, or themes required. Create your publication in our simple editor and publish in a few clicks.

• Analytics show which posts attract new subscribers and which convert readers to paid.

• You can import and export your contact list, decide what is free or paid, set prices, and choose how often you publish and what you promise in each tier.

If you have been thinking of ways to earn from your writing, Fika is the way to do it. The platform gives you an easy, organic way to create publications, grow your audience, learn from your analytics, and gradually turn your writing into a reliable income stream. Write something today, it takes two clicks to get started!