How Do Newsletters Make Money? Examples and Tips

Email newsletters can help you earn money directly or indirectly: either readers pay for the newsletter itself, or the newsletter promotes something—in the form of sponsored content, affiliate links, an online course, or your own products and services. If you’re an ecommerce brand, a newsletter can be a distribution channel that sends readers back to your online store. 

The newsletter platform Substack, which helped kick off a personal newsletter boom, saw 5 million paid subscriptions in early 2025, up about 67% over the prior year, according to The Wall Street Journal. A newer entrant in the creator economy newsletter space, Beehiiv, said in a report that writers on its platform earned $19 million from paid subscriptions in 2025, up 138% from the year before.

Here’s what each monetization method involves, three examples of newsletters putting these methods to work, a step-by-step guide to monetizing your newsletter as a content creator or a brand, and best practices for running one.

How do newsletters make money?

• Charge readers directly
• Let businesses pay for access to your readers
• Sell your own products and services

Your newsletter revenue can come straight from readers or from brands that want to advertise to them. Alternatively, you can keep your newsletter free while occasionally pointing readers to a store—either your own or a partner’s. You don’t have to choose a single method. You can explore and combine them all:

Charge readers directly

With a paid newsletter, you offer some of your writing for free and gate your premium content behind a paid subscription. Readers pay a monthly fee—Beehiiv’s 2026 report pins the market standard at $10 per month for paid newsletters, regardless of niche—to access exclusive content. 

To earn these subscriptions, you need to publish on a regular schedule and offer perks that make the monthly fee feel like a bargain. Those might be bonus posts, community events, or entry to a subscriber-only Slack community. 

Let businesses pay for access to your readers

There are a couple of ways you can charge businesses for access to your readers:

• Sponsored content. Some brands will pay to get in front of your readers, sponsoring a send of your newsletter in exchange for an in-email advertisement. Deals can start with you pitching a company you already love, but as your reach grows, brands may reach out directly to you. Keep brand-reader alignment in mind to avoid turning off readers. 

• Affiliate links. To make money with affiliate marketing, you recommend products with trackable links and earn a commission when readers buy through that specific URL. This fits naturally in newsletter editions that already mention products, like a holiday gift guide in a beauty newsletter. Register for programs like Amazon Associates, ShopMy, and LTK to take a slice of the sales you drive. 

Sell your own products and services

There are a few avenues you can use to supplement your revenue stream with products and services:

• Physical products. If you’re an ecommerce brand selling physical products, your email publication becomes a channel that occasionally links back to the store, whether that’s a send announcing a new collection or a styling post with direct product links. Every click back to your site is referral traffic that can turn into a sale.

• Digital products. You can package what you know about your niche into digital products, like an e-book or an online course, and sell them to your list. A baker with a Substack could sell a cake decorating guide, while a personal finance writer might sell a budgeting template for recent graduates. You get to build the product once and sell it indefinitely, with no inventory management.

• Consulting and advising services. Your newsletter can also become the portfolio that sells your services. Whether you’re writing about home organization or the art of horticulture, your newsletter shows off your expertise, week after week. A writer covering AI workflows for small businesses can turn subscribers into clients who pay for strategy calls or a full business audit. 

3 examples of monetized newsletters

• The Flair Index
• Not a Chef
• Night Shade

All three newsletter writers publish on Substack, but their niches and approaches to monetization differ:

The Flair Index

Jennifer Alfano spent nearly two decades as a fashion editor and writer at Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar before becoming the designer of her namesake jewelry line. The Flair Index, her newsletter about living with fewer, better things, now reaches more than 4,000 subscribers. 

Jennifer’s posts cover packing for her trip to Greece and a feature on one of her favorite interior designers. She charges $5 a month, or a slightly cheaper annual rate, for subscriber-only posts, the full archive, and the chance to comment and join the community. Free readers get occasional public posts; these ungated sends are how new readers find her and give people a taste before they commit. 

Aside from subscriptions, she’s transparent about using affiliate links and earning a commission through her curated fashion and beauty recommendations. Jennifer’s online jewelry store is hosted on Shopify, and she occasionally mentions it in her newsletter. In one summer post, she offered 10% off her jewelry, with the code placed behind the paywall. “There are perks to being a paid subscriber!” she wrote.

Not a Chef

Ian Fujimoto is not a chef, and he’ll tell you so himself. He’s a home cook and educator who learned in his grandparents’ kitchen, making comforting foods like musubi and wontons. His newsletter, Not a Chef, has grown to over 100,000 subscribers who come for unfussy recipes. Paid subscribers get monthly live Q&As, his full recipe archive, a members-only chat, and behind-the-scenes sneak peeks.

