How to write your best newsletter issues

You have a great idea for your next newsletter issue.

The writing process is much easier without a blank page, but now you have a new problem…

Typing, backspacing, typing, backspacing, over and over.

By the time you’re done writing one issue it feels like you’ve written 4.

Too fatigued to edit, you publish and move on.

What if you had a template?

A newsletter template is a huge asset to have. It streamlines everything and will help you write great content every time. Giving your readers a very consistent experience.

The goal of this template is to help you get from point A to Point B with very little friction.

For example, here’s my template:

• What problem needs to be solved?
• What do most people do?
• Why doesn’t it work for them?
• What unique solution can I offer?
• What are the next steps?

Once you have a template in place, drafts are much easier.

You’ll even have enough margin for what I believe to be the most important (and most overlooked) step in the process: editing.

Write once and leave it.

The goal is to write everything you’re thinking and leave it for later.

When you come back later for the edits, you’ll see a lot of things you didn’t see before.

Here are a few tips for the editing process:

• Come back to it at least a few hours later.
• Editing isn’t just about spelling and punctuation, don’t be afraid to cut pieces and re-write.
• Look for consistency. Make sure every word is intentional and as simple as possible.

Your next steps

Build your template this week. Think about the steps it would take to get your readers from where they are now to where you want them to be.

Here are some tips for creating your template:

• Pose each step as a question: This will help you think through each point.
• Think about where you want to take your readers. What trasformation should they make?
• Is the framework simple enough that you can run every topic through it?

Once you have a template, write a draft and try hard not to backspace or edit as you go. It’s a lot harder than you might think, but worth it to create the habit.

When you return for an edit later you’ll have a lot to work with.