Make 2025 Your Best Newsletter Year Yet – Plan Your Content Today [With Free Planner]
Take away the overwhelm and last-minute content creation stress with the 1-Month Substack Content Planner.
It's been a hard month for me.
First, my dad was sick and had to go to intensive care. I still hear the beeping of the instruments. One week later, I had to call 911 for my mom.
Later, I was lying on a cold operation table myself, thinking about my life. The ups and downs and what they want to tell me.
Three big waves suddenly hit me in the face without a warning, and I needed to surf them.
I went through the wringer. These three big waves rocked my world.
It’s true what club member
said inside our membership experience:It's a new season now. When we go through fire, it's important to sit in the 'messy middle' for a while to process and heal and move through to the other side. It changes you and it's not possible to go back to the previous version of you in a healthy way.
I came out the other end differently than before. I’m not the daughter, mom, wife, human, writer, and creator I used to be.
What happened between January and December 2024
Let’s rewind.
Looking from the outside, it’s true what I shared with founding member
’s students this Tuesday (thanks for this wonderful opportunity, George!).
I built a (almost) 10,000-subscriber Substack newsletter from scratch this year - without importing a huge email list. My newsletter was marked with that shiny bestseller badge within only two months (no overnight success!; started writing online four years ago) and reached $30,000 in ARR thanks to you. Because you’re amazing.
I wanted to walk the walk; otherwise, I couldn’t guide you on your online writing journey.
I put a lot of sweat, tears, effort, and long hours (often after midnight; no role model!) into building this newsletter business as a new income stream. Plus, it is a meaningful way to build and grow a tribe of like-minded people who want to join the Online Writing Club, start writing, become better writers, learn how to market their words, be in service of others, and dare to share their awesomeness with the world.
But the truth is, although I talked about content planning and the importance of it, everything happened soooooooooo fast this year.
As you might know, I often came up with new ideas, another live session, podcast episode, a Bootcamp, a challenge, or a course.
I was driven more by my impulses and feelings than by a clear plan with which I could concretely plan what I would publish in my newsletter and when.
Although I’m “successful”, I’m struggling
Besides all the good tips I share based on more than 15 years of experience in marketing, PR, and journalism, I’m struggling in my part-time business, and I know you too.
I know what to do,, and I could create a whole pitch deck on how to create a bestselling Substack… but time is a problem.
Like you, I’m juggling a lot. I’m married, and I have two kids in the house; my hubby and I are building our online business part-time during lunch break or when the kids are asleep in the evening (I’m a marketing manager, and he’s a software developer).
Some inside The Online Writing Club told me that only hearing this would increase their stress level by around 60%. lol. Me too.
Call me “Push Girl”
Recently I went to my family doctor because I suddenly got migraines in my eyes when I was back home after taking care of my mom and dad. When I told him what my life was like, he just threw up his hands and said it was no wonder I was suddenly seeing less or having flashes due to all the stress. My eyes didn't want to see it all anymore.
It’s true. It was a stressful year. I wouldn’t have grown so fast if I hadn’t pushed my boundaries and myself. You could call me Push Girl.
But constantly pushing and pushing isn’t healthy, and with the major health crisis that rocked my world, I learned that there are times when my online writing business takes a backseat to everything else that’s popping up in my life.
There’s a time when I can’t push.
As I was lying in the operating room, something inside me changed. I couldn't feel the vibrating energy that ran through my veins, and that you loved me so much for, and I wondered if I’d ever find it again.
So now I’m on my way to getting back this energy, and I’ll take you with you on my journey. Because supporting you, getting your lovely feedback and hearing and sharing your wonderful success stories is what drives me.
To be in service of you. To educate you, so you can fly.
Let me show you how to build a soulful online writing business
The part-time writing life is hard (sometimes), but it’s really beautiful, too and you can make it easy. It doesn’t have to feel so stressful and overwhelming. Believe me!
It never has been more important for me to show you how to build a soulful, authentic, healthy, and sustainable online writing business. And I’m your girl, if you let me because I’ve been through so much the past four years writing online part-time. There are so many stories I didn’t tell you. The truth is, my whole “success story” is built on a huge mountain of trial, tears, and error.
At the moment, I can’t help but focus and write what’s real. I’m grateful I’m in this season now, and I can share my learnings and help you build a healthy and meaningful newsletter business.
I want to write what’s useful and valuable to you. I want to serve you with my skills and knowledge, not the multimillion-dollar companies I work for. I want to serve the little you who wants to start something. I’m talking about being your own boss, autonomy, fun, creativity, and fulfillment.
I went offline for 30 days without a content plan
In my latest newsletter issue, I told you what happened when I had to go offline for 30 days on Substack. It happened. It wasn’t good. It’s not the way I want to run my business because I see myself as a professional product manager for my own part-time business and brand.
But it’s normal not to be prepared. I've spoken with many inside our Club, and they all struggle.
80% of newsletter writers don’t have a content plan (for 2025)
Did you know that 80% of newsletter writers don’t have any sort of content plan*? 80%! That’s a lot of people with big ideas, big dreams, and goals for 2024 and beyond.
The key factor they and I are missing is an actual plan! A content plan. Because life happens and throws your schedule off.
At the same time, an email list is the new status symbol. Newsletters are the new audience. Followers are a vanity metric.
An email list is the only true indicator of the size of your audience.
No social media platform or algowithm change can take an email list away from you.
Don’t take my word for it. Listen what Alex Lieberman, co-founder and CEO of famous Morning Brew, a 9-figure media brand.
So, if you want to build and grow and grow an audience in 2025, newsletters are the way to go.
Don’t let the haters and naysayers tell you about newsletter fatigue or subscription fatigue. There’s only bad newsletter fatigue and bad subscription fatigue.
Let’s build a great newsletter together that represents who you are and what you stand for!
Creating content on a weekly basis isn’t easy
We all know consistency is key to be seen and be top of mind.
You want to make sure that rain or shine your newsletter comes out because only showing up for your audience on a regular basis will build a loyal tribe of paid subscribers who are waiting to hear from you. Who tune in on a regular basis. It’s about trust and credibility.
However, creating consistent content on a weekly basis is not always easy and takes a lot of time. Anyone who tells you otherwise is lying!
I’m writing this piece during lunch break and before picking my baby up from daycare. Friends will come to visit later and I need to tidy up the house. Arrgh…
So I hear you ask:
What can I do?
How can I be consistent?
How can I generate ideas?
How can I make sure the weekly writing gets done?
How can I be prepared when life gets its hands on me, or I simply need a break?
Good news! I’ve got you covered. As I’m revamping my whole newsletter and online writing business, I want to share all the resources you need to start and level up your writing in 2025. The cool thing is, you can start now. As I am.
So, I created a super simple and smart 1-Month Substack Content Planner for you.
In addition, my next post will provide ideas, tips and tricks, topics, and themes for creating your content for 2025 NOW so that you can be prepared for TOMORROW (and any break you want or need to take).
If you start today, you’ll save a ton of time and will be ahead of your competitors and of the 2024 version of yourself in no time. Trust me.
All I need from you is a commitment—the commitment to take action to reach your big goals. Deal?
