Guide
How to start a newsletter in 2026
letterradar tracks thousands of newsletters across every major platform. Here is what we've learned about which tools the good ones use, and how to get started without wasting a month on setup.
Start free. Through our link you get a 14-day trial of the paid plans and 20 % off your first 3 months.
1. Pick a narrow topic you can sustain
The newsletters that grow fastest in our index are specific: not "tech news" but "AI tools for lawyers", not "personal finance" but "investing for nurses". A narrow topic makes it obvious who should subscribe and gives you a reason to exist next to the giants. Write down ten issue ideas before you pick a platform. If ten is hard, the topic is too narrow; if fifty is easy, it might be too broad.
2. Choose a platform
All four platforms below can send email, host a website and take payments. They differ in who they're built for.
beehiiv
Best for: Growth-minded writers who want to earn from ads, paid tiers and referrals
- Free plan to start, no cut of your paid subscriptions
- Built-in referral program, recommendations and ad network
- Fast, clean website and solid analytics
- – The best growth tools sit on paid plans
- – Less of a built-in reader community than Substack
Substack
Best for: Writers who want a readership network and zero setup
- Free to publish
- Recommendations and the Substack app bring readers
- Podcasts, video and chat included
- – Takes 10 % of paid subscription revenue
- – Limited design and few growth controls
Ghost
Best for: Publishers who want full ownership of a professional site
- Open source, no revenue cut
- Beautiful themes and strong SEO
- Members and paid tiers built in
- – Hosting costs from day one (or run it yourself)
- – No discovery network to speak of
Kit
Best for: Creators who sell courses or products alongside the newsletter
- Generous free plan
- Powerful automations and tagging
- Built-in commerce
- – Feels like a marketing tool more than a publication
- – Web presence is basic
If you mainly want to write and let a network find readers, Substack is the easiest start. If you want to build a business you own, with ads, sponsorships and a referral program, beehiiv is the stronger choice, and it's what we'd use. Ghost suits publishers who already have an audience and want full control; Kit suits creators who sell products.
3. Set a schedule you can keep
Consistency beats frequency. Most newsletters we track that are still active after a year publish weekly or every two weeks. Daily newsletters are a different business, usually with a team. Pick a day, publish on it, and tell readers when to expect you.
4. Get your first 1,000 subscribers
- Start with people who already know you. Colleagues, followers, past clients. The first 100 almost always come from your own network.
- Turn on recommendations. beehiiv and Substack both let newsletters recommend each other at signup; it's the cheapest growth channel there is.
- Add a referral program. Rewarding readers for bringing friends works best once you have a few hundred engaged subscribers.
- Publish your archive on the web. Every issue is a page that can rank in search. That's how readers find you a year later.
- Get listed. Directories like letterradar index public newsletters automatically, as long as your site has an RSS feed or a public archive.
5. Make money once it works
Sponsorships usually become realistic from a few thousand engaged subscribers in a clear niche. Paid tiers work earlier if you offer something readers can't get elsewhere. Ad networks and paid recommendations fill the gap in between; beehiiv has both built in.
beehiiv is free until you outgrow it.
Disclosure: the beehiiv links on this page are partner links. If you sign up for a paid plan, letterradar earns a commission at no extra cost to you. It doesn't change how we rank newsletters.