We’re in a golden age for newsletters.
But, in order to take advantage of the incredible wisdom, resources, and inspiration available, you have to know where to find it.
Following are the newsletters I most often recommend if you’re looking to learn how to grow your audience and career…
1. Austin Kleon’s newsletter
It’s no surprise that a guy who writes fantastic books about the creative process also publishes an awesome newsletter about it each week. Each edition features a curated collection of ideas about writing, art, music, and creativity that inspire Kleon and will likely inspire you too.
2. Better Marketing
This is actually a Medium publication, but if you follow it you’ll also get a newsletter with links to featured articles including tips on how to market your work, use social media, grow your audience, and sell your products.
3. Brain Pint
Janel Loi’s curated weekly newsletter offers a nice blend of articles, tools, and resources designed to make you smarter and help you grow personally and professionally.
4. Chicken Shed Chronicles
An offshoot of the DO Lectures, this is one of the cleanest, simplest, and most enjoyable-to-read newsletters I’ve found. Each week you get a handful of curated links to great stuff about creativity, culture, technology, and more.
5. Copywriting Course
This newsletter will make you a better writer. Neville Medhora, who has helped write copy for everything from AppSumo to The Hustle, shares copy trends, copywriting breakdowns, and marketing tactics he’s found effective.
6. Course Creators Weekly
A must-read if you’ve got a course. Each issue features three articles, videos, or podcasts with tips from successful course creators.
7. Creative Mornings
Produced by the international creative community at Creative Mornings, this weekly newsletter features highlights from talks held around the world as well as links to interesting content around a wide range of topics including design, the creative process, and more.
8. Draft Mode
A newsletter for writers from author and content designer Iain Broome, it’s one of my personal favorites. You’ll get tools and tips to help you improve and promote your writing.
9. Electric Speed
Jane Friedman is an expert on the publishing industry and this newsletter is a vehicle for her to share resources and tools to help authors and creators. It’s been around since 2009 and is packed with value.
10. For The Interested
If you only subscribe to one newsletter on this list, then For The Interested should be the one! I’m not just saying that because I’m biased (though I am because it’s my newsletter), but also because the ideas I share each week to help you better produce, promote, and profit from your creations include a curated batch of the best ideas found in all the other newsletters on this list in addition to my own original articles.
11. Gary Veekly
This is Gary Vaynerchuk’s weekly newsletter. You probably already know him so you’ve got a decent idea what to expect in it. If you haven’t heard of him, sign up for it because he’s got a LOT to teach you.
12. The Groove
This newsletter will help you unlock your creative potential in 5 minutes or less by sharing with you the creative process of history’s most legendary artists and entrepreneurs. Written by award-winning art advisor and author Maria Brito.
13. Growth Currency
A collection of tools, tips, and resources for creators to help them grow their audience and business.
14. The Growth Newsletter
This newsletter from the Demand Curve agency features advanced marketing insights based on what’s working for Y Combinator founders.
15. Growth Notes
A must-read if you use Twitter. This newsletter from the team behind Twitter app Hypefury includes breakdowns of tactics people are successfully using to grow their Twitter accounts.
16. The Gumroad Newsletter
Gumroad is a great platform you can use to sell your products, but its newsletter is also worth a read. It features a look at what various creators are doing to grow their audience and drive more sales of their work.
17. How It Actually Works
Written by Trevor McKendrick, this one isn’t specifically geared toward creators but I often find stuff in it that’s relevant building a creative career. It features material designed to answer a simple question: “How does the world actually work?”
18. Idea Economy
I frequently find stuff to feature in my own newsletter from this one. It’s a simple digest of articles worth checking out for creators and indie startup founders.
19. The Idea Enthusiast
A weekly newsletter from keynote speaker Greg Roth that features original and curated ideas about how to develop habits, improve thinking skills, collaborate, and test new ideas.
20. #JessPicks
A weekly roundup of curated links and resources to help you with your side hustle, blog, or other creative projects from Jessica L. Williams.
21. The Lefsetz Letter
This newsletter features the observations and rants of Bob Lefsetz, who’s technically a music industry analyst but in actuality so much more. His emails come whenever he’s inspired to write one (typically a couple per week) and feature insightful thoughts about art, culture, technology, media, and life in general. A unique, entertaining read.
22. Marketer Crew
A weekly email full of curated links that will help you become a better marketer, grow your audience, and drive more sales.
23. Monday Musings
A weekly email from David Perell with observations and advice about writing, entrepreneurship, and culture.
24. Opt In Weekly
A must-read if you’re a newsletter creator. Ashley Guttoso shares tips to help you create a newsletter people will actually read.
25. RadReads
Khe Hy’s weekly newsletter helps creatives and entrepreneurs rethink their relationship with money and ambition.
26. Recomendo
So simple, so smart. This weekly newsletter features six quick recommendations from six different people including Kevin Kelly, the founding editor of WIRED magazine. The recommendations include apps, life hacks, books, and more.
27. The Rubesletter
Comedian Matt Ruby’s newsletter isn’t just a fun read, it’s also packed with interesting perspectives on everything from the creative process to culture.
28. Simon Owens’s Media Newsletter
Journalist Simon Owens does a great job covering the creator economy, media trends, and how people and companies are creating, distributing, and monetizing their content.
29. Sticky Notes
Described as “Paper airplanes delivered right to your inbox containing marketing & copywriting secrets to help you sell like hell (without losing your soul),” Cole Schafer’s newsletter may be the most well-written I’ve come across.
30. Storythings
A weekly collection of 10 inspiring stories to broaden your perspective of the ways stories can be told across various industries. Published by the Storythings agency.
31. swissmiss
This newsletter is essentially just a feed of posts from Creative Mornings founder Tina Roth Eisenberg’s long-running blog, but she shares so much inspiring, interesting stuff related to creativity and design that it’s worth inviting into your inbox.
32. This Is How I Do It
Another personal favorite because it’s another of my personal newsletters, each issue features a deep-dive into exactly how I do one thing in my art and business. Topics range from how I write blog posts, to how I use social media to build an audience, to how I get clients.
33. The Tilt
A newsletter dedicated to helping turn content creators into content entrepreneurs, it features education, training, and news for creators.
34. Total Annarchy
Author and content marketing expert Ann Handley shares writing tips, marketing ideas, and assorted “shenanigans” in a fun, twice-monthly letter.
35. Trapital
Dan Runcie’s newsletter about the business of hip hop is a must-read for anyone interested in the music industry, but the lessons he shares about how artists build careers can also be applied to anyone attempting to attract an audience and monetize their creations.
36. Wes Kao’s newsletter
Designed to help you “future proof your marketing career,” Wes Kao’s newsletter offers takeaways from her experience launching new products for thought leaders and brands.
37. Weekend Briefing
Each week Kyle Westaway publishes this newsletter about innovation and society and while it may not seem a perfect fit for the needs of creators on its surface, I consistently find relevant information within it.
38. Wolf Craft
A newsletter dedicated to helping you get more media coverage for your products, services, and yourself.
39. The Writing Rundown
An offshoot of Elisa Doucette’s Craft Your Content, this weekly newsletter includes tips and opportunities for writers looking to earn a living with their words.
