Up next
The issues you’re writing or have scheduled, as cards with the send date and sponsor. New opens a fresh issue.
Notion Newsletter Template
Plan every issue from idea to sent, see how each one did and keep your sponsors in one place.
$9 One-time paymentInstant access
Magnet Creative Recommended Creator on Notion
Up next
- #42 A Sunday stew for busy weeks
- #43 What to cook when it’s dark at 5
Idea bank
- Reader questions: freezing soup
- Testing a cheap knife sharpener
- Holiday baking without the stress
- Interview a local baker
4 issues sent. Each one keeps its open rate, clicks and new subscribers.
or change a status yourself.
- Works on the free Notion plan
- Every issue from idea to sent
- Open rates, clicks and sponsors
At a glance
- What it is
- A newsletter planner in Notion: an idea bank, every issue from writing to sent with its results, a weekly subscriber count and a sponsor pipeline.
- Who it’s for
- Writers on Substack, beehiiv, Kit or Mailchimp who send a regular newsletter. No Notion experience needed.
- Price
- $9, one payment. It’s yours to keep.
- Free Notion plan
- Yes, all of it.
- Time
- About five minutes to set up, then a minute after each send.
Watch the 44-second tour
Up next, a full issue, how each send did and your sponsors, filmed in the real template.
What it does that most newsletter templates in Notion don’t
A newsletter is more than a posting calendar: there are the ideas, the issue you’re writing, the sponsors and how each send did. Here they live in one place, around one question: what goes out next?
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Every issue starts with a plan
Each new issue comes with six headings to fill in, from Subject line ideas and the Hook to Sponsor spot and After sending.
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Ideas move up when you start
Change an idea’s Status to Writing and it moves from the Idea bank to Up next.
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See how each send did
Add the open rate, clicks and new subscribers, and the Sent tab lines your issues up side by side.
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Sponsors in one pipeline
Drag each brand from Pitched to Talking, Booked and Paid, and link it to the issue it paid for.
We set it up from a fresh copy, the way you’ll get it: clicked New in Up next and got an issue with its headings, set to Writing, added an idea to the Idea bank, then cleared the samples and brought them back.
What’s inside
The home page opens with Up next, then the Idea bank, All issues, Subscribers and Sponsors. Start here sits at the top, and the databases on a page of their own at the bottom.
Idea bank
Every idea goes here first. A title is enough, and you can add notes inside.
Inside an issue
Status, send date, subject line and sponsor at the top, the results once it’s sent, then your sections.
How each send did
The Sent tab puts open rate, clicks and new subscribers side by side, newest first.
Subscribers
Once a week, type your count from your newsletter app. The newest week sits on top, so you can watch the list grow.
Also in the template
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Works with any newsletter app
Substack, beehiiv, Kit, Mailchimp or any other. You copy three numbers after each send.
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A calendar of send dates
All issues also has a Calendar tab, so you can see the month at a glance.
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A sample newsletter
The Slow Kitchen, with six issues, four ideas, eight weeks of counts and four sponsors, shows how it all fits.
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Clear and bring back
One button hides the sample issues, sponsors and counts, another brings them back.
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A Start here page
Six short steps in your copy, with pictures of where to click.
How to use it each week
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Add ideas to the Idea bank as they come.
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Change one to Writing and fill in its sections.
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Set it to Scheduled, then Sent once it goes out.
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Add its results, and this week’s subscriber count.
Set it up in about five minutes
You do this once. It’s easiest on a computer.
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Buy it on Etsy and download the Start here PDF. Open the template link in it and click the Duplicate icon (two small squares) at the top. A free Notion account is enough.
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Rename Newsletter Planner to your newsletter’s name and pick your own icon.
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On Start here, click the button that clears the sample newsletter. Anything you add yourself stays.
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In the Idea bank, click New and type an idea. A title is enough.
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In Up next, click New, pick a Send date and fill in the sections you need.
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After you send, copy Open rate %, Clicks and New subscribers from your newsletter app into the issue.
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In Sponsors, click New for each brand and drag the card along as the deal moves.
Clicked New and got an empty page? Click New issue at the top of that page to add the headings.
Is it right for you?
A good fit if
- You send a newsletter every week or two.
- You use Substack, beehiiv, Kit, Mailchimp or another app.
- You keep losing ideas between issues.
- You’re starting to work with sponsors.
Look elsewhere if
- You want stats to come in on their own. You copy three numbers after each send.
- You want to write and send the email from Notion. Sending stays in your newsletter app.
- You run a publication with a team of editors and writers.
Questions
Does it work with Substack or beehiiv?
Yes, and with Kit, Mailchimp or any other app. You write and send there, and copy three numbers back after each issue.
Does it connect to my newsletter app?
No. There’s nothing to connect or log in to. After each send, you type the open rate, clicks and new subscribers into the issue.
Does it work on the free Notion plan?
Yes, all of it.
Can I see my subscriber growth?
Yes. Add your count once a week in Subscribers. The newest week shows on top, so the list reads like a growth log.
Do I have to use the sponsor part?
No. Skip it until you have sponsors. Issues work the same without one.
Where does the template go after I pay?
You download a Start here PDF from Etsy with the template link. Open the link and click the Duplicate icon at the top of the page, and the copy is yours to keep and change.
What if I get stuck?
Email us at hello@magnetcreativestudio.com with the template name and what you see, and we’ll help you get it working.
For power users
How it’s built, if you like to change things.
The databases
| Database | What it holds |
|---|---|
| Issues | Issue, Status (Idea, Writing, Scheduled, Sent), Send date, Subject line, Sponsor, Open rate %, Clicks and New subscribers, with the New issue template. |
| Sponsors | Sponsor, Stage (Pitched, Talking, Booked, Paid), Fee, Contact, Notes and the Issues it paid for. |
| Growth | Week, Date and Subscribers, one row a week. |
How it works inside
- Up next and Idea bank
- Two views of Issues: Up next shows Writing and Scheduled, the Idea bank shows Idea.
- New issue template
- An issue made with New in Up next starts from it, set to Writing, with the six headings.
- Clear sample data
- Hides the sample issues, sponsors and weekly counts. Anything you add stays.
Always know what goes out next
Pay once, fill your idea bank and plan your next issue.
