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Free sample: 10 subject lines + Week 1 of the calendar
Use these on your next issue. No signup and no email address needed. If they help, the full pack adds 90 more subject lines, Weeks 2–4, the issue checklist, the KPI tracker and the launch SOP.
10 subject lines you can steal
| # | Subject line | Type |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The part of newsletters nobody teaches | Curiosity |
| 2 | The paragraph I almost deleted | Curiosity |
| 3 | Ship one issue in 90 minutes | Direct / benefit |
| 4 | A checklist before you hit send | Direct / benefit |
| 5 | 3 checks before every send | How-to |
| 6 | 5-minute emergency issue formula | How-to |
| 7 | I sent it scared—and people replied | Story |
| 8 | Open rate isn't your report card | Contrarian |
| 9 | Who is issue #1 actually for? | Question |
| 10 | From my tabs to your Tuesday | Roundup |
Aim for ≤50 characters. Preview text should add new information, not repeat the subject. Never fake “Re:”/“Fwd:” or urgency.
Week 1 — Foundation / Proof
Copy this into Google Sheets, Notion, or your draft doc and fill the blanks before you start writing.
| Field | Your fill |
|---|---|
| Send date | (Tue–Thu, 8–11am in your readers’ main timezone) |
| Working title | |
| Theme | One lesson from building/shipping something real |
| Hook (1 sentence) | |
| Core sections (3) | 1. Context · 2. What you tried · 3. What you’d repeat |
| Primary CTA | Reply with X / join waitlist / free resource |
| Secondary CTA | Share with one peer |
| Subject line candidates (3) | |
| Preview text | (must add new info — never repeat the subject) |
| Asset needed? | Screenshot / link / template |
| Status | Idea → Draft → Edit → Scheduled → Sent |
Prompt if stuck: “What did I learn last week that my past self needed?”
5 rules that keep you shipping
- Lock next week’s title by Friday.
- Never start two new issues in the same day.
- If the draft is under 400 words by send-minus-24h, cut scope and ship a short issue.
- One primary CTA per issue. Two max.
- Log KPIs within 24h of send.
Want the whole system?
Solo Newsletter OS gives you the full 4-week calendar (Markdown + CSV), all 100 subject lines in 9 types, the pre/publish/post issue checklist, a KPI tracker (CSV + Excel) and a one-issue launch SOP. $39, one time.