With 2026 only a few months away (help), it’s natural to start reflecting on what went well in 2025 and what could have gone better. If you’re looking to amp up your publishing strategy next year, or trash everything and start over, we’ve consulted with the experts. This week’s newsletter is about taking direction from those who know, what you should avoid if you’re starting over, and how you can take advantage of what’s already in front of you. Let’s go!<\/em> <\/p>\n In this week’s issue \ud83d\udce8<\/strong><\/p>\n Was this email forwarded to you? <\/em>Subscribe here<\/em><\/a>!<\/em><\/p>\n If starting a newsletter in 2025 wasn’t what you thought it would be, you’re not alone. It’s extremely common for your first year of publishing to be a little rocky, and there are probably plenty of lessons you wish you knew before you began. If this year has had you feeling a bit stressed, let’s take a step back and learn from other newsletter operators so you can feel more at ease going into 2026.<\/p>\n Dan Oshinsky, creator and author of Inbox Collective<\/strong>, speaks with some publishing peers on what advice they would give<\/a> to newsletter newbies.<\/p>\n Always add value<\/strong><\/p>\n Focus on a niche audience<\/strong><\/p>\n Community is everything<\/strong><\/p>\n It’s a process<\/strong><\/p>\n When starting a publication, you don’t need to do everything everywhere all at once. The key to sticking with it through the exciting infant stage is not to get too excited and give yourself a million tasks. If you’ve been drowning in a sea of “best practices” all year (guilty), maybe focus on a much shorter list of what not <\/em>to do, so you can stop feeling overwhelmed and actually get things done. <\/p>\n Chenell Basilio, creator of Growth in Reverse<\/strong>, shares some tips on what to avoid<\/a> when beginning your newsletter journey.<\/p>\n\n
Now you know<\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/ghost.org\/resources\/content\/images\/2025\/10\/risky-ming-gfQGvkxcI10-unsplash.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n
\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/ghost.org\/resources\/content\/images\/2025\/10\/MailChimp_Longform_-5_graphic_-2-01__1_.png\")
<\/a>\n
\n
Interesting stories & ideas \ud83d\udcda<\/h2>\n
Skip it<\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/ghost.org\/resources\/content\/images\/2025\/10\/risky-ming-Le6O0qG65A8-unsplash.png\")
<\/figure>\n