You are the economic unit — not the course
Students do not pay for “Intro to Economics.” They pay for your view of economics, literature, law, or Mars colonization. Slate House is built around recurring income from a small, serious audience — not viral lottery tickets.
85%
To professors
$9–29
Typical price / mo
$1.6k
Per 100 subs @ $19
The hook: every 100 paid subscribers can be worth around $1,615/month to a professor at the typical $19/month price point.
Model your unit economics
Adjust paid subscribers and monthly price. Slate House takes one all-in 15% platform fee — card processing included. You keep 85% of gross subscription revenue.
- →Professor price: typically $9–$29/month
- →Average paid subscription: ~$15–$19/month
- →No upfront fees — we earn when you do
Your estimated take-home
$4,038/mo
$48,450/year from subscriptions
Monthly subscription price
Monthly breakdown
- Gross revenue$4,750
- − Slate House platform (15%, all-in)Includes card processing — not charged separately$713
$4,750 − $713 = $4,038
Every 100 paid subscribers
Gross revenue vs. your net after the 15% platform fee.
| Monthly price | Gross / 100 subs | Your net / mo | Annualized |
|---|---|---|---|
| $9/mo | $900 | $765 | $9,180 |
| $19/mo | $1,900 | $1,615 | $19,380 |
| $29/mo | $2,900 | $2,465 | $29,580 |
Rule of thumb: roughly $765–$2,465/month per 100 paid subscribers (85% of gross), depending on price. At $19/month, expect about $1,615/month.
What could you reasonably make?
Illustrative outcomes at $19/month — you keep 85%.
| Paid subscribers | Net / month | Net / year |
|---|---|---|
| 50 | $808 | $9,690 |
| 100 | $1,615 | $19,380 |
| 250 | $4,038 | $48,450 |
| 500 | $8,075 | $96,900 |
| 1,000 | $16,150 | $193,800 |
| 2,500 | $40,375 | $484,500 |
Three realistic professor outcomes
You do not need to be famous. You need a niche audience that trusts you.
50–250 subscribers
Solid niche professor
$800–$4,000
Meaningful side income from a small, serious audience — without needing viral reach.
500–1,500 subscribers
Known niche expert
$8,000–$24,000
Serious independent-professor money. Subscriptions can rival or exceed adjunct pay.
2,500+ subscribers
Star professor
$40,000+
The “why would I need the institution?” case — rare, but real on creator platforms.
Add-ons are where it gets interesting
Subscriptions are the base. High-intent offerings stack on top.
| Add-on | Example | Gross | Your net (est.) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1:1 tutoring / office hours | $150/session · 10 sessions/mo | $1,500 | $1,275 |
| Small seminar | $99/seat · 20 seats | $1,980 | $1,683 |
| Mentorship circle | $250/mo · 10 students | $2,500 | $2,125 |
| Thesis / application review | $300/package · 10 buyers/mo | $3,000 | $2,550 |
Example: 250 subscribers + light add-ons
$4,038/mo from subscriptions, plus ~$2,958/mo from a tutoring block and a small seminar — roughly $6,996/mo without a massive audience.
How we compare
Substack takes 10% plus Stripe on top; Patreon is 5–12% plus processing. Our single 15% fee includes card processing and covers discovery, hosting, video, community, and payments — you keep 85%.
One fee. That's it.
Card processing is baked into our platform fee — not passed through to you. No upfront charges to join; we earn when you do.
Includes card processing
Meaningful income from a small audience
Launch free previews, set your tiers, and grow at your pace. Setup is free and most professors are live within a day.