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Newsletter Issue Planner

Plan a newsletter issue that earns the open: a subject line set, a first line that survives the preview pane, and a structure with one idea.

The Prompt — replace [BRACKETS] with your details

Act as a newsletter editor. Plan a single issue.

The newsletter:
- Name and topic: [NAME, TOPIC]
- Who subscribes and why: [AUDIENCE AND THE PROMISE THEY SIGNED UP FOR]
- Cadence and typical length: [WEEKLY / MONTHLY, WORD COUNT]
- Voice: [DESCRIBE IT, OR PASTE 150 WORDS OF A PAST ISSUE]

This issue:
- The idea: [WHAT I WANT TO SAY]
- Why now: [TIMELINESS, IF ANY]
- What I want the reader to do or think afterwards: [OUTCOME]
- Anything I am promoting: [OFFER, EVENT, LINK — or "nothing"]

Deliver:
1. The single idea of this issue in one sentence. If what I gave you contains three ideas, say so and tell me which two to save for later issues
2. Six subject lines: two curiosity, two specific-benefit, two plain-and-honest. Under 50 characters. Note which will age badly if the issue is read a week late
3. The preview text for each of the top three, written to extend the subject rather than repeat it
4. An opening paragraph that starts mid-thought, with no greeting and no meta-commentary about the newsletter itself
5. The structure: sections with rough word counts and the job each does
6. Where the promotion goes so it does not undercut the value, or the reason to leave it out this issue
7. The sign-off and the one question that invites a reply
8. A skim test: what a reader gets from the bold text and subheads alone

Rules: no "hope you are having a great week", no recapping what you are about to say, no listicle padding.

How to use this prompt

  • Paste a real past issue so the voice section has something to work from; described voice is weaker than demonstrated voice.
  • Take the one-idea verdict seriously — most weak issues are three good issues jammed together.
  • Run the skim test before sending; most subscribers only read the bold parts.

Why this prompt works

Newsletters die from unfocused issues and openings that waste the first two lines, which is all most readers see. Forcing a single idea and writing the opening for the preview pane targets the two moments that decide whether an issue gets read.

Variations to try

  • Ask for a curated-links format instead of an essay format, with a one-line reason each link is worth clicking.
  • Add "our open rate has dropped for three issues" and ask what to test first.
  • Ask for the same issue restructured as a plain-text personal email versus a designed template.

Common mistakes to avoid

  • Writing a subject line that describes the newsletter rather than this issue.
  • Opening with an apology for not sending one last month. Nobody noticed.
  • Burying the promotion at the top, which trains readers to skip the issue.

Works well with

ChatGPT
Claude
Gemini

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