Newsletter
The short answer: Newsletter reports on Chris Koerner's show run from about $1,200 a month for one part-time newsletter to $12,000–$15,000 a month for a local one. The main newsletter catch is the wait for income: Ryan Gilbert ran 117 editions of Workspaces before taking a sponsor. (Chris Koerner) A newsletter can suit someone holding a job, since one Chris Koerner caller runs a local one on the side of a main job. (Chris Koerner)
| Reported startup cost | $0–$10,000 2 reports by 2 creators, Nov 2023–Jul 2025 |
|---|---|
| One creator's reported part-time earnings | $1,200–$15,000/month 2 reports by Chris Koerner, Oct 2023–Sep 2025 |
From 14 quotes by 2 creators. A creator figure is one person's account.
Go deeper: every source on newsletter
How much do newsletter owners make?
Newsletter income reached $2k a month for Ryan's Workspaces before acquisition, and beehiiv co-founder Tyler Denk says a weekly 120k-subscriber side-project newsletter has generated about $500k in revenue. Sponsors move the number: a blurb asking for sponsors brought Ryan most deals, mainly from readers. (Chris Koerner)
Chris puts ad pricing at $20 to $100 CPM. (Chris Koerner)
What do people doing newsletter say?
“His newsletter generates approximately $1200 in monthly recurring revenue”
“Yeah, today it's about you can range from 12 to 15,000 currently.”
“Step three is to use a newsletter tool that is free, and three of the most popular newsletter tools are Beehive, Substack, and Kit which is formally convert Kit. They're all free to start, pick one and create an account.”
“Investing 10 grand. He kick started the newsletter, spending a fraction of it on essential tools.”
How much does it cost to start a newsletter?
A newsletter can start free on Beehiiv, Substack or Kit, according to the Legit Side Hustles Podcast. Substack takes 10% of everything, Chris said, while Beehive takes nothing. (Legit Side Hustles Podcast; Chris Koerner)
Reported running costs range from $0 for Ryan to around $200 a month for a part-time newsletter. (Chris Koerner)
- Pick a topic you know. (Legit Side Hustles Podcast)
- Sign up for a free newsletter tool.
- Share the signup link everywhere.
- Send a short first email.
How often do you have to send a newsletter?
A newsletter's workload grows with cadence: one operator on Chris's show started once a week, switched to three times a week and now sends five times a week. Ryan published Workspaces twice a week. (Chris Koerner)
Chris explains starting with a weekly cadence. (Chris Koerner)
Not enough evidence yet: No source we track says how long the first payout takes or how many hours it needs yet.
Who is a newsletter side hustle a good fit for?
A newsletter suits someone willing to sell to readers, since one of Ryan's lessons was to sell to your audience first. Chris lives in the Dallas Fort Worth area but wants to start a local newsletter anywhere. (Chris Koerner)
Anyone unwilling to keep publishing should skip a newsletter, since Ryan's lessons include staying consistent.
Which platforms do people use for newsletter?
Is a newsletter worth it?
Pros
- One operator on Chris's show made a newsletter a full-time job. (Chris Koerner)
- Growth can come through beehiiv's recommendation network and paid Boost offers, per Tyler. (Chris Koerner)
Cons
- Chris got about 11 subscribers at roughly $1.15 per lead for a Roswell newsletter. (Chris Koerner)
- One newsletter operator on Chris's show finds working from home noisy, with kids being homeschooled. (Chris Koerner)
What are the risks of running a newsletter?
Newsletter start-up accounts conflict: one solo operator on Chris's show invested 10 grand, against the free tools the Legit Side Hustles Podcast describes. A sponsored video on Chris's channel claims $200,000 a year in revenue at 35,000 subscribers while promoting Beehiiv with a discount code. (Chris Koerner)
What are the alternatives to newsletter?
- Selling digital products as a side hustle: Also from home; often covered together (9 shared videos).
- Freelance Writing side hustle: Also from home; often covered together (3 shared videos).
- Content Creator: Often covered together (7 shared videos).
- Brand Deals & UGC: Also from home.
- Live selling side hustle: Also can go full-time, from home.
- Self Publishing: Often covered together (1 shared video).
Part of: Digital products and content side hustles · From home side hustles
What else do people ask about running a newsletter?
Can a local newsletter promote your own business?
One Winnipeg operator promoted a Christmas lights company to homeowners on the list. (Chris Koerner)
How do newsletters make money beyond sponsors?
Tyler lists the ad network, paid subscriptions, consulting and in-person masterminds. (Chris Koerner)
Sources and method
Quotes are verbatim and linked to the moment they were said. A figure from one report is not confirmed by a second source. BLS figures describe employees in the closest related occupation. Every quote, the pay in each state and the full source list are on the every source on newsletter.
- Chris Koerner, podcast, 31 Oct 2023.
- Chris Koerner, podcast, 28 Oct 2023.
- Chris Koerner, podcast, 8 Jul 2024.
- Chris Koerner, YouTube, 5 Dec 2025.
- Legit Side Hustles Podcast, podcast, 14 Jul 2025.
- Chris Koerner, YouTube, 27 Sep 2026.
- Chris Koerner, podcast, 26 Mar 2024.
- Chris Koerner, YouTube, 24 Feb 2026.
- Chris Koerner, podcast, 25 Oct 2023.
- Chris Koerner, podcast, 29 Nov 2023.
- Chris Koerner, YouTube, 16 Mar 2026.
- Chris Koerner, YouTube, 25 Mar 2024.
- Chris Koerner, podcast, 13 Feb 2026.
- Chris Koerner, podcast, 26 Jan 2026.
Other data behind this page (6)
| Fact | Value | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full-time or part-time | full time capable | Accepted | Chris Koerner |
| Fit by life phase (employed_moonlighter) | 0.60 score 0–1 | Accepted | Chris Koerner |
| Platform fee (substack) | 10% | Accepted | Chris Koerner |
| Work mode | remote | Accepted | Chris Koerner |
| Ongoing cost | $200/month | One report | Chris Koerner |
| Ongoing cost | $0/month | One report | Chris Koerner |