Join 18,400+ independent journalists publishing on a community-owned network. No algorithmic gatekeepers, no AI-generated copy, no ad networks skimming your royalties. Just human editors, a global readership of 4.2 million, and a median payout of $412 per piece.
Every tier includes human editorial review, full attribution on every byline, and payouts through TipJar. The free tier pays out from day one — there is no paywall to reach your first reader.
€0/month
For new voices, citizen reporters, and freelancers publishing their first long-form pieces.
€12/month
For working journalists and editors running a regular column or beat on the network.
By application
For newsrooms, regional desks, and collectives publishing across our 14 partner outlets.
All tiers include JTI-certified source protection, takedown support, and the Trust Project disclosure framework. Cancel anytime — your archive stays live under your byline.
Reader-supported, not ad-supported. Of every euro that flows through Lapok, 73% goes directly to writers — eleven times the industry standard for ad-driven news sites. There is no hidden take rate and no algorithm deciding your reach.
We publish slowly and on purpose. Every piece is read by a human editor, every source is protected, and every story is yours.
100% of submissions receive editorial review by a named editor. Zero AI-generated content is permitted on the platform. Our process is audited each quarter by the Tow Center for Digital Journalism.
The highest score of any commercial publishing platform. Lapok is a member of the Trust Project, certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative, and operates under a published source-protection charter.
Stories reach 12× more readers than comparable Substack or Medium publications, per a 2024 Reuters Institute benchmark. Syndication partners include Global Voices, Are.na, and 9 regional daily newspapers.
You retain full copyright on every story you publish. Export your archive at any time in standard formats. If you leave, your byline pages stay live and redirect to your new home — your readership follows you.
Direct answers to the questions that come up in every conversation with a writer considering Lapok.
Median turnaround is 14 hours for Member Writers and 36 hours for Free Writers. We do not auto-publish anything. Every submission is read by a named editor who signs off on the piece before it goes live. If we hold a story for revision, you receive a marked-up copy and a direct line to the reviewing editor.
Yes. You retain full copyright on every piece you publish. Lapok takes a non-exclusive syndication licence so we can distribute your work through partner outlets and feeds, but you can revoke the syndication licence at any time and your byline pages remain yours. Optional CC-BY licensing is available if you want it.
TipJar contributions are paid out twice a month. Subscription revenue is paid monthly, on the first business day. The minimum payout is €25; below that, balances roll forward. Payouts are available via SEPA, bank transfer, or PayPal. The median payout per published piece is $412 — eleven times the industry average for ad-supported platforms.
Stories are not removed at the request of third parties without a court order valid in Hungary. If a legal threat arrives, our press freedom reserve covers defence counsel and we publish the threat publicly. Sources are protected under the JTI framework; we do not retain IP logs beyond 30 days and we do not comply with informal government requests for source identification.
Yes. Our editorial team will import your existing archive from Substack, Medium, Ghost, WordPress, or any RSS feed. Imported stories keep their original publication date, receive a fresh editorial pass, and land on your Lapok byline page within five business days. Subscriber lists can be ported in with a single export file.
Lapok does not impose a house style on reporters. We publish investigations, essays, dispatches, photo essays, audio reports, and data journalism. We do require attributed sourcing, a clear distinction between reporting and commentary, and a corrections policy on your byline page. The full standards are published at /standards/.
No credit card. The free tier pays out from your first published piece — €0/month, every byline kept, full editorial review included.
