What you'll have
A weekly email with a clear promise (for example, "the AI tools for real-estate agents that changed this week"), a web archive that can rank in search, and a signup page.
Who pays for it: Readers pay nothing at first. Money comes from sponsors, a paid tier or your own products once you have an audience.
The stack and what it costs
| Tool | Month 1 | Ongoing (per month) | Notes and source |
|---|---|---|---|
| beehiiv Newsletter platform | Launch (free, up to 2,500 subscribers) $0 | Launch $0 | Pricing page, read 17 October 2026 |
| Claude Research and drafts | Free $0 | Free or Pro $20 | Pricing page, read 17 October 2026 |
| Total | $0 | $20/mo Estimate | Sum of the rows. Excludes tax, per-sale fees and anything marked "–" (not verified or usage-based). |
Plan prices are list prices in USD from each tool's pricing page; plan choices for month 1 and ongoing are our estimate for one person doing this part time.
Step by step
4 of 5 steps are checked against official docs, 1 is our advice. Menu names are quoted from the linked docs as of the date shown; apps change, so follow the doc if what you see differs.
Create and verify your beehiiv account
Sign up and verify the account before you publish.
Source: beehiiv Help: Create and verify your account, read 20 October 2026
Draft with AI, then rewrite
Use the assistant for summaries and outlines, check every claim against its source, and add your own take. Readers subscribe for your judgment, not the summary.
Our advice. No specific menus involved.
Build the post
beehiiv's post flow has five tabs: Compose, Audience, Email, Web and Review. Write in Compose and use Next to move through the rest.
Source: beehiiv Help: How to create and publish a post, read 20 October 2026
Set audience, subject and preview text
Choose email and/or web on the Audience tab and fill in the subject line and preview text. beehiiv won't publish without at least one audience and a subject.
Source: beehiiv Help: How to create and publish a post, read 20 October 2026
Preview, test, then publish or schedule
Check the email and mobile previews, send yourself a test, then publish now or schedule from Review.
Source: beehiiv Help: How to create and publish a post, read 20 October 2026
Common mistakes
- Sending unedited AI summaries. They give readers no reason to stay.
- Launching a paid tier at 50 subscribers. Build trust and a steady schedule first.
- No signup box where you already have attention.
Rights and terms check
ChatGPT's and Claude's terms assign output to you, but you're responsible for accuracy and proper quoting. Label sponsored content.
A summary of public terms, not legal advice. Commercial-rights matrix
Alternatives and when to pick them
| Tool | When to choose it | Free plan | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Substack | Pick it if you want $0 upfront and accept a 10% cut of paid subscriptions. | Yes | $0 · then 10% of revenue + Stripe fees |
| Kit | Pick it if you sell digital products and need automations; free up to 10,000 subscribers. | Yes | $0 · then from $39/mo |
Prices for tools without an in-depth profile aren't verified by us; we show the pricing model only.
Still choosing? What's the best newsletter platforms tool? · All newsletter platforms tools compared
How to get your first customer
- Send the first 3 issues personally to 20 people in the niche and ask for blunt feedback.
- Swap recommendations with a newsletter of similar size.
- Post one useful insight per issue where your readers already gather.
Our suggestions, not guarantees. Earnings vary.
FAQ
Which platform is cheapest?
Below about $490/month in paid revenue, Substack's 10% costs less than beehiiv's paid plan; beehiiv's free Launch plan covers up to 2,500 subscribers. See the comparison.
Can a newsletter run itself?
Not well. AI saves research and drafting time; editing and judgment are what readers stay for.
Sources
- beehiiv Help: Create and verify your account (read 20 October 2026)
- beehiiv Help: How to create and publish a post (read 20 October 2026)
- beehiiv pricing (read 17 October 2026)
- Claude pricing (read 17 October 2026)
Steps checked 20 October 2026; prices checked 17 October 2026. Corrections: hello@agenthustles.com.