Thread by @JoshConstine

"You can make a living from nearly any niche"

35 takeaways from #PRESSCLUBhouse on the future of newsletters w/

-Substack's @cjgbest
-Stratechery's @benthompson
-The Hustle's @theSamParr
-Information's @Jessicalessin
-Axios' @danprimack
+@lennysan @polina_marinova @nbashaw. 1/

Why are newsletters blowing up now?

-Ownership of audience instead of renting from social platforms
-Direct connection between writers & readers
-Rise of Substack & lower barriers to creation
-Attention economy Darwinism: content must evolve to come to you.
#PRESSCLUBhouse 2/

What does the rise of newsletters mean for journalism?

-Top reporters get de-aggregated from pubs for more pay, fewer meetings
-That creates a newsroom mentorship drain, depriving younger writers
-Readers can subscribe to niche writers, not catch-all brands
#PRESSCLUBhouse 3/

Objectivity vs subjectivity, from #PRESSCLUBhouse

-Not all writers want to be 'journalists'
-"Subjectivity is a different way to build trust. I don't believe in objectivity" -@JuddLegum
-Trust in personality, expertise, & humanity substitutes for editors' approval.
4/

The magic of the subscription model

-"The limiting factor is my time. Subscriptions effectively scale infinitely" -@BenThompson
-Don't be afraid to price high. It can raise NPS without dropping conversion
-Bundle with other writers to earn without consistency
#PRESSCLUBhouse 5/

Writers are becoming multi-SKU creators

-"Getting focused on newsletters is the mistake. You don't have to be constrained to text. A lot of this is people following people" -@BenThompson
-Bundle in podcasts, Slacks, Q&A, job boards
-Community retains customers
#PRESSCLUBhouse 6/

Newsletter writing tips from #PRESSCLUBhouse

-Focusing on quality produces more growth than growth hacking
-Consistency breeds trust
-Find your product-market fit: What niche you're uniquely best at that people want
-Read "Made To Stick" & Stephen King's "On Writing"
7/

"Information overload" is a false narrative

-The internet is really big. So many people & niches. You don't need that many subs to succeed
-Find more readers. Don't worry that existing ones are distracted
-Brief or deep, honor readers' trust with quality
#PRESSCLUBhouse 8/8

Getting to talk about our craft with these newsletter legends, from OGs like @danprimack to epic upstarts like @JuddLegum was a dream.

Now I gotta actually implement these tips at Constine.substack.com