Newsletters & Email prompts

Write a newsletter issue.

NEWSLETTER: [WHAT IT IS ABOUT, WHO SUBSCRIBES]
ISSUE TOPIC: [THIS WEEK'S SUBJECT]
WHAT I WANT TO SAY: [MY NOTES OR ARGUMENT]
LENGTH: [WORDS]
MY VOICE: [PASTE A PREVIOUS ISSUE, or describe]
WHAT I AM PROMOTING, IF ANYTHING: [PRODUCT/EVENT/POST, or 'nothing']

Structure:

1. SUBJECT LINE - five options. Specific, under 50 characters, no clickbait, no emoji unless my voice sample uses them. Never 'Newsletter #47'.
2. PREVIEW TEXT - the line after the subject in the inbox. It must add to the subject, not repeat it. Most newsletters waste this entirely.
3. THE OPENING - straight into the idea. No 'hope you had a great week', no weather, no apology for the gap since the last issue.
4. THE BODY - one idea, developed. Not five links with a sentence each.
5. THE PRACTICAL PART - something the reader can use this week.
6. THE CLOSE - one call to action if there is one. Never three.

Rules:
- Write to one person, not a list. 'You', not 'everyone'.
- One idea per issue. A newsletter covering four topics is remembered for none.
- If I am promoting something, it goes after the value, clearly marked, once, without a fake segue.
- No 'in this issue' contents list for anything under 1,000 words.
- Do not manufacture a personal anecdote. If my notes have one, use it; if not, do not invent one.

Then: the one sentence a reader would forward, and whether the issue delivers on the subject line.

Write a cold email.

WHO I AM: [YOU AND WHAT YOU DO]
WHO I AM WRITING TO: [THEIR ROLE AND WHAT THEY CARE ABOUT]
WHY THEM SPECIFICALLY: [THE REAL REASON - what you know about them or their work]
WHAT I WANT: [THE ASK]
WHAT IS IN IT FOR THEM: [HONESTLY - and if nothing, say so]
HOW I FOUND THEM: [CONTEXT]

Write an email that:
- Is under 120 words
- Opens with the specific reason you are writing to them, not to anyone. If the first sentence would work for a hundred people, it is wrong.
- States who you are in one clause, not a paragraph
- Makes the ask clearly and early, not in the last line
- Makes the ask small and specific. 'Fifteen minutes to ask you two questions about X' beats 'to explore synergies'.
- Gives them an easy no. A reply that says no is better than no reply.
- Ends with one question, answerable in a line

Rules:
- No 'I hope this email finds you well'
- No 'I'll be brief' followed by four paragraphs
- No flattery that could be copy-pasted ('I've been following your work for years')
- No fake familiarity, no assumed first-name intimacy if that is not the norm in their field
- No 'quick call', no 'pick your brain', no 'circle back', no 'touch base'
- No attachments, no calendar link in a first email
- Subject line: specific, lowercase-normal, under 45 characters, no 'Re:' tricks

Then give me:
- THE HONEST ASSESSMENT - given what I said is in it for them, will this get a reply? If the answer is no because there is nothing in it for them, say so and suggest what would change that.
- THE FOLLOW-UP for 7 days later, under 50 words, which must add something rather than just bumping.

Help me write an email I have been avoiding.

WHO IT IS TO: [RELATIONSHIP AND CONTEXT]
WHAT I NEED TO SAY: [THE MESSAGE]
WHY IT IS DIFFICULT: [awkward / bad news / saying no / admitting a mistake / asking for something / raising a problem]
WHAT I WANT TO HAPPEN: [OUTCOME]
HISTORY: [ANYTHING RELEVANT ABOUT PREVIOUS EXCHANGES]
MY DRAFT IF I HAVE ONE: [PASTE]

Write the email so that:
- The main point is in the first two sentences. Difficult emails get worse the longer they take to arrive at the point.
- The reason is given once, briefly. Over-explaining reads as guilt and invites negotiation.
- Any apology is specific and singular. One apology for the actual thing, not a repeated apology for existing.
- What happens next is stated concretely.
- It is under 150 words.

By type:
- SAYING NO: decline in the first sentence, give one reason, offer an alternative only if you mean it, do not leave a door open you intend to close
- BAD NEWS: the news first, then the context, then what you are doing about it. Never bury it in paragraph three.
- ADMITTING A MISTAKE: what happened, the impact, what you are doing, what prevents recurrence. No excuses mixed in with the apology.
- ASKING: the ask early, why them, what it involves specifically, an easy way to decline
- RAISING A PROBLEM: the observable facts, the impact, what you want to happen. No interpretation of motives.

Then tell me:
- WHAT I AM AVOIDING SAYING - if my draft or description dances around something, name it
- THE SENTENCE MOST LIKELY TO BE MISREAD, and the safer version
- WHETHER THIS SHOULD BE AN EMAIL AT ALL - some of these are conversations. Say so if it is.

Design an email sequence.

PURPOSE: [onboarding / product launch / course / re-engagement / event]
AUDIENCE: [WHO AND HOW THEY JOINED THE LIST]
WHAT I WANT THEM TO DO: [THE GOAL]
NUMBER OF EMAILS: [COUNT]
OVER WHAT PERIOD: [TIMEFRAME]
WHAT I HAVE TO OFFER: [PRODUCT, CONTENT, ACCESS]
THEIR LIKELY OBJECTIONS: [WHY THEY WOULD NOT ACT]

For each email produce: number, send timing, purpose, subject line, preview text, the body, and the single call to action.

Design principles:
- Each email must be worth opening on its own, even if they never act on the goal
- Each addresses one objection from my list, in the order objections naturally arise
- The sequence should build: what email 3 says should only be possible because they read 1 and 2
- Front-load value. The first email should give something, not ask.
- Vary the format across the sequence: a story, a practical how-to, a case, a direct offer. Four identical emails get unsubscribed.

