How to start a newsletter for free
Newsletters are a great way to learn, put yourself out there, and overcome imposter syndrome — all at once!
Umar Patterson is a third-year medical student currently studying in the UK at Bart’s and The London Medical School, London. Alongside his studies, he writes his own newsletter, JUGL, which provides actionable productivity tips to its readers. Interested in medical technology and entrepreneurship, Umar’s goal is to inspire and engage with a new generation of medical students who juggle their clinical lives with their personal projects.
Starting my newsletter has opened up multiple avenues for me as a medical student, some which were intentional, and others that weren’t. One of the most underappreciated benefits of having a passion project alongside your clinical work is the outlet it gives you for creativity and expression. Most things we do in medical school, or as doctors, follow strict guidelines and there is a set recipe for almost anything we need to do.
The hardest part about getting started actually had nothing to do with the newsletter — it was believing in myself and putting myself out there. I’ve learned a lot since I’ve started, and it’s been hugely gratifying on both a personal and professional level. Based on my experiences, I wanted to share with the clinical community how simple it was to start a newsletter, step by step, to help give our peers a roadmap if a newsletter is something that interests you.
Let’s dive in.
Step 1: Why should clinicians start newsletters?
Step 2: How did I start my newsletter, JUGL?
Step 3: Knowing what I know now, how would I recommend other clinicians to start newsletters?
Step 4: Free resources I use to help get you started
Step 1: Why should clinicians start newsletters?
All clinicians and entrepreneurs will know the value of networking, and having a newsletter is a great way to develop yours. You’re no longer just a name on LinkedIn or on the internet — but an actual voice that people listen to regularly. I wouldn’t be writing this article right now if it wasn’t for the newsletter that I started, for example.
On a similar note, starting a newsletter, or simply putting your thoughts out there for others to see, only increases your surface area for serendipity. Simply put — it creates more chances for you to “get lucky” in the future. On social media it can seem that other people are simply “just” lucky, but they often increase the likelihood of opportunities arising through their presence. You never know which post or comment could lead to a new opportunity — never underestimate the importance of interactions!
Step 2: How did I start my newsletter, JUGL?
I learnt a lot from just reading others and seeing their processes. Many of the big names in self-improvement have their own newsletters, all with different styles and on different platforms. Due to the fact that I was starting my newsletter whilst still growing my network, I opted to use Beehiiv as my starting platform because almost all of their features are available for free for smaller audiences (100s of readers).
Once I had my first editions ready, I began working on promoting it: I would link it in my posts and on my social media pages. At the time of developing the newsletter, I posted consistently on LinkedIn for weeks and had almost doubled my network by the time I released my first issue. The most important thing is to just start! You will figure it out as you go…theory can only take you so far.
Step 3: Knowing what I know now, how would I recommend other clinicians to start newsletters?
One thing I would definitely change if I started over is to plan in even more detail. Plan out your first five editions before you even begin and have at least three written. You never know what might come up, and consistency is key!
Definitely reach out to other writers and ask for advice. Everyone has been at 0 readers and 0 posts, so most people are more than happy to help and advise — you’d be surprised how supportive people are!
One of the most important things however, is to figure out what exactly it is that you want to write about, and use that to determine who your audience is. People tend to focus on the numbers but it’s more important to put out useful and valuable content regularly; the numbers will follow.
Once you’ve given it lots of thought, the most important part happens: starting. It’s the parts where you’re a bit unsure or uncomfortable where most of the learning happens, so embrace it and get going.
Step 4: Free resources I used to help get me started
Fortunately, there are a lot of good resources out there if you want to set up your own newsletter. As previously mentioned, Beehiiv is a great option for launching a free newsletter, with lots of customisation options, automation capabilities, and analytics.
Alongside this, a free alternative to Adobe Illustrator is Inkscape, which I use for logos, thumbnails, and graphics in my work.
MyBib is another great resource which allows you to compile and generate references in the style of your choice for separate projects (i.e. issues of your newsletter) and export them easily as a bibliography for your work.
The most underrated free resource in my opinion, is the plethora of existing work which is already out there for you to draw inspiration from and use to guide your own journey. You may not know this yet, but there’s a ton of valuable information in your head, and seeing how others have structured their thoughts is insanely helpful for structuring yours. Just remember — at a certain point, stop thinking about it and start doing it!
So that newsletter idea in your head? Start it. You got this.
Interested in meeting other clinicians who share your same interests, as well as learning more about startups in the healthcare space? Check out the “Careers in clinic (and beyond)” group as well as Next Degree — the next-gen healthcare job search designed to help you build a career you love, whether that’s in clinic — or beyond.
