// learn / newsletters / starting out
How to start a newsletter in 2026 (without burning out by issue 5)
A newsletter is the easiest creator format to start and the hardest to stick with. It depends on the boring stuff: cadence, niche, and whether you actually like writing.
The short version
Pick a niche specific enough to feel uncomfortable. Pick a platform you can leave (Beehiiv, Ghost, Kit, or yes, Substack). Commit to a cadence you can keep for 12 months. Write three issues before you publish one. That's the whole starter pack.
1. Niche before name, name before platform
"A newsletter about marketing" is not a newsletter. "A weekly breakdown of one B2B landing page, including what I'd change" is. The tighter the promise, the easier everything downstream gets — including writing, growth, and eventually charging money.
2. Picking a platform
- Beehiiv: best for growth-minded writers. Built-in referrals, recommendations, and ad network. Exports cleanly.
- Substack: easiest start, biggest discovery surface, but you're a tenant. Fine — just know it.
- Kit (ConvertKit): best if you're already selling a product or course. Automations are the strongest in the category.
- Ghost: best for full ownership and a clean reading experience. Self-hosted requires a tiny bit of setup.
All four are fine. Don't spend a week deciding. Pick one and start.
3. Your first three issues
- Issue 1: the thesis. Who this is for, what you'll do every week, and a useful piece of writing that proves it.
- Issue 2: the format at its best. Treat it like the example you'd send a stranger.
- Issue 3: proof you can keep it up. Same shape, different topic.
4. Cadence (where most newsletters die)
Most newsletters quit between issue 3 and issue 8. Almost always because the writer picked a cadence they can't sustain. Weekly is the sweet spot for most people. Biweekly is honest and underrated. Daily is a job. Pick once, stick with it for 12 months, then re-evaluate.
5. The first 90 days
Spend twice as much time growing as writing. Trade swaps with similar-sized newsletters. Pitch yourself as a podcast guest using the guest pitch templates. Post your best paragraph from each issue on the platform your readers actually live on. Don't check open rates more than once a week.
6. What to ignore in year one
- Paid tiers. You don't have proof yet.
- A custom domain on day one. Use the default.
- A logo from a designer. Type-set wordmark, move on.
- Cross-promo deals with newsletters 10x your size. They won't bite, and chasing them is a time sink.
Frequently asked questions
Substack, Beehiiv, ConvertKit, or Ghost — which should I pick?
Substack if you want zero setup and don't mind being one of thousands on the platform. Beehiiv if growth tools (referrals, recommendations, ads) matter and you want to keep your list portable. ConvertKit (Kit) if you're already selling something. Ghost if you want full ownership and don't mind a tiny bit of setup. None of them will ruin your newsletter — your writing will.
How often should I send a newsletter?
Whatever cadence you can sustain for a year without quitting. For most people that's weekly or every other week. Daily is a content treadmill very few writers should commit to in year one. Monthly is fine if your issues are substantial — but the gap between sends makes growth slower.
How long should a newsletter be?
As long as the idea deserves and not a word longer. 600–1,200 words is a comfortable range for most weekly newsletters. If you find yourself padding to hit a length, cut it instead. Readers reward density, not volume.
Do I need a niche to start a newsletter?
Yes. 'Newsletter about my thoughts' is a journal. A newsletter needs a clear answer to 'who is this for and what do they get?' You can broaden later — but starting niche is the fastest way to find your first 100 real readers.
Should I launch free or paid?
Free. Always free first, unless you have a huge existing audience or a credential that justifies day-one paid. You need to prove the work is worth paying for, and you need a body of work to point at. Six to twelve months of free issues before you flip the switch is a reasonable rule of thumb.
// when you're ready to grow it
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