![]() My site, Inbox Collective, is a good example of that: I have a website, where I publish original work, but also a separate newsletter. It’s what I call a “simple publishing” approach - they use one platform to handle email and web content.īut some writers have a newsletter as part of a larger website. There’s no secondary website or additional content - everything they write and send exists within a single platform. Go to their website,, and you’re taken directly to a page where you can see their previous stories and sign up to receive more. Take the Arizona Agenda, a daily newsletter from Rachel Leingang and Hank Stephenson, two reporters who cover state politics in Arizona. Some indie newsletters keep things simple. 1.) Is your newsletter part of a larger website, or do you want it to be a standalone project? Go through these questions, figure out your answers - and then we’ll walk through the six ESPs and talk about which ones match up well with certain answers. I’ve found in working with indie newsletters that there are seven questions that can help you identify the right email tool. I’d certainly appreciate it if you used the links in here - everything on and in Not a Newsletter is free, and this is one way you can support this work! But at the end of the day, the most important thing for me is that you find the right tool to help you build a great newsletter. (Two exceptions: I don’t have an affiliate link for Mailchimp, and Substack’s commission is only paid out if a newsletter turns on a paid subscription.)īut this is the important part: All of these are tools I’ve used myself or with clients - they’re tools I like and independently recommend. I’ve also included affiliate links in here - if you use those links when signing up for one of these ESPs, I may receive a small commission. In a moment, I’ll walk through what makes each of these platforms so useful, what they cost, and why they might be right for you.Īnd I want to be up front about this: I have some sort of partner or affiliate relationship with each of the six tools listed in this guide. These are the six tools I recommend you take a closer look at: (And in some cases, I haven’t used an ESP enough to fully endorse it.) I’ve tried to pick tools that I think appeal to the broadest possible group of writers, but narrowing it down to a few options meant making some hard cuts. Second, there are a lot of great email options that I’ve excluded from this list. When I say “indie newsletters,” I mean newsletters launched by an individual or small team without the support or financial backing of a larger, established organization - these are people looking to build something on their own. In this article, I’m focused on the indie newsletter space. In this guide, I’ve narrowed the list down to six options I think are worth a closer look.įirst, these aren’t my recommendations for larger publishers, non-profits, or ecommerce businesses. I’ve worked with newsletters on dozens of platforms and gotten the chance to see what works and what doesn’t. How do you choose one that’s best for you? You’ll have your choice of several great email tools that can help you sell subscriptions, easily integrate advertising, or run polls from within a newsletter.īut there are almost too many email options to choose from - literally, dozens of ESPs, many of which have very similar features. When it comes to choosing the right tech, there’s never been a better time to be an independent writer with a newsletter. Picking the right ESP, or email service provider, is the first big step in your newsletter journey. ![]() ![]() If you’re launching your own indie newsletter, you’re going to need a great tool to help you send out emails. This guide was first published in December 2022. The guide was informed by Dan’s work with clients on each of these six platforms and tests run by Dan on each platform, as well as conversations with hundreds of newsletter operators who use each of the platforms. He previously worked as the Director of Newsletters at both The New Yorker and BuzzFeed. These reviews were written by Dan Oshinsky, who runs Inbox Collective, a consultancy that helps news organizations, non-profits, and indie newsletters get the most out of email. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |