A Six-Figure Writing Newsletter?!
How Amber Petty Turned Her Newsletter into a Money-Making Machine
Hey Bleeders!
For the final installment of “season one” in our newsletter series (don’t worry—I’ve got more up my sleeve!), I’m thrilled to share my Q&A with
. As a fellow writer and teacher, I'm deeply inspired by how Amber has used her newsletter as the foundation of her business.In 2020, as the pandemic upended industries worldwide, Amber, like many creatives, found herself scrambling for work. With acting jobs and side gigs drying up, she turned to freelance writing and created a newsletter to help others find paid writing opportunities. What began as a small project quickly became the backbone of her business, allowing her to earn six figures without charging subscribers a dime to receive the newsletter.
Now, with over 10K subscribers, Amber’s newsletter shows the power of making a topic accessible, sharing valuable content consistently, and embracing the occasional unsubscribe. In this Q&A, she shares a wealth of insights. Enjoy!
What’s the basic premise and tagline of your newsletter?
AP: In my newsletter, I send out open writing jobs and pitching opportunities. Overall, it helps creatives get bylines and grow their audience.
When and why did you start your newsletter?
AP: I used to be an actor but switched to freelance writing and copywriting in 2015. So when the lockdown happened in 2020, I knew tons of people who weren’t only out of their acting jobs, but now their side jobs were gone too. I put together a workshop about finding writing jobs online and started a newsletter to go with it. I had no clue it would become the backbone of my business.
Who’s your main audience?
AP: Writers and creatives who want recognition for their work! That recognition could come from subscribers, new bylines, or just straight cash for writing.
How is your newsletter differentiated from the other newsletters in your niche?
AP: There are lots of freelance writing job newsletters. But how many feature clips from the 1980 World Disco Championships? Honestly, letting my personality show up fully is what makes mine different. I give advice from my life as creative, tips on writing business stuff, and freely mention Sweeney Todd whenever I wish. With newsletters, your voice and personality make all the difference. The more I embrace mine, the more unique my newsletter becomes (and that advice holds true for anyone with a newsletter).
What’s your editorial strategy?
AP: I post twice a week. Most newsletters start with Yays, bylines or other brags from my students and newsletter readers. Then, I’ll feature a list of writing jobs or pitch opportunities. Then it’s the Tip or Link of the Week. There I share freelancing, pitching, and audience-building advice, or I link to something helpful or something fun (like the aforementioned 1980 World Disco Finals).
I usually plan them out the day I send them out. If I’m taking a vacation, I’ll write a few newsletters in advance (maybe a week or two before I leave).
How many subscribers do you have?
AP: 10,500.
[Editor’s note: This series of interviews was conducted earlier this year, so this number has likely grown.]
Do you offer paid memberships?
AP: I do not!
Have you tried any other methods of monetization?
AP: Yes! I use the newsletter as an email marketing tool for courses, workshops, a membership, and occasional affiliate programs. I find it’s much easier to sell something specific (like a course or a workshop) than to sell a monthly membership that’s an upgrade of what they’re getting for free. It means I send a lot of emails to people and get a lot of unsubscribes when I sell, but it also means I make a lot more money.
When I had a subscriber list of 77 people, I sold a small coaching package at the end of the webinar… and made $3,400. I never could have made that with subscriptions at the time (there’s a good chance I couldn’t make that from subscriptions now!).
So my list is very monetized even though I never have plans to start a paid newsletter.
Tell us about your newsletter’s growth trajectory. What have been the most effective ways for you to promote your newsletter?
AP: Newsletter ads are my favorite way to grow! Lots of newsletters offer classified ads or sponsored spots, ranging from $25 to $500 a piece (of course, some are more expensive, but that’s the average price range that I’ve paid). I’ll advertise one of my freebies or free workshops (where people learn something actually helpful, and then I do an ad at the end for one of my paid courses) and get lots of signups. In the past three years, I’d say I’ve gotten at least 8,000 of my 10,000 subscribers from ads in other newsletters.
What’s been your most popular content, and your guess as to why?
