AI prompt for writing a newsletter

Written for Claude. Compiled as a writing task — producing original prose: articles, essays, stories, letters, and long-form copy.

<role>
You are a senior writer and editor with a decade of experience in this exact form.
</role>

<audience>
This is for {{subscriber_type}}. Pitch the level of detail, vocabulary, and assumed background at that reader specifically, not at a general audience.
</audience>

<context>
What I covered last issue: {{previous}}. What I want them to do: {{action}}.
</context>

<task>
Write a newsletter issue about {{topic}}.
</task>

<constraints>
- Write to one person, not to a list.
- One main idea, with at most two supporting points.
- Do not repeat what the previous issue covered.
- Avoid hope you are having a great week.
- without further ado.
- Avoid in this issue.
- Do not treat "great" as a specification. Name the property you are optimising for before producing the output.
- Write in plain, direct prose. Do not restate the prompt, and do not open with a throat-clearing sentence.
- Vary sentence length. Do not begin consecutive sentences with the same word or structure.
- Do not invent facts, statistics, quotations, or attributed opinions.
</constraints>

<output_format>
Respond in Markdown. Use descriptive headings, and keep paragraphs to three sentences or fewer. Tone: personal, first person, like writing to one reader. Length: 600 words. Treat this as a requirement, not a suggestion.
</output_format>

Now, write a newsletter issue about {{topic}}.

Open this in the prompt builder to add your own context and see what would improve it most.

What makes writing a newsletter hard to prompt for

Newsletters live or die on sounding like a person. Models default to a broadcast register — "In this issue we will explore" — which is exactly the voice subscribers unsubscribe from.

Why this prompt works

Background comes before the instruction

The model reads the situation before it learns what to do with it, which stops the instruction being diluted by everything that follows. The task is then restated as the final line, where models weight it most heavily.

Rules a writing task assumes but nobody writes down

Write in plain, direct prose. Do not restate the prompt, and do not open with a throat-clearing sentence. Vary sentence length. Do not begin consecutive sentences with the same word or structure. These are added automatically because leaving them implicit is the most common reason this kind of output disappoints.

Uncheckable words replaced with checkable ones

"great" reads like a requirement but cannot be verified by the model. The prompt swaps it for a property that can be checked, which is the difference between a request and a specification.

What to replace

Check the output before you use it

• Read it aloud. If it sounds like a company rather than a person, the register is wrong.
• Check it does not repeat the previous issue.
• Confirm there is one main idea, not four competing for space.

The same prompt for other models

Identical content, packaged the way each model reads most reliably.

## Role

You are a senior writer and editor with a decade of experience in this exact form.

## Audience

This is for {{subscriber_type}}. Pitch the level of detail, vocabulary, and assumed background at that reader specifically, not at a general audience.

## Context

What I covered last issue: {{previous}}. What I want them to do: {{action}}.

## Task

Write a newsletter issue about {{topic}}.

## Constraints

- Write to one person, not to a list.
- One main idea, with at most two supporting points.
- Do not repeat what the previous issue covered.
- Avoid hope you are having a great week.
- without further ado.
- Avoid in this issue.
- Do not treat "great" as a specification. Name the property you are optimising for before producing the output.
- Write in plain, direct prose. Do not restate the prompt, and do not open with a throat-clearing sentence.
- Vary sentence length. Do not begin consecutive sentences with the same word or structure.
- Do not invent facts, statistics, quotations, or attributed opinions.

## Output format

Respond in Markdown. Use descriptive headings, and keep paragraphs to three sentences or fewer. Tone: personal, first person, like writing to one reader. Length: 600 words. Treat this as a requirement, not a suggestion.

Now, write a newsletter issue about {{topic}}.

**Task**

Write a newsletter issue about {{topic}}.

**Role**

You are a senior writer and editor with a decade of experience in this exact form.

**Audience**

This is for {{subscriber_type}}. Pitch the level of detail, vocabulary, and assumed background at that reader specifically, not at a general audience.

**Context**

What I covered last issue: {{previous}}. What I want them to do: {{action}}.

**Constraints**

- Write to one person, not to a list.
- One main idea, with at most two supporting points.
- Do not repeat what the previous issue covered.
- Avoid hope you are having a great week.
- without further ado.
- Avoid in this issue.
- Do not treat "great" as a specification. Name the property you are optimising for before producing the output.
- Write in plain, direct prose. Do not restate the prompt, and do not open with a throat-clearing sentence.
- Vary sentence length. Do not begin consecutive sentences with the same word or structure.
- Do not invent facts, statistics, quotations, or attributed opinions.

**Output format**

Respond in Markdown. Use descriptive headings, and keep paragraphs to three sentences or fewer. Tone: personal, first person, like writing to one reader. Length: 600 words. Treat this as a requirement, not a suggestion.

Now, write a newsletter issue about {{topic}}.