He also sells merchandise. In the newsletter, he occasionally promotes products, like an apron collaboration with Hedley & Bennett that supports the ALS Association in honor of his grandmother Miyuki. He takes a light touch with affiliate links, adding the disclaimer that he’d “recommend looking online or in local restaurant supply stores, because for most of these items, you’ll be able to find them cheaper there.”

Night Shade

By day, Melanie Masarin is the founder and CEO of Ghia, a nonalcoholic apéritif brand. She spends her off-time as the writer of Night Shade. She published her first cookbook, Riviera, based on her grandmother’s handwritten recipes from the coasts of France and Italy. Night Shade has more than 15,000 subscribers and covers recipes, founder musings, and travel recommendations. She monetizes with paid subscriptions at $5 a month, affiliate links, and the occasional sponsored post.

Her first sponsorship was with Vestiaire Collective, and she was the one who made it happen. “I actually pitched Vestiaire myself. I’ve been shopping there since they launched over ten years ago, so it was a natural fit,” Melanie says. “More brands are reaching out now, but I’m very protective of Night Shade. Moving it to a paid model lets me say no to sponsorships without guilt.”

She’s just as selective about the affiliate links she includes. “Fashion and home do best,” she says. “My readers are active shoppers, but they care about quality and individuality. They’re not shy about spending on something special.”

How to monetize a newsletter

1. Choose your newsletter platform
2. Consider using Shopify as an all-in-one platform
3. Craft your paid offering and turn on payments
4. Stack your monetization methods
5. Keep your eyes on the numbers

Use these steps as a guide to start making money with your own newsletter:

1. Choose your newsletter platform

Start by picking the online home for your newsletter. Look at each platform’s monetization features and pricing to help guide your choice. For example, check for subscriptions, a built-in paywall, support for multiple tiers, and payment processing that isn’t a headache to manage. Consider available referral tools for growth and solid analytics for measurement.

Here are four creator-first platforms:

• Substack. This platform is built around a discovery network, where publications recommend each other, and readers can browse the mobile app to discover writing. Writers primarily earn through paid newsletter subscriptions. Substack takes a 10% cut of every subscription, plus payment processing fees.

• Beehiiv. Within this platform, the Ad Network matches you with sponsors, and Paid Recommendations reward you for driving paid subscriptions to other newsletters. Beehiiv doesn’t take a cut of paid subscriptions. However, to monetize those subscriptions, you’ll need the paid plan, starting at $49 per month.

• Kit. Kit’s Commerce feature lets you sell ebooks, courses, or presets from your emails, charging a fee of 3.5% plus 30¢ per transaction. Kit also offers a Tip Jar feature. If you’re eligible, you can take part in newsletter sponsorships or earn income by recommending other newsletters. Paid plans start at $39 per month.

• Ghost. This open-source publishing software is for creators who want complete control over their site, data, and audience. It takes no cut beyond Stripe’s fees; however, Ghost has no built-in audience, and if you want managed hosting, you’ll need Ghost Pro, which starts at $18 per month. Monetization starts at the $35 per month Publisher plan for up to 1,000 members, and costs increase from there.

2. Consider using Shopify as an all-in-one platform

If you already run an ecommerce store on Shopify, you have access to built-in functionality to launch a newsletter. You can collect subscribers, send emails, and sell what you promote without leaving your admin dashboard.

Here are some of the features to check out on Shopify:

• Collect subscribers with Shopify Forms. Add a sign-up form to your store as a pop-up (or an inline section in your footer). Every email you capture will be routed to your list. 

• Write and send newsletters with Shopify Messaging. Shopify’s built-in email marketing tool is free for your first 10,000 emails each month, then costs $1 per 1,000 after that, up to 300,000 emails. Email templates pull in your branding automatically, so a good-looking send doesn’t take long to build. 

• Sell digital products through your store. E-books, courses, and guides can live in your Shopify catalog alongside physical products, and the Digital Downloads app handles file delivery after checkout. This lets you promote products in your newsletter, and readers can buy in a couple of clicks.

You also have access to features that help you lean into traditional email marketing strategy. For example:

• Target readers with customer segments. Group subscribers by purchase history, location, or engagement. For example, you can send your regular newsletter to everyone and a special edition to your best customers.

• Set up marketing automations. Build workflows like a welcome series for new subscribers or a follow-up after a first purchase. These automated sends can run alongside a more personal email newsletter.

3. Craft your paid offering and turn on payments

If you’re adding a paid tier, decide what paying readers get before you turn it on. One approach is to keep some posts free and reserve the rest for paid subscribers. If you run a film newsletter, for example, you might keep your film reviews free but gate your top recommended movies for the month, or reserve live Q&As with directors as exclusive content.

Your platform will walk you through connecting Stripe or another payment processor, but it won’t tell you what to charge. Many newsletters charge a monthly fee, plus a discounted annual option. Whatever you promise, spell it out on your subscription page and deliver on a strict schedule. 

