The newsletter launch checklist
Everything to set up before your first issue goes out, in the order that saves the most rework.
Most launch problems are not writing problems. They are a missing sender address, a welcome email nobody wrote, or a signup form that only works on desktop. Run through this list once, in order, and your first issue goes out without surprises.
Before you invite anyone
- Decide what one issue promises, in one sentence. Put that sentence on your signup page.
- Pick a sending day and time you can keep for three months.
- Set your sender name to something readers recognise. A person's name usually beats a brand.
- Use a reply-to address you actually read.
- Write the welcome email before you collect a single address.
The signup path
- Subscribe with a personal address on your phone.
- Confirm the confirmation email arrives within a minute.
- Check it does not land in Promotions or spam for at least two providers.
- Click every link in the welcome email.
Your first three issues
Draft three issues before you launch. The first issue gets the most attention; the third is where readers decide whether you are reliable. Having all three written removes the pressure to publish something thin in week two.
A launch is not a single email. It is the first month of keeping a promise.
After the first send
- Note your open and click rates as a baseline, not a verdict.
- Reply personally to everyone who replies to you.
- Add a line to issue two thanking new readers and saying what is coming next.
