The exact time commitment it takes to run a paid newsletter

Six months later, I feel like I have a pretty good handle on my workflow and can provide some insight into what it takes to operate a podcast and newsletter operation that’s monetized through paid subscriptions. It’s only through this constant curation that I’m able to lock on to industry trends that I can later flesh out with more research or incorporate into a question for one of my podcast guests.Longform articlesI play around with a couple different formats with my newsletter, but my favorite kind (and the one most likely to be shared on social media) is the longform piece that provides in-depth analysis on a company or trend. Add in the time to edit and format the article, and I’m looking at 10 hours from start to finish.I’m not going to pretend this is the equivalent to the research and writing that goes into a feature article for The New Yorker, but it’s the most time-consuming piece of content I’ll produce in a given week. These articles clock in at about 1,000 words.Adding all this up, I probably spend a minimum of six hours on each podcast episode.Case study interviewsFor the first months after launching the paid newsletter, I struggled with what to actually send to my paying subscribers. Here are a few I placed in front of the paywall to give you a taste of what they look like:How to grow your newsletter by syndicating it to mainstream media outletsThis media company merged local news with content marketingWhy you should adapt your podcast episodes into multiple formatsLike with the podcast interviews, I usually get on the phone with the subject to hash out what we’ll discuss in the interview. Start to finish, these case study interviews take about three hours to complete.Adding it all upAs I mentioned earlier, I need to produce all the above content on a consistent basis if I ever hope to attract new subscribers. But all of this comes at a cost; in a given month, the time I spend on the newsletter and podcast results in up to a $6,000 loss in freelance revenue.Sure, the paid subscriptions I’ve generated so far helped replace some of that revenue, but not nearly enough. I’ve always wanted to run my own media business, and by reading and sharing my work you help make that dream possible.Do you like this newsletter?Then you should subscribe here:Simon Owens is a tech and media journalist living in Washington, DC.