Newsletter submissions
Publish six editions and give readers a reason to come back.
ATX Writing Club presents · A 6-week accountability challenge
Newsletter Challenge.
Build the readership your writing deserves. Six weeks to start (or re-start) a newsletter and finally make publishing a habit.
$1,000Win your money back when you submit six newsletters and attend your live check-in call.
Enroll now →Next cohort starts October 1st
The hard part isn't having something worth saying. It's finding the people who want to read it.
You can spend years finishing a manuscript and sending pitches while the readers who'd love your work have no way to find you—or hear from you again.
A newsletter puts your writing directly in their inbox. Readers can reply, share it, and come back for the next edition. Unlike a post lost in a feed, that relationship grows with every send.
Don't wait for someone else to give you a platform. Build a readership of your own.
That readership can lead to paid subscriptions, commissions, events, and book sales. It also shows agents and publishers that people already care about your work.
You don't need thousands of subscribers to start. You need the first reader who wants your next email.
The only problem?
Sitting down to write the damn thing.
You've probably heard that writers need a “platform.” That word can make it sound like you have to become a full-time marketer before anyone will read your work.
Maybe you don't know what to send, worry that no one will sign up, or feel uncomfortable asking people to pay attention. Maybe the novel or essay keeps winning the argument for your time, so “start a newsletter” stays on a list for someday.
You're not behind. You need a manageable rhythm, a reason to begin, and people who expect to hear from you again.
That's what these six weeks are for.
How it works
An incentive to press send.
Newsletter Challenge is a six-week accountability group for writers in Austin who are ready to start (or restart) a newsletter and build a readership around their work.
This isn't about turning your writing into generic “content.” It's about giving readers a way to discover your voice, stay with it, and eventually support it.
The structure is simple:
- There’s a $1,000 fee to join the cohort. You get 100% of that back if you submit six newsletters and attend your live check-in call.
- There are four optional online group sessions to help you decide what to write, connect with readers, grow your list, and explore ways your work could earn income.
- Send one newsletter each week for six weeks. Show up for your live check-in call. Build the habit and earn your money back.
Why $1,000?
Because the project you keep postponing needs more than another good intention. A real commitment can make the difference between “I'll start when I have a platform” and actually sending the first edition.
You don't have to arrive with a finished book, a polished brand, or a subscriber list. You can begin with a single reader. The point is to keep showing up so your readership has a chance to grow.
Submit six newsletters and attend your live check-in call to earn the fee back.
Enroll now →The commitment
What's included
Live Check-In Call
Stay accountable and get unstuck between sessions.
OPTIONAL Group Sessions
Develop your voice, find readers, grow your list, and explore ways to earn from your work.
Press send, attend your check-in, win your money back
Four live lessons
The curriculum
Find the promise of your newsletter
What will readers come to you for? We'll look at your voice, subjects, and the work you already want to write, then shape a clear reason for someone to subscribe. You'll also choose a simple set of tools so the technology doesn't become another excuse to wait.
Write something people want to open
Turn the ideas in your notebook, drafts, and conversations into emails that sound unmistakably like you. We'll talk about formats you can sustain, finding a strong opening, and building a weekly practice without treating every send like a finished book.
Find your first readers
A great piece of writing still needs a path to its audience. We'll cover practical ways to invite people in, connect with other writers, and grow through genuine recommendations—without making your days revolve around social media.
Make room for a writing career
Explore how a newsletter can support paid writing, subscriptions, events, and future books. We'll talk about what an engaged readership can show agents and publishers, and how to invite support without losing the voice that brought people to you.
Why now
Why does this even exist?
ATX Writing Club exists to help writers make their work real. Too many talented people are told to build a platform, but never shown a way to start. A newsletter gives you a place to publish now, meet your readers directly, and keep that relationship as your work grows.
You can still pursue an agent, a publisher, or an editor. You don't have to wait for any of them to give you permission to find an audience.
Your guide
About your instructor…
My name’s Ethan Brooks. I’m the owner of The Austin Business Review. I’ve been building content and communities for business owners for years.
Prior to ABR, I was the first content & community hire at Hampton, and before that, I spent years writing at The Hustle, one of the biggest newsletter companies in the US. While there, part of my job was to research and write this book on how newsletter companies work and I've been hooked ever since. Newsletters and business are my obsessions, plain and simple.
Question about whether this workshop is for you?
Everything else
FAQ
What does it cost?
Entry into the challenge is $1,000. And you win it back when you submit six newsletters and attend your live check-in call.
Do I really win the money back?
Yes. Ask anyone. You stick to the plan, send your emails, attend your live check-in call, and you win your money back.
When are the live sessions?
There are four optional group sessions. Each one focuses on a different aspect of newsletters (strategy, content, growth, etc). Sessions are each Thursday at 3PM Central via video call. If you can’t make one, recordings and slides are shared within 24 hours of the session. Attendance at these group sessions is NOT required to win your money back; the live check-in call is required.
Do I need to attend all live sessions?
Nope. The four group sessions are there for your benefit, but aren’t required to win your money back. You do need to submit your six newsletters and attend your live check-in call.
October 1st · Austin, Texas
Ready to build your newsletter foundation?
Six weeks. Six newsletters. Four group sessions. One check-in. One system that sticks.
Enroll now →