Like with other creative endeavors, your newsletter creation skills expand when you read newsletters in the first place. But, since so much of the action happens in emails, it’s easy to miss out on examples that could inspire your own newsletter. What does a good email newsletter look like in different parts of the internet?
I got you covered. This roundup covers the elements of a good newsletter and shows them in action in 24 examples. These newsletters cover a wide range of subject areas, formats, and writing styles to inspire yours.
In this article:
- The elements of a good newsletter
- 24 email newsletter examples to borrow inspiration from
- 1. The Daily Skimm
- 2. Fantasy Life
- 3. Muck Rack Daily
- 4. Morning Brew
- 5. Smashing Magazine
- 6. The Marginalian
- 7. Read More Books
- 8. Austin Kleon
- 9. Farnam Street
- 10. Platformer
- 11. I Hate It Here
- 12. Hit Points
- 13. The Creative Independent Daily
- 14. NYT The Morning
- 15. Grist The Beacon
- 16. Atlas Obscura
- 17. Managing Editor
- 18. Reasons to Be Cheerful
- 19. Embedded
- 20. Hung Up
- 21. Perfectly Imperfect
- 22. Secret Breakfast
- 23. Vassilena Valchanova
- 24. Blackbird Spyplane
- How can you emulate the very best newsletters around?
- Let your newsletter evolve with you
The elements of a good newsletter
The newsletters covered in this list meet the following standards for good newsletters:
- Clear writing: The writing is easy to understand and formatted for easy reading.
- Crisp design: Graphics and formatting match the theme of the newsletter and meet modern design standards.
- Unique voice: You can sense a unique personality and approach through the language and writing style the writer uses.
- Consistent cadence: Issues release consistently, and the newsletter has a clear pattern to reoccurring themes and sections.
- Interesting niche: The newsletter has a unique premise or takes a new approach to a well-explored topic.
These traits don’t make or break a newsletter, but these practices lead to higher-quality content.
24 email newsletter examples to borrow inspiration from
Here are 24 good newsletter examples from all over the web:
1. The Daily Skimm
The Daily Skimm breaks down the day’s most important news stories. It covers topics such as entertainment, politics, and health. While the Skimm is mainly geared toward women, people of all genders can enjoy its content.
This newsletter stands out in its ability to summarize complicated topics in clear headers and concise paragraphs. Brief and compelling headers lead into one-to-two-paragraph recaps of events spanning a variety of topics. The Daily Skimm also uses plenty of in-paragraph links for readers to learn more about the subjects covered.
You can read the content covered in the Daily Skimm on The Skimm’s website and subscribe to the Daily Skimm newsletter here.
2. Fantasy Life
Fantasy Life features content and tools meant to help fantasy football fans optimize their teams and strategize for the future. Its newsletters point out players to consider for their lineups and share general football news.
The writing in Fantasy life balances fun language such as “roasted” and “spiked” with technical football terms you’d hear at an analyst’s desk. It’s like you have a passionate fan talking right by your side.
Every issue also has a quick bullet list summing up all the headers covered below it so subscribers know what to expect.
You’ll find Fantasy Life’s subscription signup on its website’s main page in the upper right corner.
3. Muck Rack Daily
Since Muck Rack offers a portfolio platform for journalists and PR tools, its Muck Rack Daily newsletter updates journalists on their industry. This newsletter gathers prominent headlines, journalist job changes to know, and hot topics journalists talk about.
Muck Rack Daily understands what its audience needs: A recap of the biggest happenings in their industry. Journalism is very much about who you know and staying up to date on others’ work, and this newsletter includes info on both topics.
You can see Muck Rack Daily issues by subscribing on its website.
4. Morning Brew
Morning Brew shares highlights of the day’s business, tech, and career news. It’s the most popular newsletter in Morning Brew’s network of newsletters covering topics like marketing and retail.
An extensive amount of research goes into each issue of Morning Brew. In fact, the newsletter has a dedicated team instead of a single person managing it. Its commitment to condensing important events into easily understandable summaries every day led to it becoming popular in the business world.
Subscribe to daily issues on the Morning Brew Daily’s page.
5. Smashing Magazine
Smashing Magazine offers web development and design tips with a focus on user experience and front-end. Its newsletter takes a similar approach by sharing that kind of advice in newsletter-friendly tidbits.
As a publication, Smashing Magazine could get away with rounding up its existing content and remixing it in its newsletter. Instead, it shares completely new tips, making Smashing Newsletter a publication of its own.