Then give me:
- THE OBJECTION MAP - which email handles which objection, and any objection not addressed
- THE UNSUBSCRIBE RISK - the email most likely to lose subscribers, and why
- WHAT TO DO ABOUT NON-OPENERS - whether to resend with a new subject, and when
- THE EXIT - what happens to someone who takes the action at email 2; they must stop receiving the rest of the sequence. Say how.
- THE HONEST LENGTH - if [COUNT] emails is more than this content warrants, say so.

Rules:
- No false urgency, no fake scarcity, no countdown on something that is not actually ending
- Every email must be useful even to someone who never buys

Rewrite this email.

EMAIL:
"""
[PASTE]
"""

WHO IT IS TO: [RELATIONSHIP]
WHAT I NEED FROM THEM: [THE ACTION OR RESPONSE]
HOW BUSY THEY ARE: [very / normal / they have time]
CHANNEL NORMS: [formal workplace / casual team / external client]

Produce:

1. THE POINT - state what this email is actually asking for, in one sentence. If I have written 400 words and the ask is unclear, that is the finding.

2. WHAT THEY NEED VS WHAT I WROTE - the information required to act, versus the context I included because I wanted them to understand. Most email bloat is the writer justifying themselves.

3. THE REWRITE - with:
   - The ask or the key information in the first two lines
   - Any deadline stated as a date, not 'soon' or 'when you get a chance'
   - Context after the ask, not before, and only what is needed
   - Multiple asks numbered, never buried in prose. If there are more than three, say so - it should be a document or a meeting.
   - Under 150 words unless the content genuinely requires more

4. THE SUBJECT LINE - specific, and indicating whether action is needed. 'Approval needed: Q4 budget by Friday' beats 'Q4 budget'.

5. THE SKIM TEST - if they read only the subject and the first two lines, do they know what to do? Answer yes or no. If no, fix it.

6. WHAT I CUT AND WHERE IT SHOULD GO - context worth keeping but not here: a linked document, a follow-up, or a conversation.

7. SHOULD THIS BE AN EMAIL - if it is a decision needing discussion, or has more than three asks, say so.

Rules:
- No 'just', no 'sorry to bother you', no 'quick question' followed by a complex one
- Never make someone read to the end to find out what you want

Write an announcement.

WHAT IS CHANGING: [THE CHANGE]
WHO IT AFFECTS AND HOW: [IMPACT BY GROUP]
WHEN: [DATE AND ANY PHASES]
WHY: [THE REAL REASON]
WHAT PEOPLE NEED TO DO: [ACTION REQUIRED, BY GROUP]
WHAT WILL WORRY THEM: [ANTICIPATED CONCERNS]
AUDIENCE: [customers / staff / users / community]
CHANNEL: [email / in-app / blog post / all-hands]

Write it so that:
1. The first sentence states what is changing and when. Not background, not 'we're excited to share'.
2. The second paragraph says who is affected and what they must do. If different groups are affected differently, use a table or clear headings - never make someone work out whether this applies to them.
3. The reason comes next, honestly and briefly. If the reason is commercial, say so; transparent commercial reasoning is better received than a wellbeing framing nobody believes.
4. The concerns from my list are addressed directly, including the ones with unwelcome answers.
5. What is NOT changing is stated. Announcements cause disproportionate anxiety because people assume more changed than did.
6. There is a named route for questions.

Rules:
- No 'we're excited to announce' for something people will not be excited about
- No 'this will allow us to serve you better' unless you can say specifically how
- Do not bury a price increase, a removal, or a downgrade below good news
- If something is being taken away, say so in plain words in the first paragraph
- Give dates, not 'in the coming weeks'

Then give me:
- THE SENTENCE PEOPLE WILL QUOTE ANGRILY, and whether it can be honestly improved or is just the truth
- THE FAQ - the six questions you will be asked, with honest answers
- WHAT I AM NOT SAYING that people will notice is missing

Help me design a newsletter format I can sustain.

TOPIC: [WHAT IT IS ABOUT]
WHO IT IS FOR: [AUDIENCE]
WHY THEY WOULD SUBSCRIBE: [THE PROMISE]
HOW MUCH TIME I HAVE PER ISSUE: [HOURS]
HOW OFTEN I WANT TO SEND: [FREQUENCY]
WHAT I ALREADY DO THAT COULD FEED IT: [YOUR WORK, READING, PROJECTS]
WHY PREVIOUS ATTEMPTS STOPPED: [IF ANY]

Produce:

1. THE PROMISE - one sentence a subscriber would use to describe this to someone else. Specific enough to be a reason to subscribe.

2. FREQUENCY REALITY CHECK - given my stated time per issue, is my desired frequency sustainable? Be honest. Most newsletters die from an over-ambitious schedule, not from bad writing. Recommend the frequency I can hold for a year.

3. THE FORMAT - a repeatable structure with named sections. A fixed format is what makes writing fast: you are filling slots rather than inventing a shape each time. Give 3-5 sections with a word budget each.

4. THE INPUT PIPELINE - where each issue's material comes from, drawn from what I already do. A newsletter requiring separate research is a newsletter that stops. Describe the capture habit.

5. THE MINIMUM VIABLE ISSUE - the shortest version that still delivers the promise, for weeks when I have no time. Having this defined is what prevents missed issues.

6. WHAT TO CUT FROM MY PLAN - anything that sounds good and costs more than it returns: interviews, original research, curation of many links, design work.

7. THE FIRST FIVE ISSUES - topics, so I start with a runway rather than a blank page.

8. THE HONEST QUESTION - is a newsletter the right format for what I want to do, or would a blog, a podcast or nothing be better? Say why.