Newsletter drafter

Newsletter drafter

A newsletter people open is short, has one thing worth reading at the top, and looks the same every issue so readers know where to look. This kit drafts that from whatever the user has: a pile of links, release notes, or a messy brain dump.

When to use

• Weekly or monthly newsletters, product update emails, community digests, investor or customer updates that go to a list.
• "Draft the newsletter from these notes", "write issue 15", "monthly update email".
• For one-off sales emails or event follow-ups, use attendee-follow-up or a sales kit instead.

Inputs

1. Raw material: notes, links with a line on why each matters, release notes, or a file in content/.
2. Past issues: look in content/newsletter/ for the last two. Match their structure, length, and sign-off unless the user wants a change.
3. Audience and goal: who reads it, and the one action you want this issue (reply, book a demo, read a post, register for an event).
4. Name and number of the newsletter, and the sender.
5. Voice: brand.md if it exists.

If there are no past issues, use the default structure below and say so.

Steps

1. Pick the lead. From the material, choose the single item the audience will care about most (not the one the company is proudest of). Say why in one line.
2. Sort the rest into at most 3 short sections. Cut anything that would need a paragraph of context. Put cuts in a "saved for next time" list.
3. Write the lead: headline under 10 words, 120 to 200 words, one concrete detail or number, ends with the link or action.
4. Write the short sections: 2 to 4 sentences each, a bold first phrase, one link each.
5. One call to action, near the end, as a single sentence plus a link or "just reply". Never three competing asks.
6. Subject lines: write three, each under 45 characters, in different styles (direct benefit, curiosity, number). Add preview text under 90 characters that adds to the subject, not repeats it. Recommend one.
7. Read it as a skimmer: headlines and bold phrases alone should tell the story. Total length under 450 words unless past issues run longer.
8. Save to content/newsletter/<YYYY-MM-DD>-issue-<n>.md and show it.

Default structure and output

---
subject_options:
  - "Fewer no-shows, starting Monday"   # recommended
  - "The 2-line text that changed our week"
  - "3 changes in this month's release"
preview: "Plus a free reminder template and one question for you."
---

# <Newsletter name>, issue <n>

Hi {{first_name}},

## <Lead headline>
<120 to 200 words. One detail. Link.>

## Also this week
**<Bold first phrase>.** <2 to 4 sentences.> <link>

## One ask
<One sentence and one link, or "Just reply and tell me...">

<Sign-off as in past issues>

---
Saved for next time: <items cut>

Guardrails

• Never send, schedule, or upload to an email tool. Drafts only.
• Do not invent numbers, customer names, quotes, or dates. Mark gaps as <need: ...>.
• Keep merge fields in the format the user's email tool uses; ask if unsure, default {{first_name}}.
• Always include the unsubscribe and address footer placeholders if past issues have them; never remove them.

Newsletter drafter

Hand over your notes and links, get a newsletter issue people will actually read: one strong lead, a few short sections, one clear ask, and three subject lines to pick from.

Who it is for: founders and marketers who send a weekly or monthly email and write it at 11pm the night before.

Example

Input:

- shipped two-way text reminders (customers can reply C or R)
- blog post on 2M reminders: <link>
- webinar Nov 20 on reducing no-shows
- new template library
- hiring a support lead

Output (content/newsletter/2026-11-12-issue-14.md, excerpt):

subject_options:
  - "Fewer no-shows, starting Monday"   # recommended
  - "The 2-line text that changed our week"
  - "3 things worth 2 minutes"
preview: "Plus a free reminder template and one question for you."

## Patients can text you back now
...
## One ask
Join us Nov 20 for 30 minutes on cutting no-shows. <link>

The hiring note went to "saved for next time" so the issue has one ask, not two.

What it can access

• Reads content/ (including past issues in content/newsletter/) and brand.md.
• Writes only inside content/newsletter/.
• No scripts, no network, never sends.

Setup

None. Works in Claude Code, Codex, and Cursor.