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Why I went back to buying CDs (and you should too)

I blame David Lee Roth. A few years ago, the final studio album from Van Halen disappeared from streaming services. No one knew why. Even Wolfgang Van Halen didn’t know why at first. Then, in an interview much later he said, “I hope people who like it have a

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Create like an Icelander.

What a month! Thanks so much for all the messages about the new book. For everyone who asked: yes, it will be available physically. I’m working on it now. Here are a few of the things I thought were worth sharing in the meantime. 1. Dan Oshinsky of Inbox

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Read an Excerpt from Principles for Newsletters

Dan Oshinsky of Inbox Collective was nice enough to feature 15 of the 49 lessons in my new book today. I really love the community Dan has fostered around newsletters. Make sure to subscribe to his newsletter – the newsletter of record for newsletter publishers.

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Behind-the-Scenes: Principles for Newsletters

First, thank you to everyone who bought the new book over the past few weeks. After just one email, around 3% of you immediately bought the book — not clicked on — bought. That’s huge. Thank you so much! Like any book, there’s bound to be questions about the choices

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Principles for Newsletters

My new book, Principles for Newsletters, condenses the most important lessons I’ve learned from 37 years of newsletter publishing down into 49 short principles. There's no fancy launch, special editions, courses, or workbooks. Just $5 for the ebook in every popular format. Square deal. WARNING! This book

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Your favorite links of 2023

Back in July, I wrote about what I had learned from your feedback. It’s been a crazy half-year since. Discovery is really about re-discovery, right? Based on your replies and visits, these are the links that got the most attention in 2023. (I also sprinkled a few favorites that

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Everything is an essay.

I get this question a lot. From Tim Stoddart’s personal newsletter: "I love newsletters. They are great businesses, I enjoy writing them, and they are lucrative. However, I’m still unsure about the format. I have two options… Do you prefer the lighthearted and more entertaining style of

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Easier books and handsome home screens

I think there’s still a place for books in 2023. I consider them the place for the “why.” Courses and posts cover the “how.” I’ve been privately updating my 2022 post 35 Lessons from 35 Years of Newsletter Publishing with new lessons, revisions, and research. It’s a

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Indie Hope and Bankers Boxes

Welcome to the best season. I’m feeling a bit silly — optimistic in a very contrarian way. I see nothing but pessimism in the press right now, and nothing but opportunity for creators with an indie spirit. That’s the tone for this issue’s set of truly odd links.

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The Wisdom of the Bankers Box

Please allow me to relay a bit of old-man nerdery today: Look to the Bankers Box. When my mom died, and we had to move my dad out of his home of 50 years, I was tasked with salvaging as much of their documents, photos, and keepsakes as possible. They