Facebook is recruiting and paying writers for its paid newsletter product for a late June debut
Substack made email newsletters buzzy — and controversial. Then Twitter bought a Substack competitor and launched its own version. Now it’s Facebook’s turn: The social network is prepping its take on subscription newsletters with something called Bulletin. It’s aiming for a launch at the end of June. Like its competitors, Bulletin is a simple proposition: Find a writer you like who covers something you’re interested in, sign up and receive a regular stream of content in your inbox. Some version of it will be free, and there will also be a paid option at some point. And the Facebook twist on the product is… Facebook. Specifically, Facebook’s massive reach, with 2.85 billion users worldwide, and its ability to target and segment people who might be receptive to reading and paying for a newsletter that covers topics they’re interested in. “They are pitching their ability to find communities at scale,” says a writer who has talked to Facebook about joining Bulletin. A Facebook rep declined to comment. But while Facebook will use Facebook to market Bulletin, the product itself will live outside of Facebook. If you click on a Bulletin link while you’re on Facebook’s app, you’ll open up a new browser window where you can read the story or sign up for the newsletter. People working on the project say that design is partially an attempt to distinguish Bulletin’s brand from Facebook — particularly at a time when readers and writers may distrust the company — and partially an effort to evade the 30 percent tax that Apple and Google levy on in-app subscription sign-ups and other transactions.