Each issue also centers around a specific theme, offering inspiration for how you can organize your content based on topics.
Read Smashing Newsletter’s previous issues and subscribe at this link.
6. The Marginalian
Maria Popova’s The Marginalian newsletter reflects on philosophy, literature, and the arts to deliver takeaways about life and the universe. Each issue strives to expand your thinking about creativity and meaning.
Since The Marginalian draws from famous minds of the past, it requires careful sourcing and synthesis. And it pulls that challenge off with deliberate pullquotes and diligent linking.
(WordPress tip: If you manage your newsletter in WordPress, you can use pullquotes of your own using the pullquote block.)
Throughout each issue, Maria Popova also makes sure to share public library links for any works mentioned as part of its mission to spread knowledge.
The Marginalian’s newsletter page offers a signup link if you’re interested in subscribing.
7. Read More Books
(Quick disclaimer: The author of this newsletter, Jeremy Anderberg, works for WordPress.com. But, we chose this example because we legitimately believe in its quality.)
Read More Books’s premise matches its name closely. This newsletter shares the creator’s reading picks for the week.
Since the newsletter came organically from Jeremy’s reading habits, it flows naturally. Since Jeremy would have read the books he reads for each issue anyway, he shares his genuine opinion on each one. He uses a first-person perspective to provide his personal recommendations directly to the reader.
You can subscribe to Read More Books on its Substack page.
8. Austin Kleon
Austin Kleon’s newsletter shares links, art, and writing Austin takes interest in. He has over 100,000 subscribers reading his issues.
This newsletter follows a simple premise: 10 things that Austin considers worth sharing for the week. These items can include just about anything under the sun, such as tweets, articles, pictures, and Netflix shows.
If you’re a writer who uses a newsletter to promote your work, this example goes to show how personal you can truly get. Find ways to share snippets of your life with your readers to build trust with them.
Find the signup link for this newsletter on Austin Kleon’s website.
9. Farnam Street
Farnam Street’s Brain Food newsletter includes insights from Farnam Street, its podcast The Knowledge Project, and other web sources. It features ideas related to self-improvement, understanding life, and creativity.
Each issue of Brain Food follows a specific section order that gives it structure. It begins with content from Farnam Street’s articles and the Knowledge Project podcast, then it pulls knowledge from sources across the web.
By sticking to this order in every email, the writers can focus on completing each section with the appropriate content.
Check out Brain Food’s archive and subscription signup on the Farnam Street website.
10. Platformer
Platformer covers the latest news from behind the scenes of popular social media platforms and related technology. It has original reporting, links from around the internet, and funny tweets.
This newsletter combines a news format with fun newsletter standbys to keep readers informed about social media and the internet. Since Platformer is a newsletter and not a traditional web publication, it can wrap up its reporting with extra information from the internet.
Newsletters like Platformer demonstrate how you can shake up the traditional newsletter format by playing to your strengths. The creator, Casey Newton, focused on his reporting experience and complemented those abilities with fun touches you’ll find in shorter newsletters.
Read Platformer and subscribe on its Substack page.
11. I Hate It Here
I Hate It Here from Workweek is geared toward human resources and people operations professionals. Each issue provides an original take on managing a company’s people and culture.
The newsletter takes the angle of sharing inspiration with readers dealing with the hectic nature of the people operations industry. It promises a sympathetic and empathetic approach to helping them deal with the “newest dumpster fire of the week.”
Each issue offers opinions on people operations backed up by personal experience, research, and professional resources. The author shares their experiences in the industry and supports their points with solid sources.
Workweek’s website has the signup box for I Hate It Here.
12. Hit Points
Written by video game industry veteran Nathan Brown, Hit Points explores the business and culture surrounding games. Every issue examines games as an industry and cultural influence and what recent happenings mean for their future trajectory.
Hit Points excels in its original opinions backed by deep expertise. Since Nathan Brown has so much experience in the industry, he can share his arguments confidently and convincingly.
In your newsletter, think of the areas you have plenty of existing knowledge and tap into them. You’ll have more inspiration and confidence to work with.
If you’d like to subscribe to Hit Points, you can do so on Substack.
13. The Creative Independent Daily
The Creative Independent Daily provides a look into a different artist’s creative inspiration and process every day. Every issue has a Q&A interview with a new creator.
