It’s Wednesday, August 7, and this week, I talked with my former New Yorker colleague, Andy Borowitz, about re-launching his newsletter as an independent product — one that’s set to bring in more than $500,000 in revenue this year even though it only re-launched in March. But first…

The story that’s talk of the town where I live: Someone built a bot and created thousands of fake emails to try to rig the vote for a local cocktail competition...

Relationships, not format, make a newsletter…

Looking for a new job in the newsletter space? Submit your information here, and I might be able to connect you with newsletters that are hiring…

“You are a helpful mail assistant” might need to be my next LinkedIn bio…

—Dan (say 👋 via email or LinkedIn)

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After 23 Years, The Borowitz Report is as Successful as Ever

In 2001, Andy Borowitz took some of the humor commentary he was doing for outlets like NPR and launched his own self-titled comedy blog and newsletter, called the Borowitz Report. A decade later, as it grew in popularity, it moved underneath the umbrella of the New Yorker.

But late last year, the New Yorker laid Andy off. Three months later, the Borowitz Report reappeared in inboxes, this time as an independent newsletter. He started putting some content behind a paywall, and he now has tens of thousands of subscribers paying $50 per year or $5 per month for the newsletter — meaning that a paid newsletter that launched in March now brings in more than $500,000 in annual revenue.

So recently, Andy and I sat down over Zoom to discuss this next chapter for his newsletter. Why did he go independent again? What’s his plan for the paid newsletter? Why expand beyond satirical headlines? And why — after nearly a decade of writing headlines about Donald Trump — return for yet another presidential election? Here’s what Andy told me →

A big thank you to GetResponse, the summer sponsor of Inbox Collective — they’re making everything you see here in the newsletter and on our website available for free to all readers.

If you’re not familiar with GetResponse, I’ll give you the quick no-background: They’re an email marketing and automation platform with comprehensive, affordable, and easy-to-use tools to grow, engage, and convert your audience. And when I say affordable, I mean that: On many plans, they’re up to 75% cheaper than many American email platforms. (GetResponse was founded in 1998 in the Polish seaport of Gdańsk.) Plus, new paying customers get free migration support, onboarding, and a custom-designed email template when they make the switch.

If you’re looking for an ESP with powerful automation and monetization tools, give GetResponse a try.

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From my reading list...

ICYMI: Becoming a dad changed the way I ask questions, handle mistakes, and even write alt text for my newsletter. Here’s what I’ve learned that I apply to my work. (Inbox Collective)

M+R is out with their annual non-profit email benchmarks. One interesting note: Fundraising from email dropped 7% in 2023. (M+R Benchmarks)

The best newsletters operate in four different growth quadrants: Owned, earned, algorithmic, and paid. Here’s how you can use these strategies, too. (Inbox Collective)

This is a great peek behind the curtain into how Tedium’s Ernie Smith thinks about newsletter projects. (Creator Spotlight)

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📬 No. 42 | Andy Borowitz goes independent (again)

After 23 Years, The Borowitz Report is as Successful as Ever

From my reading list...

Older messages

📬 No. 41 | Becoming a Dad Changed the Way I Write Newsletters

📬 No. 40 | Questions for a (newsletter) therapist

📬 No. 39 | The four quadrants for growth | Apple Mail changes coming

📬 No. 38 | We’re back! | Interview with Tangle’s founder | Newsletter job board

📬 No. 37 | Questions to Help You Build a Better Newsletter

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