4. Stack your monetization methods

You don’t need to stick to a single revenue stream for your newsletter. Monetization methods can work together, each appealing to a different kind of reader. Start with one method and do it well, then layer in the next. 

As you move from one method to two, and beyond, here are a few combinations that pair well:

• Paid subscriptions plus affiliate links. Paid readers fund your core income while product picks earn commissions; you might offer a paid tier for your newsletter on running, while sharing recommendations like electrolyte packets and running socks with purchase links. 

• Brand sponsorships plus consulting services. Brand deals can bring in occasional revenue, while consulting clients give you steady work. A sustainable fashion publication might sign a deal with a vegan leather shoe brand to promote an upcoming collection, while also consulting for brands that want to roll out environmentally friendly offerings. 

• A free newsletter plus your own store. Keep every newsletter free and occasionally link to your online store. If you sell hiking backpacks, your free newsletter could cover the best trails, the best preparation tactics, and the best gear (including yours).

5. Keep your eyes on the numbers

Every major newsletter and ecommerce platform comes with an analytics dashboard. Let those numbers inform your content strategy; if recipe posts get opened and kitchenware posts don’t, rearrange your planned content calendar accordingly. Monitor these newsletter metrics: 

• Open rate. Pay attention to how many subscribers open each send. This shows how engaged your subscribers are and how compelling your newsletter subject lines are. 

• Click-through rate. This metric reveals how many people tap your links. It’s a proxy for whether people care about your recommendations and the information outside your newsletter that you curate. This one matters most for affiliate income and referral traffic to your online store or digital downloads.

• Free-to-paid conversion. Monitor how many of your free readers upgrade to your paid newsletter. It hints at whether your paid offering is compelling enough for someone to pull out their credit card.

• Churn. How many paid subscribers cancel or fail to renew? A rising number of subscribers bowing out is worth investigating.

Look beyond your newsletter dashboard, too. Check your affiliate platform to see which links led to purchases and which just got clicks. If you’re sending readers to your online store, watch how many arrive and then how many convert to customers. Similarly, if you’re partnering with brands, follow up on how the promo code performed and whether your send drove sales for them.

Best practices for monetizing a newsletter

• Grow your subscriber base with a consistent cadence
• Distribute your newsletter across the web
• Find a balance between free and paid content
• Avoid being overly promotional

Your newsletter should have a distinct editorial direction from other publications on the web, one that keeps it compelling to read and keep subscribing to. However, a few best practices apply to most newsletter creators and brands:

Grow your subscriber base with a consistent cadence

Every monetization method above earns more with more subscribers. For example, sponsorship rates are usually quoted per thousand readers. A steady conversion rate produces more affiliate sales with 50,000 subscribers than with 5,000. Similarly, more readers mean more clicks back to your online store. Growing your list raises the ceiling on the income you can earn through your newsletter. 

A consistent publishing cadence is one way to expand your list. Pick a day and publish on that day every week, and stick to whatever promise you made when people signed up. If subscribers expect a dinner recipe every Friday, a recipe post should land in their inbox each week before the weekend hits.

Distribute your newsletter across the web

Give your newsletter a boost and let people know it exists by finding other channels to promote it. Beyond publishing consistently, distribute what you post with the same regularity: 

• Cross-post your best work. Republish strong editions on your blog or other platforms with a link to the original. If you have Instagram, post excerpts on your grid or link to it in Stories. 

• Share on visual platforms. If there’s an aesthetic component to what you write about, experiment with sharing compelling visuals—such as the wedding décor you’re creating—on platforms like Pinterest and Instagram.

• Publish your newsletter link everywhere. Put your newsletter URL in all of your social bios and your email signature.

• Trade recommendations. On platforms like Substack and Kit, you can work with other creators to swap recommendations. Think of writers in your niche as collaborators, not zero-sum competitors.

Find a balance between free and paid content

Give too much content away, and nobody needs to pay. Gate everything you write, and nobody new discovers you. Treat your free posts as an audition for the paid ones. “Free content acts as a funnel,” says Melanie of her strategy for Night Shade. “I usually pick a letter that touches both fashion and design so new readers get a real taste of what the paid version feels like.”

Try keeping your best evergreen pieces free; these stay useful long after you publish, like an explainer on candle-making or a how-to on meal prepping that people keep finding months later. On the other hand, lock up transient posts that land week to week and feel more intimate, like commentary on a recent event that becomes less relevant over time.

Avoid being overly promotional

A newsletter’s draw is the writing, not the advertisements, and promotion-heavy emails give readers less reason to open the next one. When you do opt for selling, keep whatever you promote close to your niche—a book club newsletter recommending a digital reader comes off like a recommendation from a friend rather than a billboard. Watch your unsubscribe rate, and if it spikes, space out your promotions.