In 5 Steps: Streamline Your Newsletter Writing with ChatGPT’s Projects

Writing a newsletter every week can feel like reinventing the wheel—unless you have the right system in place. With ChatGPT’s Projects, you can organize your workflow, maintain a consistent tone, and eliminate repetitive tasks. Whether you’re a content creator, marketer, or project manager, using a dedicated ChatGPT Project for your newsletter will save you time and ensure consistent quality.

Here’s how:

Step 1: Create a Project in ChatGPT

• Navigate to ChatGPT’s Projects (available in ChatGPT Plus).
• Click “Create New Project” and name it something relevant (e.g., “Stay Ahead Newsletter”).
• This creates a workspace where all your newsletter-related files, prompts, and chats stay organized.

Step 2: Upload Key Documents for Context

Under Project Files, upload reference documents such as:

• Past newsletters (for consistency in structure and tone).
• Editorial guidelines (so ChatGPT knows your preferred writing style).
• Content inspiration or research notes (to keep ideas accessible).

ChatGPT will remember and reference these files, reducing the need to explain everything from scratch.

Step 3: Customize Instructions for a Perfect Draft

We will breakdown the prompt I’m using for this Stay Ahead newsletter:

“You are the project leader of Stay Ahead Newsletter. The newsletter should be able to pinpoint the latest tech and AI updates that truly matter to young professionals to accelerate their careers. It has to be able to draw meaningful connections between the news and how it matters to the target audience. It should avoid making up news, or using too many technical terms. The tone should be personal and conversational.

Please refer to the files to understand the structure, format, and the tone and voice of the newsletter. Memorize the term I will use to refer to each section: Highlighted news, Prompts and Tutorials, News you can't miss. 

The Highlighted news usually start with a short opening paragraph relating to the topic, then the key updates/features of the news will be presented in bullet points, and end with 1-2 sentence summary or a thought-provoking question. 

In 5 steps is concise and use easy-to-understand language to take readers through each step to achieve a goal with AI. Must-read news will have each news accompanied by 1 sentence to describe/summarize that news so readers can click to read the full article if they are interested. This sentence shouldn't be repetitive with the title.”

In Custom Instructions, define:

• Tone & Voice: “Keep it conversational and personal, avoiding technical jargon.”
• Structure: “Each newsletter includes ‘Highlighted News,’ ‘Prompts and Tutorials,’ and ‘Must-Read News.’”
• Format: “Start with an engaging intro, follow with bullet points for key updates, and end with a summary or thought-provoking question.”

These instructions ensure every draft aligns with your style without needing constant edits.

Step 4: Review and Refine

Once ChatGPT generates a draft, review and refine key sections:

• Does the tone match past editions? If not, ask ChatGPT to adjust.
• Are the news updates relevant and engaging? If not, refine with additional context.
• Is everything clear and concise? Use ChatGPT’s inline editing feature for quick tweaks.
• This iterative process ensures that the newsletter feels authentic and polished.

Step 5: Format and Publish

• Copy the final version into your email platform, CMS, or social media scheduler.
• Adjust headings, images, and links for readability.
• Test-send to yourself to check formatting.
• Publish with confidence: Your streamlined process means each edition is faster and better than the last.

By turning ChatGPT into your personal editorial assistant, you eliminate busywork and focus on creativity, making each newsletter edition better and faster to produce.

Let me know if you would like a more customized prompt to match your workflow!