Category: NewslettersCategory: Newsletters

If you leave social media, how will you keep up with your favorite artists and musicians? From “10 Ways To Support Independent Music And Culture in 2026,” written by Stephan Kunze.

“Write down your top 20 bands and musicians (no need to overthink this), search for their homepages and add your email address to their newsletter mailing lists. That way you’ll be hearing directly from them about ways and opportunities to support them.”

I’d say less than half of you favorite artists actually have an email list (sigh), so search out their record label and join their email list.

You could even search for your favorite artist and sort by news, and then by most recent.

I got a newsletter awhile back from a talented musician, and they casually mentioned they’ve got new music available, but if you want to hear it you need to reply to the email.

In one our Escape Pod Zoom calls someone mentioned how they leave “easter eggs” in their newsletters, usually a phrase that someone needs to include when they reply.

Parker Gates sent me this link (it’s an Instagram link, sorry!) about artist Jon Bellion and how he sent his fans to websites without linking to them (they had to type them into a browser from a screen shot), used message boards, and sent out music via WeTransfer.

Don’t just wonder who your biggest fans are – send them on adventures and see who makes it back alive.

A client who has worked with some big names wanted to build their email list, and I gave them this idea:

Think of the amazing people you worked with throughout the years, and think of all those stories you shared, and the memories you’ve made. They’ve got to have dozens of those stories to write, right?

So write that post, with that one person in mind. Then email that person a link to the piece.

This gets you around sending a boring email to “all your contacts” saying, “hey, I have a newsletter now, you should subscribe.”

Write a post that will resonate with the person you’re emailing. Yes, even if it’s just that one person. Email the person the link. Maybe they subscribe, or at least reply and you two catch up, and who knows where that leads?

It’s not always about striking it rich and getting 100 new sign ups. Sometimes the right message to the right person at the right time is all you need.

Originally posted on Nov 24, 2024 here.

I get this question a lot. The short answer: it depends, but probably yes.

(This text taken from my recent Substack Live, then cleaned and edited for readability.)

You wouldn’t buy concert tickets for a band you’ve never heard. You don’t buy a car without a test drive. So why would someone subscribe to your newsletter if they can’t see what it looks like first? Substack makes that possible. Every newsletter is live on the open web, easy to read before committing. It’s like a magazine stand for your work.

Another big factor is friction. On Substack, if someone already subscribes to other newsletters, their info is already filled in. That means all they have to do is click once to subscribe to yours. It seems small, but every bit of reduced friction matters.

Another advantage is shareability. Every post you publish on Substack has its own URL. That link can travel anywhere—text messages, group chats, Discords, blogs, other newsletters. When someone shares your work, it doesn’t just stop like it does with a closed system like Mailchimp. It keeps moving. Each post becomes its own landing page with a simple subscribe button right there.

Yes, that are limits, of course. If you need automations o tagging, Substack probably ain’t the right fit. But if your goal is to publish consistently, be seen, and make it easy for readers to subscribe, moving your list to Substack is a solid move.

I was on Cody Cook-Parrott’s WITNESSING PRACTICE, “a three-hour workshop on writing as a contemplative practice—and turning that writing into newsletters, zines, and books.”

The core idea was that so many of us are already doing the work – writing, producing, doodling, dreaming, collecting – and it only takes a few steps to bring it to life. Whether that’s a newsletter, a website, an offering – it’s right there.

On a recent MINI ESCAPE POD Q&A video call, one of our members was looking to start teaching online. They’re a musician with knowledge and skill and talent and a warm heart.

At the moment, though, they’re wrestling with the logistics: finding the right people and communicating with them. Building an offering. Getting paid.

So much of that is just machinery: payment systems, email segments, sales pages, pricing. It can be daunting, and there’s so many different ways to make it all work.

But, as I tell almost a lot of my Email Guidance clients, they’ve already done the hard part.

The folks I meet sometimes have decades of experience in their field. Degrees, awards, careers. The technical stuff is easy in comparison – I can show you how to set up an email segment over coffee!

But you can’t just set up a sales page and a funnel without the hard work of really knowing your shit, and being known as someone who knows what the heck they’re talking about.

I’m so grateful for the work that Cody is doing. Making space for the immense creativity and knowledge and passion of so many people, and helping guide them towards clarity and calm. So much of this technical stuff is just noise, I promise.

Cody has sold out classes with sales pages made out of a Google Doc.

I know someone else who launched their career with a Word Doc and PayPal link.

Build trust and reputation, gain knowledge. The rest is just technical bits that we can figure out together.