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Hi, {{first_name|friend}}. 👋
Last week, we talked about email gremlins and my buddy Luke’s newsletter, which he loved writing but hated building.
We looked at simpler templates, fewer fiddly steps, and using AI to help with the formatting.
This week, I want to pick up something I touched on briefly...Once you’ve made sending easier, how do you actually restart a newsletter that’s been quiet for a long time?
Let’s go! 👇
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You’re Ready. What About Your Subscribers?
It’s easy to see fixing the workflow as the last hurdle.
The template works. The editor is behaving. You’ve got something to say again, finally.
🤔 Finally… hit send?
Well, perhaps. But there’s another side to this:
You’ve been thinking about your newsletter, feeling guilty about not sending it, and working out how to bring it back.
Your subscribers haven’t necessarily been doing any of those things.
For you, it’s a return to something familiar.
For someone opening their inbox, it might be an email from a name they barely remember.
🧠 That’s worth considering before you write your big comeback.
First, Look at the List You’re Coming Back To
Luke mentioned that his newsletter had good engagement and feedback before he stopped sending.
That’s encouraging. But after more than two years, I wouldn’t assume the same audience is still there, waiting.
People change jobs, abandon addresses, and lose interest in things they once enjoyed.
🚨 A reader who stopped engaging is different from a sender who stopped sending.
Before restarting, I’d want to know:
How did these people subscribe, and what did they sign up for?
When did they last hear from me?
Have unsubscribes, complaints and bounced addresses stayed excluded?
Is the newsletter I’m bringing back still what they asked to receive?
“Fixing” Your Stale List
Mailchimp’s guidance on stale addresses explains why you should clean your audience before you resume sending.
Stale addresses are old or invalid emails that haven't been sent to in a long time. Audiences with many stale addresses can lead to high bounce rates, spam complaints, and unsubscribes.
💡 And don’t assume that sending everyone a “Do you still want my emails?” message is automatically a safe first step.
Mailchimp has three suggestions to help “fix” a stale audience:
Remove and reconfirm stale addresses. The most important thing you can do to clean up your audience is remove stale addresses.
Then, contact your stale addresses outside of Mailchimp (your ESP) and send them a link to your Mailchimp signup form to reconfirm their interest in your content.Remind people where they signed up. We'll cover that in more detail below.
Personalise your reconfirmation message.
Remind People Why You’re in Their Inbox
🤔 Once you’ve established who you can appropriately send to, think about what they’ll recognise; that’s point 2 above.
Would your old subscribers remember your name?
The newsletter’s name?
The subject you used to cover?
💡 I’d be cautious about changing the sender name, branding, format, and subject matter all at once (if that’s what you are planning).
You might see a fresh start, but your audience may need a little warming up 🤭.
Once you’ve cleaned up your list and are ready to send that first email, give people a little context:
What they subscribed to.
What the newsletter covers.
When they can expect it (you can revisit the frequency once you know what the workload actually feels like now you are back; don’t overcommit).
🚨 And make leaving clear and easy if it’s no longer for them.
An unsubscribe might feel disappointing after you’ve finally worked up the enthusiasm to return, but people’s interests change.
That’s okay.
How Much Apologising Does This Need?
You probably should acknowledge the gap in sending.
But I don’t think the whole email needs to explain why you haven’t emailed in so long.
Keep any apology or explanation short.
Then give something of value: quick tips, a special offer, industry news, etc.
✅ Bonus points if you can offer a bit of value in your first issue back, reminding them why they subscribed in the first place and why it’s worth sticking around.
If it only says “I’m back, useful stuff coming soon”, you’re asking them to wait for the value all over again, and could lose a few more subscribers that you could have retained.
Before You Go
Have you brought a newsletter back after a long break, {{first_name|friend}}?
Did I miss anything or get something wrong?
Hit reply and let me know.
That’s it for this week. 👋
Simon
Quiz Time!
What did you learn this week?
Test your knowledge below, and have fun! 🤩
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All About Email - Playlist 🎧
Every week, as I write this newsletter, I’ll share the track of the moment to create an unbelievably eclectic playlist just for your inbox.
Sponsorship Opportunities
🚨 If you’re interested in sponsoring the “All About Email” newsletter, you can find all the details in this Google Doc.
Email Marketing News & Tips
This week's excellent and insightful email news & tips:
Monetisation - Out-of-the-Box Ways to Get Readers to Pay for Your Newsletter. (Inbox Collective)
A Real Test Example - Safari's New Adaptive Dark Mode. (Preflight)
Rejected - Microsoft newly rejecting mail lacking DMARC?. (Spam Resource)
Full Strategy - How to Build a 6-Figure Newsletter in 2027. (Nathan Barry & Chenell Basilio)
Email Deliverability - What Affects Inbox Placement? (Kickbox)
Winning & Losing - Email Marketing Platform Switching Trends. (EmailTooltester)
Growth - How to Ask Readers to Sign Up at Checkout or After They Pay. (Inbox Collective)
If you have any questions about this email or email marketing, please reply, and I will get back to you as soon as possible.
I hope you have a great week! 👋
