Creativity · Newsletter
Austin Kleon
Austin Kleon
A weekly email of ten things he found interesting, alongside a blog and small books.
austinkleon.com ↗START A NEWSLETTER
How to start a newsletter about what you know.
A newsletter is the simplest way to share your expertise every week, and the audience you build is yours.
Find your thing →free · about 5 minutes
THE SHORT ANSWER
To start a newsletter, choose one focused topic and one kind of reader, sign up for a newsletter platform, and write a short issue every week with one useful idea, story or tip. Share it with people you know and where your readers gather, and add a paid tier once people consistently open and reply.
WHY YOUR EXPERIENCE COUNTS
The audience nobody can take away.
Social media platforms decide who sees your posts. Email doesn’t. When someone subscribes to your newsletter, you can reach them directly for as long as they want to hear from you.
Writing is also the easiest format to fit around a full life. No camera, no studio, no editing software: just you, a weekly rhythm and the things you know.
And a newsletter becomes the backbone of everything else. It’s where you announce workshops, test ideas for a course and learn what readers really want.
IDEAS THAT FIT
Newsletter formats that work
| Idea | Format | Effort to start | How it earns |
|---|---|---|---|
| One useful tip a week | Short email | Low | Builds trust, then paid offers |
| Lessons from your career | Story and takeaway | Low | Paid tier or consulting leads |
| A curated list of finds | Links with your notes | Low | Sponsors or paid tier |
| A deep-dive explainer | Longer essay | Medium | Paid subscriptions |
| Q&A from readers | Answers to real questions | Low | Builds community |
| A seasonal guide | Monthly or seasonal | Low | Guides and products |
PEOPLE WHO DID IT
Real people, real knowledge, real second acts.
Publishing · Newsletter & classes
Jane Friedman
Jane Friedman
A paid newsletter for authors, built on decades inside publishing.
janefriedman.com ↗
Retirement · Blog & book
The Retirement Manifesto
Fritz Gilbert
Wrote about his own retirement transition, and the writing became a book.
theretirementmanifesto.com ↗
Backyard chickens · Blog & books
Fresh Eggs Daily
Lisa Steele
Practical writing for backyard flocks that grew into books and a show.
fresheggsdaily.blog ↗HOW TO START
Five steps, one at a time.
- 01
Know
Choose one topic and one reader. Write it as “a weekly email for ___ about ___.”
- 02
Find
List 20 people who’d want it and the places your readers gather.
- 03
Tell
Write your first four issues before you announce it.
- 04
Build
Set up a free newsletter with a simple signup page.
- 05
Grow
Publish on the same day each week, ask readers to reply, and add a paid tier when it’s working.
FIND YOUR THING
Get a plan made for what you know.
Answer six quick questions and the free Know + Tell Business Builder suggests your best first thing, who it’s for and which tools to use. Your first answer is already filled in.
TOOLS FOR YOUR FIRST STEP
Start with these.
beehiiv ↗Start a free newsletter that can grow into paid subscriptions.Claude ↗Brainstorm issue ideas and turn rough notes into a clean draft.Podia ↗Sell a guide or workshop to your readers when you’re ready.
Know + Tell is free. Some tool links pay us a commission; here’s how we choose.
QUESTIONS PEOPLE ASK
Questions people ask.
How often should I send my newsletter?
Weekly is a good rhythm for most people. Pick a schedule you can keep for a year; consistency matters more than frequency.
How long should each issue be?
Long enough to deliver one useful idea. Many successful newsletters take about five minutes to read.
How do I get my first subscribers?
Start with people who already know you and your topic, then share in the places your readers gather. Ask every reader to forward it to one friend.
Should my newsletter be free or paid?
Start free to build trust and an audience. Add a paid tier with extra value once readers consistently open and reply.
What if I run out of things to say?
Keep a running list of questions people ask you. Every question is a future issue.
KEEP GOING