This newsletter goes deep with its interviews — the example issue clocks in at 2716 words. Impressively, each interview is a back-and-forth between the interviewer and interviewee rather than a set list of questions answered in one round. The Creative Independent Daily demonstrates what you can do with long-form content in your newsletter.
It also goes to show that your blog publication and newsletter publication can work together. Don’t be afraid to go all in on your content if you have the time and resources to spare.
Visit The Creative Independent’s Subscribe page to sign up for the newsletter.
14. NYT The Morning
The famous print and web publication The New York Times has a newsletter of its own highlighting its articles. This newsletter, The Morning, shares news and opinions from across the Times’s verticals.
But, before it links out to the publication’s writing, it starts with original content on a current topic for the day. You can’t find those insights anywhere else from the Times.
So, if you use your newsletter to roundup your content, consider: What else can you add to deliver extra value? The first section of the Morning offers a draw for readers in its exclusivity.
You can sign up for The Morning for free on the New York Times website.
15. Grist The Beacon
Grist’s The Beacon is another newsletter that aggregates content from its main publication. It specifically delivers news on climate progress compared to Grist’s more general focus on climate justice as a whole.
Since news about the climate can become daunting to read, The Beacon’s progress angle adds a fresh approach.
The Beacon also shows a commitment to its mission by sharing articles from other publications. While it helps distribute Grist’s work, it also adds value by rounding up content across the web.
Subscribe to The Beacon on Grist’s newsletters page.
16. Atlas Obscura
Atlas Obscura is an online collection of articles, travel guides, fun facts, and destinations. Its daily newsletter is equally eclectic, highlighting pages from sections across its website.
It purely centers around sharing content from Atlas Obscura, but it does so effectively by adapting each article to the newsletter. Every link has a compelling and concise summary meant to convince the reader to click.
Sign up for the Atlas Obscura daily newsletter and others on its website.
17. Managing Editor
Managing Editor Weekly shares writing and links on business-to-business content marketing from the Managing Editor website. It includes new articles, old favorites, upcoming events, featured jobs, and highlights from the website’s podcast.
This newsletter works like a grab bag of the website’s newest content. Each of its sections corresponds to the sections on the website — articles, the podcast, events, and jobs. Think of how you could create parallel structures between your website and newsletter.
You can sign up for Managing Editor Weekly here.
18. Reasons to Be Cheerful
Reasons to Be Cheerful’s newsletter offers a roundup of articles from the website supplemented by links from around the web.
It has a straightforward premise that works through its attention to design and the main publication’s solid formatting. A pleasing layout and original graphics highlighting points from the issue’s articles draw you in. And since the main website has clear headlines and decks set up, the newsletter only needs to pull them to summarize them clearly.
Sign up for the Reasons to Be Cheerful newsletter in the main website’s footer.
19. Embedded
Embedded, a Substack newsletter by Kate Lindsay and Nick Catucci, covers online culture. Topics include interviews with “very online” people, commentary on online trends, and predictions for the internet’s future.
First-hand experience makes Embedded stand out. All of its commentary includes personal input and stories from the authors. Plus, the weekly profiles provide the perspective of users from different corners of the internet.
Find Embedded’s signup box on its Substack page.
20. Hung Up
Hunter Harris’s Hung Up newsletter delivers original takes on pop culture, music, and movies. There, she focuses on the personal obsessions we have with our favorite media.
Since Hunter Harris is a former culture writer for Vulture and New York Magazine, she’s used to writing down-to-earth, one-on-one breakdowns of media. She isn’t afraid to be opinionated and break the fourth wall to get her point across.
You can subscribe to Hung Up on its Substack page.
21. Perfectly Imperfect
Twice a week, Perfectly Imperfect shares a person’s taste with its readers. The authors ask the people they profile to share what they’re into at the time.
Perfectly Imperfect excels at creating a system and sticking to it. It asks people about five things they recommend and shares them.
Each issue also has a header that encapsulates the ironic Generation Z aesthetic, reflecting the newsletter’s tendency to work with artistic and internet-savvy folks.
Sign up for Perfectly Imperfect on its Substack page.
22. Secret Breakfast
Secret Breakfast explores topics related to food, including recipes, trends, books, and tools. Every issue is a collection of recommendations and insights related to the gastronomic world.
The newsletter’s angle gives it a unique spot among food newsletters. While it shares recipes and tips, its main goal is to cover the culture and ideas surrounding food. It also includes inspiring touches like a weekly quote shared in an original graphic.
