Voice to Text for Substack

Substack is where your best writing reaches your audience. But staring at a blank editor, wrestling with every sentence, slows you down. Blurt lets you hold a button, speak your ideas, and release. Your text appears instantly in any Substack draft, Notes post, or subscriber reply. No copying, no pasting, no interruption. Just talk and write.

First 1,000 words free Works in drafts, Notes, and replies macOS menu bar app
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The Typing Problem

The blank page paralyzes your best ideas

You have a newsletter idea that felt brilliant in the shower. You sit down to write. The cursor blinks. Twenty minutes pass. You have two sentences and both feel wrong. The energy that made the idea exciting has drained away. Your thoughts flow freely when you talk to friends about your topic, but typing turns them into lead.

Editing while drafting kills your momentum

You start a paragraph. Three words in, you delete and rewrite. You second-guess every sentence before finishing it. Two hours later, you have 400 words and hate all of them. The inner editor drowns the inner writer. You never get into a flow state because typing is slow enough that your critical brain catches up to every phrase.

Subscriber replies pile up unanswered

Someone paid to read your work and took time to write a thoughtful comment. They deserve a real response, not a quick thanks. But composing a genuine, helpful reply takes ten minutes of typing. When you have twenty comments waiting, that is three hours of work. You fall behind, and your most engaged readers feel ignored.

Notes posts feel like extra homework

You know you should post Notes regularly to stay visible. Quick thoughts, links, observations. But each Note still requires typing, and typing feels like work. You have fleeting ideas throughout the day that would make great Notes. By the time you sit down to type them, the moment has passed. Your Notes feed stays quiet.

Long-form essays take weeks instead of days

You have a 3,000-word piece in your head. The argument is clear. The examples are ready. But typing it takes a full weekend. Distractions creep in. You lose the thread. The essay sits half-finished in drafts for two weeks while you dread returning to it. Your publishing pace slows to a crawl.

How It Works

Blurt works everywhere in Substack: the post editor, Notes composer, comment replies, and subscriber chat. Anywhere you can type, you can talk.

1

Click into any Substack text field

Put your cursor in the newsletter editor, a Notes draft, a reply box, or the chat window.

2

Hold your hotkey and talk

Press your chosen key, speak naturally. Blurt adds punctuation and capitalization automatically.

3

Release and keep writing

Your text appears at the cursor. Edit if needed, or keep dictating the next section.

Real Scenarios

Writing Notes posts throughout your day

You are reading an article and have a reaction worth sharing. Open Substack Notes, hold the button, speak your quick take in fifteen seconds. Post. Later, you see something on a walk that connects to your newsletter topic. Pull out your laptop, hold the button, capture the observation before it fades. Your Notes feed stays active because posting takes seconds, not minutes.

Responding to subscriber comments thoughtfully

A reader left a detailed comment with questions about your last post. They deserve more than a two-word reply. Hold the button and talk through your response like you are having a conversation with them. Cover their questions, add context, share appreciation. A three-paragraph reply that would take eight minutes to type happens in ninety seconds. Your readers feel heard.

Drafting essays during walks and commutes

You do your best thinking while moving. Ideas connect, arguments clarify, examples emerge. With your laptop and Blurt, you capture sections of your next essay while the thoughts are fresh. Walk for thirty minutes, come back with a thousand words drafted. The physical movement and verbal output work together. Typing could never happen this way.

Breaking through writers block mid-draft

You are stuck on a transition. The paragraph before is done, the paragraph after is clear in your head, but connecting them feels impossible. Stop typing. Hold the button. Talk through what you are trying to say, even if it is messy. The words come out. They are not perfect, but they exist. Edit them into shape. The block is broken.

Writing community posts for paid subscribers

Your paid subscribers want more access to your thinking. You want to post casual updates in the community section without it becoming another full newsletter. Hold the button, share what you have been working on, what you are reading, what questions you are wrestling with. Authentic community posts in minutes. Your subscribers get the behind-the-scenes access they pay for.

Capturing newsletter ideas before they disappear

You are in the shower and the perfect opening line hits you. You are falling asleep and finally understand the angle for next week's post. These moments pass quickly. Keep a Substack draft open, and when inspiration strikes, hold the button and capture the core idea in your own words. The seed is planted. You can grow it into a full post later.

Some writers use AI tools to generate content. Here is how Blurt differs.

Blurt AI Writing Tools
Input method Voice: hold button and talk Keyboard: type prompts or outlines
Output Your exact words, properly punctuated AI-generated content based on prompts
Voice and style 100% your authentic voice Generic or imitated style
Reader trust Readers get you, unfiltered Readers may sense AI involvement
Originality Every word is yours Based on training data patterns
Pricing $10/month or $99/year Varies widely by tool

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Blurt work with the Substack web editor and desktop app?
Blurt works with the Substack web editor in any browser. Substack does not have a native desktop app, so all your writing happens in the browser. Blurt is a macOS menu bar app that inserts text wherever your cursor is. Whether you use Chrome, Safari, Arc, or Firefox, Blurt captures your voice and places the text in your Substack draft.
Will my newsletters still sound like me if I dictate them?
Yes, even more so. Blurt transcribes exactly what you say with proper punctuation added automatically. No AI rewrites or suggestions. When you speak your ideas, you use your natural vocabulary and phrasing. Many writers find their voice comes through more clearly when they talk than when they type, because typing adds a layer of self-editing that can flatten personality.
How much does Blurt cost for Substack writers?
Blurt has a free tier with first 1,000 words free at no cost. That is enough to draft a newsletter or write dozens of Notes and replies. Pro is $10 per month or $99 per year for unlimited words. This is separate from your Substack subscription or any Substack fees.
Can I use Blurt to dictate while on calls or in cafes?
Blurt uses your Mac microphone and works best in reasonably quiet environments. Background noise can affect transcription accuracy. In a cafe, find a quieter corner. On a video call, mute yourself before dictating so others do not hear you. Blurt does not require silence, but less noise means better results.
Does Blurt work on Windows or iOS?
No. Blurt is macOS only. If you write your Substack newsletters on Windows or primarily use iOS, Blurt is not currently available for your setup. We may add other platforms in the future based on demand.
Can Blurt help me write faster without changing my editing process?
Absolutely. Blurt only changes how your first draft gets into the editor. You still edit, revise, and polish exactly as you do now. The difference is that your raw material appears in minutes instead of hours. Many writers find that having a complete draft to edit, rather than a blank page to fill, makes the entire process faster and less stressful.

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