AP: Probably my Tip of the Week on Slug Time. My husband was out of town for a week, and I wrote about my grand plans of getting so much done evaporated as soon as he closed the door. Instead, I followed the Home Alone Diet, aka eating like a nine-year-old finally free of restrictions, and spent so much time in bed or on the couch. Slug Time. Turns out, it wasn’t such a bad thing. My readers felt very seen by Slug Time and appreciated a reminder that writing all the time isn’t always the best move.
How has your newsletter served your career as an author?
AP: It’s a huge chunk of my income, indirectly. Again, I make a hearty zero dollars a year from newsletter subscriptions. But I’ve had over 1,000 people pay for at least one of my workshops.
Though money is great (and I’m very happy to get it), my real favorite part of newsletters is how it lets you grow as a writer. I’ve never had a good writing routine. I’d get a deadline, write at the last minute, and have trouble motivating myself for bigger projects.
With my newsletter, I’ve written at least once a week every week for three years. I do it because I want to. Having that audience inspires me to write more. It’s helped me develop a range of courses and ideas. Now I’m even writing a cozy mystery, not because I think my audience is dying for it, but I know at least there’ll be some audience for my work. And that helps me move forward with longer and more creative projects.
What’s your #1 tip for writers who want to start a newsletter?
AP: Do it! If you have imposter syndrome (and what writer doesn’t?), make your newsletter specific and helpful. If it’s just an essay a week, you’ll feel a lot of pressure to deliver. But, if you have a specific topic, it will help you narrow down your own ideas and reduce the weekly work. Then, if you add something a little bit helpful (that could be opportunities, reading lists, curated media, a small tip, etc), it’s even easier. The helpfulness frees you. Instead of wondering, “I’m bothering them,” or “Why would they want to hear from me?” you only have to deliver the little helpful thing you promised. Once you deliver that, you’re free to write about anything else you like. And the reader has a specific thing they get from the newsletter, so they’re more inclined to sign up.
What’s your #1 tip for writers trying to grow their existing newsletter?
AP: Focus on what the reader gets from your newsletter. It doesn’t matter if you only write poems about green hummingbirds to send people writing contest tips—your reader will get something from what you do. So, instead of saying, “Sign up for my newsletter,” something like “Get a flutter of poetic beauty every week” or “Want to win a writing contest? This’ll help!” helps the right readers want to see more.
Sub-tip: You have to market yourself. You have to. I know. It’s not ideal. But you have to. It could be as little as asking a friend to share your newsletter. As long as you do something to tell people you have a delightful newsletter, that’s marketing, and it’ll make all the difference.
Shout-out another writer-newsletter that you admire and enjoy consuming.
AP:
by by byAnything else you’d like to add?
AP: Building an audience leads to creative freedom. Because of my newsletter, I know that every time I write something, I have an audience. So if a book doesn’t get traditionally published, I can still publish on my own and have a decent amount of fans waiting.
It’s not always easy building a newsletter. But it’s a path for gatekeeper-free writing and control of your creative destiny. That might sound a bit much, but I’m a musical theater person at heart, so drama is important to me. And newsletters absolutely changed my career, so I’d love every writer to experience that!
Thank you, Amber!
➡️ Check out Amber’s website, amberpetty.com, and follow Amber on Instagram @ambernpetty.
Sign up for Courtney’s upcoming workshop:
Start a Newsletter to Supercharge Your Platform, Network & Business
A newsletter is a no-brainer in the Substack and ConvertKit era, which has seen newsletters like Morning Brew and The Hustle turn into multi-million dollar businesses. James Clear’s 3-2-1 Newsletter helped launch his bestselling book Atomic Habits. I think every writer should have a newsletter.
Join me this coming Saturday, November 2nd, for a practical seminar where I'll guide you through starting or up-leveling your newsletter! We’ll cover everything from finding your niche and crafting a compelling concept to coming up with a sustainable content strategy and marketing smarter, not harder. I’ll share my hard-earned wisdom from growing
to over 5K subscribers and leveraging my Substack ecosystem as a big part of my profitable business. You'll walk away with the tools to build a thriving email list that elevates your audience, network, and business.Sign up for just $75!
So… ROLL CALL! 🗣️
Smash that like button and give Amber some love in the comments below.
Let’s connect on social media! I’m @courtneykocak on Twitter/X and Instagram. For more, check out my website courtneykocak.com.
 | A guest post by
|