Get a bite of the Secret Breakfast newsletter on its dedicated website.
23. Vassilena Valchanova
Digital marketer Vassilena Valchanova shares a collection of links from her RSS reader every week in her newsletter. The resources she shares relate to personal growth, professional development, technology, and digital marketing.
Vassilena Valchanova’s newsletter shows how you can promote your work by delivering value first. Her newsletter aims to share what she reads while also spreading the word about her services. Building this newsletter also requires careful research, reading, and thought, showcasing the skills she uses in marketing.
You can sign up to receive this newsletter on Vassilena Valchanova’s website.
24. Blackbird Spyplane
Journalist Jonah Weiner and scout/researcher Erin Wylie offer “unbeatable recon” on offbeat fashion in their newsletter Blackbird Spyplane. The newsletter features interviews with figures like Lorde and Jerry Seinfield as well as original takes on fashion and its culture.
A few paragraphs into a Blackbird Spyplane issue, you’ll realize how much it follows the beat of its own drum. It uses slang and cheeky graphics to present deep analyses of fashion and aesthetics.
Get some of Blackbird Spyplane’s “god-tier heat” on its Substack page.
How can you emulate the very best newsletters around?
These best practices will help you achieve a similar level of quality to the newsletters you saw in this roundup:
Stick to a regular publishing schedule
A consistent newsletter schedule goes a long way in building a newsletter reader base.
As Josh Spector points out, consistency builds habits on both ends of the newsletter relationship. Your readers will get used to expecting and reading your newsletter at the cadence you set. And newsletter writing will become a seamless part of your regular work.
Note that I say “consistent” — not necessarily “frequent.” Evaluate how much newsletter work you can take on every week, and create a schedule from there.
Develop a unique perspective
There’s tons of writing about every topic imaginable online at this point in the internet’s lifetime. You’ll need a unique angle on your subject area to stand out.
As covered in our blog post on, well, writing a blog post, specificity is key to developing a perspective. When you get more specific with your newsletter topic, you’ll have more inspiration for what to write about because you’ll know where to look for ideas.
Start with a broad topic you want to cover with your newsletter and ask yourself questions like:
- How does my life experience affect my knowledge of this subject?
- Do I specialize in a certain type of writing that I can showcase in my newsletter?
- What aspects of this topic am I the most excited to write about?
- What connections do I have that can help me write about this topic, and what subtopics do they specialize in?
Write with your own voice
The writing in each of the newsletters I shared feels like it comes from a distinct person or organization thanks to the voices they use in their writing. A personal or brand voice in writing consists of your:
- Personality: Your usage of jokes, turns of phrase, and other wordplay to appeal to your audience. (Or, your lack of these elements to communicate to more formal readers.)
- Language: The vocabulary and grammar you use in your writing.
- Point of view: Whether you use “I,” “we,” or “you” in your writing.
If you write a newsletter for a brand, you might already have an established brand voice. Even in this situation, though, consider whether you want your newsletter to have any differences in voice from your main brand.
Put thought into your newsletter design and structure
Follow a clear design and structure in your newsletter. You can achieve this goal even if you don’t have coding or graphic design skills.
Create or choose a design template to use in your newsletter issues. You can shoot for a similar design to your website if you’d like. Then, if you want to cover various sections in each issue, establish an order to present them.
From there, you can decide how many graphics you want to use — if any. Some newsletter platforms, like Substack, let you choose a header image for each issue and leave it at that.
Keep your writing crisp
Paragraphs and sentences feel “longer” on web devices because of the way the screen presents them. Keep your content readable by following these two rules:
- Keep paragraphs to three sentences or fewer
- Write sentences in 25 words or fewer
These habits also help you write more concisely. A set limit trains your mind to manage your sentence economy more effectively.
Let your newsletter evolve with you
Another major source of inspiration for your newsletter will be your own work. As you keep sending out issues, you’ll think of ways to tweak your ideas and process.
Some aspects of your newsletter’s identity will change as you write it over time. Maybe you’ll realize you enjoy writing about a certain angle or sharing pictures of your readers’ houseplants. So, you make those elements a regular part of your newsletter.
Lean into those changes, but make them deliberate. Try test runs with different ideas, then implement them if you get a good response. This approach will help you maintain a solid identity while letting your creativity come into play.
Ready to put newsletter best practices to work for you? Follow these tips and you’ll be well on your way!
Related: How to Start a Successful Newsletter
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