How to Create an Email Newsletter (Step by Step)

Creating an email newsletter has gotten technically easier (platforms handle the hard parts) and strategically harder (everyone has one). The cluster around how to create an email newsletter, how to make an email newsletter, how to set up a newsletter has high intent — these are people about to start. This guide gives the complete step-by-step from platform selection through first send.

The 8 Steps

1. Pick a platform
2. Set up your sender domain
3. Configure authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC)
4. Define topic and audience
5. Write your first 3 issues
6. Build signup landing page
7. Promote and grow
8. Publish consistently

Each is covered below.

Step 1: Pick a Platform

Your platform shapes everything that follows. Options:

Platform	Best for	Pricing
Beehiiv	Growth-focused independents	Free to 2500, then $39+/mo
Kit (ConvertKit)	Creators selling products	Free to 10K (no automation), then $25+/mo
Substack	Starting writers, paid subs	Free; 10% of paid revenue
Mailerlite	General newsletter	Free to 1K, $9+/mo
Ghost	Technical owners, paid subs	Self-host or $9+/mo Pro
Buttondown	Minimalists, devs	$9+/mo

If you're starting from zero with growth as priority: Beehiiv. If you sell products: Kit. If you want fastest start: Substack. If you want full ownership: Ghost.

See best email newsletter platforms for the deeper comparison.

Step 2: Set Up Your Sender Domain

Use a custom domain, not the platform's default (yourname.substack.com is acceptable but yourname.com is better).

Recommended: subdomain for the newsletter to keep authentication clean.

• Main domain: yourcompany.com
• Newsletter sending subdomain: news.yourcompany.com
• Reply-to address: [email protected] (real, monitored)

In your platform settings, add the sending domain and follow their DNS setup instructions.

Step 3: Configure Authentication

Three DNS records to add:

SPF — TXT record at the sending subdomain authorizing your platform to send:

TXT news.yourcompany.com  "v=spf1 include:_spf.beehiiv.com -all"

DKIM — CNAME records pointing to your platform's signing keys. Platform provides these.

DMARC — TXT record at _dmarc.yourcompany.com:

TXT _dmarc.yourcompany.com  "v=DMARC1; p=none; rua=mailto:[email protected]"

Start at p=none to gather data. After 30-90 days of clean sending, progress to p=quarantine then p=reject.

See SPF setup guide, DKIM setup guide, DMARC setup guide.

Practitioner note: Most newsletter platforms walk you through DNS setup with verification. Don't skip the verification step — running unverified for months and then discovering DKIM never signed properly is common. Test send to a Gmail account, check the email headers for "PASS" on SPF, DKIM, and DMARC.

Step 4: Define Topic and Audience

The newsletters that grow have narrow positioning.

Bad: "Marketing newsletter" Good: "Marketing newsletter for SaaS founders building from 0 to $1M ARR"

Narrow audience makes:

• Easier to write specific content
• Easier to grow via recommendations from aligned newsletters
• Easier to monetize (clearer offer)
• Easier to differentiate from existing newsletters

Define:

• Who is the ideal subscriber (role, stage, situation)
• What problem does the newsletter help with
• What's your unique angle or perspective
• What will subscribers learn / get / feel

Write this down. Reference it when planning content.

Step 5: Write Your First 3 Issues

Don't launch with one issue. Write 3 before announcing.

Why:

• You'll find your voice over 2-3 attempts
• You'll have a backlog so the first issue isn't published while you're still figuring it out
• Issue 2 can ship 7 days after issue 1 without panic
• Issue 3 buffer protects against the first "I have no idea what to write" week

Each issue: 400-800 words on a single topic. Personal voice. Useful for your defined audience.

Step 6: Build Signup Landing Page

A dedicated landing page converts better than a banner on your homepage.

Landing page content:

• Headline: who it's for and what they get
• 2-3 sentence pitch
• Frequency expectation ("weekly")
• Signup form (email + optional name)
• 2-3 testimonials or social proof (when you have them)
• Sample issue snippet or full archive link
• Privacy reassurance ("unsubscribe anytime")

Most platforms (Beehiiv, Kit, Substack) include landing page hosting. You can also build on your own site and embed the signup form.

See email opt-in language for opt-in copy that converts.

Step 7: Promote and Grow

For the first 100 subscribers:

• Personal outreach (LinkedIn, Twitter, email to people you know)
• Post about it on your social channels
• Add CTA in your email signature
• Add CTA on your existing content (blog, podcast)

For 100 → 1000:

• Recommendation networks (Beehiiv recommendations, Substack)
• Lead magnets (gated content for signup)
• Content syndication (Medium, LinkedIn articles)
• Guest writing for adjacent newsletters

For 1000 → 10000+:

• Referral programs (Beehiiv, Kit, Sparkloop)
• Paid recommendations (Beehiiv Boost)
• Cross-promotion swaps with similar-size newsletters
• Paid acquisition (carefully measured)
• SEO via newsletter archive

See newsletter marketing guide for growth tactics in depth.

Step 8: Publish Consistently

Pick a day and time. Stick to it.

• Same day each week (or biweekly)
• Same approximate time (within 1-2 hours)
• Don't skip weeks without notice

Consistency builds reader habit. Random publication trains recipients to ignore you.

If you'll miss a week, send a brief note ("no full issue this week, back next Tuesday") rather than skipping silently.

What Goes In Each Issue

A reasonable structure for a 500-700 word newsletter:

Subject: [Specific topic of this issue]
Preheader: [Complements the subject]

[Opening — 1-2 sentences on the topic]

[Main content — 300-500 words]
  - Subheading if longer than 300 words
  - Bullets for lists
  - Bold for key phrases

[TL;DR — 3 bullet points if applicable]

[Optional secondary section]
  - "Worth reading this week" links
  - "Quick tip" 
  - Reader question or comment

[Closing line — sign off as the author]

[Footer]
  Your name + brand
  Physical address
  Unsubscribe | Manage preferences | Subscribe (for forwards)

Sending Your First Issue

Before clicking send:

1. Test send to yourself
2. Open on mobile (iOS Mail, Gmail mobile)
3. Open on desktop (Gmail web, Outlook desktop)
4. Click every link
5. Verify subject line + preheader as a unit
6. Mail-Tester score check (target 8+/10)
7. Verify unsubscribe link works

After sending:

• Watch open rate over first 24 hours
• Reply to any responses personally (high-engagement signal)
• Don't obsess — give the issue 48 hours before evaluating

What to Expect

For a brand-new newsletter from a 0-audience start:

• Month 1: 0-50 subscribers if you don't promote actively, 50-500 if you do
• Month 3: 200-2000 if content is good and you're growing
• Month 6: real growth starts compounding for newsletters that survive

Most newsletters fail not for lack of content but for lack of consistency. Publishing for 6+ months puts you ahead of 80% of attempts.

If you need help setting up a newsletter — platform selection, domain authentication, deliverability foundation — book a consultation. I help newsletter operators with the technical setup that makes the writing actually reach inboxes.

Sources

• Beehiiv Newsletter Tutorial
• Kit Creator Resources
• Substack Publisher Guide
• Ghost Newsletter Documentation
• Mailerlite Newsletter Guide
• M3AAWG Sender Best Common Practices

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v1.0 · May 2026