How I Doubled My Newsletter Open Rates By Writing Less

From 15% to 50% open rates.

Links:

• Don’t have the first clue how to create an SOP? Here are 12 templates for SOPs you’ll actually use.

• Here’s a “Pay What You Want” product that helps you write viral-ready Substack Notes.

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What if I told you that you can get your open and read rates from 15% to 40-50%.

I used to write these long, thoughtful pieces. Packed with insights. Nobody read them. Or at least, nobody opened the emails containing them.

Then I switched to atomic essays. Short. Focused. Dense.

Here’s what you might get wrong about short-form writing: You think it’s easier. You think it’s lazy. You might even say it doesn’t offer any value.

“Just bang out 250 words and call it a day.”

Wrong.

Short-form is harder than long-form. Way harder.

You can’t hide behind fluff. You can’t meander into your point. You can’t pad it with three examples when one will do. Every single sentence has to earn its place or it’s gone.

This isn’t simple because it lacks complexity. It’s simple because it’s focused.

Here’s what actually makes an atomic essay work:

• One reader. Write to one person with one problem. Not “creators struggle with attention.” You struggle with getting your newsletter opened.

• One solution. Give them one thing they can do today. Not five tips. One. Make it specific enough they can start in the next ten minutes.

• Show, don’t tell. Use examples, not explanations. “My open rates jumped from 15% to 50%” tells you more than “atomic essays improve engagement.”

• End with a question. Make them think. Make them respond. Turn readers into participants.

Start with one atomic essay this week. Pick one idea. Make it dense. Make every word work.

What’s stopping you from trying this format?