Estimated read time: 4 mins

So you wanna start a newsletter?

I started Spill the Tea a little over a year ago, and since then I’ve had so many people ask me how to create and monetize a newsletter. 

It’s kinda all the rage these days, right? 

You hear stories like how Sam Parr sold The Hustle newsletter for $27M and think, damn, what else is possible? 

But here’s what most people get wrong about that story:

They think he made his money from the newsletter itself (subscriptions, ads, sponsorships), but the real value was in the audience & the backend business model.

My take on newsletters is probably a lil different from what you may have encountered before, such is the way of the tea 😉

If you’re curious about adding a newsletter into the mix — let’s talk about it.

What you’ll learn in this article:

🍵💲What nobody tells you about creating and monetizing a newsletter. 

🍵💲Tangential monetization and why subscriptions and ad spots are wrong for most in the beginning

🍵💲What to have in place BEFORE committing to a newsletter

The tea: Forget $5/month subscriptions — let’s talk about the real ways your newsletter can make you money.

Much of the newsletter community is focused on volume and monetization through selling ad spots and/or low price point subscriptions… but focusing on that does you a disservice if you’re just getting started. 

My hot take: a newsletter is great because it forces you to be consistent and actually email your list. But it is FAR from a ‘get rich quick’ hack.

It’s a connection point in a world where you can never have too many.

No need to overcomplicate it to start. 

If you’re not already emailing your subscribers at least once a week, start a newsletter in your head that you send every Wednesday and GO FOR IT. Get fancy later if you want. 

Don’t worry about selling $5/month subscriptions to hundreds of people… 

What if you sold a $500 product to 10?

Instead of depending on sponsorships… 

What if your newsletter simply led to consistent sales and better results from your launches?

The smartest email-first businesses use newsletters as a trust-building tool — but they make money through:

✔ Selling digital products (courses, templates, guides, memberships)
✔ Leveraging affiliate partnerships for high-ticket, aligned offers
✔ Using segmentation & automation to sell at scale to the right people at the right time — no constant pitching necessary. 

Real examples: 

Laura Belgray – Built a personality-driven email list that effortlessly sells her info products, courses, and mastermind. I love Laura as an example because she just emails funny random stories, no branded newsletter required. 

Justin Welsh – Scaled to $3M+ as a solopreneur by using his email list to sell evergreen digital products & courses. 

Bethany McDaniel (Primally Pure) – Built a skincare brand where 40%+ of revenue comes from email (more than ads and social combined) thanks to a high-converting newsletter & segmented sales flows.

Joanna Wiebe (Copyhackers) – “Our business is an email business.” Joanna built a high-converting sales machine for premium copywriting courses & coaching.

Michelle Rohr – Started with an Etsy shop, but turned email into her main sales driver, scaling her business through automated offers & digital products.

& many, many others. 

What to have in place BEFORE committing to a newsletter

A newsletter shouldn’t be just another thing on your content to-do list. It should be part of a bigger strategy — one that actually grows your business, not just your open rates.

Before committing to a newsletter, you need:

✅ A clear way to grow your list

• How will you consistently attract the right people?
• A quiz, a lead magnet, a referral system — what’s fueling your subscriber growth?

✅ A reason for people to stay

• What’s the hook? Why would someone actually look forward to your emails?
• Personality, value, insights — what makes your emails worth opening?

✅ A sales strategy beyond “hope”

• Are you selling a product, service, or program?
• What’s the journey from subscriber → sale?
• Are you segmenting your list so the right people get the right offers?

Without these? 

A newsletter is just a commitment to writing emails forever with no clear return.

With these? 

It’s a scalable, profitable asset that fuels your business for years to come.

If you’ve been thinking about starting a newsletter, make sure you’re doing it in a way that actually serves your business, not just your inbox.

Want to learn how to make email work for you (newsletter or no)?

That’s exactly what I’m covering in Inbox Gold, my free live workshop happening this Thursday!

Save your spot right here >>

Sip on this…  

🧋My launch love letter to myself >>

🧋 ALL TRUE!