Newsletter Curation
Create and curate high-quality newsletters via inference.sh CLI.
Quick Start
curl -fsSL https://cli.inference.sh | sh && infsh login
Find content to curate
infsh app run tavily/search-assistant --input '{ "query": "most important AI developments this week 2024" }'
Generate newsletter header
infsh app run infsh/html-to-image --input '{ "html": "<div style="width:600px;height:200px;background:linear-gradient(135deg,#1e293b,#334155);display:flex;align-items:center;padding:40px;font-family:system-ui;color:white"><div><h1 style="font-size:32px;margin:0;font-weight:800">The Weekly Signal</h1><p style="font-size:16px;opacity:0.7;margin-top:8px">Issue #47 — January 15, 2025</p></div></div>" }'
Newsletter Formats
- Link Roundup
5-15 curated links with 1-3 sentence commentary per link.
This Week's Top Picks
Article Title
One to three sentences explaining why this matters and what the reader will get from it. Add your take — don't just describe.
Article Title
Your commentary here. The value is your curation and perspective, not just the link.
- Deep Dive + Links
One in-depth analysis (300-500 words) + 5-8 curated links.
The Big Story
[300-500 word analysis of the week's most important topic]
Also Worth Reading
- Original Essay
One focused piece (500-1,000 words) with a clear thesis.
[Essay Title]
[Your original analysis, opinion, or insight]
What I'm Reading
- Q&A / Interview
Feature conversation with an expert or practitioner.
- Data/Trends
Numbers, charts, and analysis of trends in your space.
Issue Structure
The Template
[Newsletter Name] — Issue #[N]
👋 Hello
[2-3 sentences of personal intro — what's on your mind, what this issue covers, why it matters right now]
🔥 The Big Story
[Featured content — your deepest analysis or most important curated piece with commentary]
📚 Worth Reading
Title 1
[2-3 sentence commentary with your take]
Title 2
[2-3 sentence commentary]
Title 3
[2-3 sentence commentary]
💡 Quick Hits
📊 Stat of the Week
[One compelling data point with context]
💬 From the Community
[Reader reply, question, or discussion point]
That's it for this week. If you found this useful, forward it to a colleague who'd enjoy it.
[Your name]
Content Sourcing
Where to Find Content
Industry news
infsh app run tavily/search-assistant --input '{ "query": "[your niche] news this week latest developments" }'
Research and data
infsh app run exa/search --input '{ "query": "[your niche] research report statistics 2024" }'
Trending discussions
infsh app run tavily/search-assistant --input '{ "query": "site:reddit.com [your niche] discussion this week" }'
Academic/deep content
infsh app run exa/search --input '{ "query": "[your niche] analysis deep dive opinion" }'
Source Categories
Source Type Examples Best For
News TechCrunch, The Verge, industry press Breaking developments
Research Papers, reports, surveys Data-backed insights
Blogs Engineering blogs, personal blogs Practitioner perspectives
Social Twitter threads, LinkedIn posts Hot takes, discussions
Tools Product launches, updates Practical recommendations
Community Reddit, HN, forums Ground-level sentiment
Curation Quality Filter
For each piece of content, ask:
Question If No →
Would I send this to a colleague 1-on-1? Don't include
Does it teach something actionable? Consider skipping
Is the source credible? Find better source
Is it timely/relevant this week? Save for later or skip
Can I add commentary that adds value? Just linking isn't enough
Writing Commentary
What Makes Good Commentary
❌ Just describing: "This article talks about React Server Components." ❌ Restating the headline: "React Server Components are here."
✅ Adding context: "React Server Components shipped last week, and this is the first production teardown I've seen. Key insight: they reduced initial JS bundle by 60%, but added complexity to the build pipeline."
✅ Giving your take: "I'm skeptical about the migration path here. Most teams I've talked to are waiting for better tooling."
✅ Connecting dots: "This pairs well with Vercel's announcement last month — the ecosystem is clearly converging on this pattern."
Commentary Formula
[What happened] + [Why it matters to the reader] + [Your take or prediction]
Sending Cadence
Frequency Best For Open Rate Impact
Weekly Most newsletters Highest — predictable, not overwhelming
Bi-weekly Deep analysis, essays Good if content is substantial
Daily News-focused, short format Requires dedicated habit, risky
Monthly Research roundups OK for depth, risks being forgotten
Weekly is the sweet spot. Same day, same time, every week. Consistency builds habit.
Day Performance
Tuesday Highest open rates
Thursday Second highest
Wednesday Third
Monday Lower (inbox overload)
Friday Lower (weekend mode)
Weekend Lowest (but some niches thrive)
Subject Lines
Formula Example
Issue number + teaser "#47: The framework nobody's talking about"
Number + topic "5 tools that changed my workflow this month"
Question "Is TypeScript dying?"
This week + category "This week in AI: GPT-5 rumors, open source wins"
Direct value "The SQL optimization guide I wish I had earlier"
Keep under 50 characters. Mobile truncates at ~35.
Growth Strategies
Strategy Implementation
Cross-promotion Partner with complementary newsletters
Social distribution Post key insights on Twitter/LinkedIn with subscribe CTA
Referral program "Forward to 3 friends" or formal referral rewards
SEO archive Publish newsletter archive as blog posts
Lead magnet "Subscribe and get [free resource]"
Consistent quality The best growth strategy: be worth reading
Create social teaser for newsletter
infsh app run x/post-create --input '{ "text": "This week in The Weekly Signal:\n\n→ Why edge computing is eating the backend\n→ The database migration nobody talks about\n→ 5 tools I discovered this month\n\nJoin 2,000+ engineers: [link]\n\nIssue #47 drops tomorrow morning." }'
Metrics That Matter
Metric Good Great Action If Low
Open rate 30-40% 40%+ Improve subject lines
Click rate 3-5% 5%+ Better content curation, stronger CTAs
Unsubscribe rate < 0.5% per issue < 0.2% Check content quality, frequency
Reply rate Any replies Regular replies Ask questions, invite conversation
Forward rate Any forwards — Make content share-worthy
Growth rate 5-10% monthly 10%+ Increase distribution, referral program
Common Mistakes
Mistake Problem Fix
No consistent schedule Readers forget about you Same day, same time, every week
Links without commentary You're a bookmark, not a newsletter Add your take on every piece
Too many links (15+) Overwhelming, nothing stands out 5-10 curated picks max
Generic subject lines Low open rates Tease the best content, keep under 50 chars
No personal voice Reads like an RSS feed Intro paragraph, opinions, personality
Only promotional content Readers unsubscribe 90% value, 10% promotion max
Inconsistent quality Trust erodes Skip an issue rather than send a weak one
No CTA for engagement One-way broadcast Ask questions, invite replies, encourage forwards
No archive/SEO Missing growth channel Publish issues as web pages
Related Skills
npx skills add inferencesh/skills@email-design npx skills add inferencesh/skills@content-repurposing npx skills add inferencesh/skills@seo-content-brief
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