Creating a repeatable email formula

Why I've moved to 'spotting and plotting'

Jun 02, 2025

Hello! Happy Monday. I’m just back from Norfolk, spending a gorgeous week with my parents and children seeing seals and deer and the saltmarshes and enjoying the typical late spring weather (aka: rain and shine, rain and shine on repeat).

Now I’m back at my desk and getting stuck in to my final three weeks as a full time freelancer. I’ve got publisher work and author check-ins planned, and am also squeezing in a few nice things like a massage and walks with friends.

Spotting: Why I changed the format of this email

A couple of weeks ago, I sent two emails in one week.

The first was this new format I’m calling Spotting and Plotting where my aim is to send one thing I’ve spotted that could be useful, a little bit behind-the-scenes of what I’m up to and a few things I’ve loved recently.

The second was some personal news that as of the 24th of June, I’ll be starting a new role as Marketing Director of One More Chapter.

These two things are connected.

Having a repeatable formula for your emails can make writing them much easier. Knowing ‘what goes where’ means that you know the kind of thing you are going to include in every single one of them.

It reduces decision fatigue because you aren’t thinking about all the millions of things you *could* write about, you’re thinking about what you can share that fits within that framework.

On the subscriber side, it also helps build trust with your readers, because they know what kind of content to expect from you. Breaking things into sections can also make it easier to scan for the things they are most interested in.

Having a structure in place doesn’t mean you can never veer from it, and you definitely do not need to follow any kind of formula if that doesn’t work for you, but for me, it helps.

If you’ve been struggling to put your newsletter content together, try a three-part format: Start with a short personal update, then talk about your latest book or share a work-in-progress update, and then end with a few recommendations or links. You can give each section titles, as I’ve done, or just insert a break of some kind between sections.

Is this something you would try? Do you have a format that works for you? Send me an email or drop a comment on this post on Substack.

Plotting: The seasonal map

All paid subscribers have access to my next quarterly planning session. Whether you’ve got big goals or a slow summer (/winter!) in mind, this quarterly planning session will help you shape the next three months into something intentional and satisfying.

When: 20th June 2025, 11am - 12pm BST

Where: Google Meet

How: Upgrade your membership and I’ll send you an invite to join

This session will not be recorded, but I will send out the questions to all paid subscribers afterwards.

You’ll also be invited to some gentle accountability. Send me the plans you set during (or following) the session, and I’ll check-in on you every 5-6 weeks to see how you’re getting on, and help unstick you if you get stuck.

Currently I’m…

Reading: The Sequel by Jean Hanff Korelitz. I very much enjoyed The Plot, and this follows on from the end of that book. Whilst on holiday I read The Salt Palt, which I loved, and — as I do every time I read a book about walking — I want to embark on a weeks’ long walking holiday and forget that I hate being cold / wet / uncomfortable.

Watching: Nothing at the minute, but I loved Sirens on Netflix.

Enjoying: Finishing up my 100 day project. I did it! I did skip a few days, which I left undated, but I made up for them on other days, meaning I have reached day 100 with 100 paintings / collages / drawings in my notebook. Hurrah!

Thinking about: How I’m going to make my new work-life schedule work. It’s such a big change!

Looking forward to: A busy week of social plans. Dinner tonight, painting at school and a day/evening trip to Cambridge toward the end of the week. Shout out to my parents who ‘volunteered’ to help with all three evenings. Thank you mum and dad!