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Newsletter Owner Quick Start

Get your newsletter set up on adly.news and start accepting advertisers in just a few minutes. This guide walks you through the essential steps to start monetizing your newsletter.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, make sure you have:

  • A newsletter on a supported platform (Beehiiv, Kit, Mailchimp, The Newsletter Plugin, or GetResponse)

  • Access to your platform's API key or OAuth credentials

  • A Stripe account (or be ready to create one for payouts)

Step 1: Sign Up

  1. Go to adly.news

  2. Click Sign In and select the newsletter owner option

  3. Choose your sign-in method:

    • Google — Sign in with your Google account

    • Microsoft — Sign in with your Microsoft account

    • Email — Enter your email to receive a magic link

  4. Complete the authentication to access your dashboard

Step 2: Connect Your Newsletter

Once signed in, you'll need to connect your newsletter:

  1. Navigate to Newsletters in the sidebar

  2. Click Add Newsletter

  3. Select your newsletter platform

  4. Enter your API credentials:

    • Beehiiv: API Key

    • Kit: API Key

    • Mailchimp: Click to connect via OAuth

    • The Newsletter Plugin: Base URL, Client Key, and Client Secret

    • GetResponse: API Key

  5. If your platform has multiple publications, select which one to connect

  6. Fill in your newsletter details:

    • Logo

    • Description

    • Audience description

    • Website

    • Location

    • Target business types

  7. Click Connect Newsletter

Your newsletter will sync automatically, pulling in subscriber count and engagement metrics.

Tip: Keep your newsletter profile complete and compelling — it's what businesses see when deciding whether to advertise with you.

Step 3: Create Your First Ad Slot

Now create an advertising opportunity:

  1. Navigate to Ad Slots in the sidebar

  2. Click Create Ad Slot

  3. Fill in the ad slot details:

    • Name: A descriptive name (e.g., "Primary Sponsor Spot")

    • Description: What the advertiser gets

    • Format: Select the ad type

    • Price: Set your rate per placement

    • Minimum Bid: (Optional) Lowest bid you'll accept

  4. Configure specifications:

    • Image specs: Dimensions and file requirements

    • Copy specs: Character limits

    • CTA specs: Button text and URL requirements

  5. Set Publishing Days: Which days you publish

  6. Click Create Ad Slot

Your ad slot is now live and visible to businesses!

Step 4: Set Up Payments

To receive payouts, connect your Stripe account:

  1. Navigate to Payments in the sidebar

  2. Click Connect with Stripe

  3. Follow Stripe's onboarding process:

    • Enter your business/personal information

    • Add your bank account details

    • Verify your identity

  4. Once complete, you'll return to adly.news

Note: Stripe Connect is required to receive any payouts. Complete this step before your first booking to avoid delays.

In addition to direct sponsorships, you can earn commission on sales you drive through affiliate links — no applications, no waiting. This is a great way to fill gaps between paid bookings:

  1. Navigate to Affiliate Links in the sidebar

  2. Click New Link

  3. Browse the advertiser library — every brand shows its commission rate, category, and EPC

  4. Pick an advertiser, then pick an asset (banner image or text link)

  5. We instantly generate a trackable share URL (e.g. https://adly.news/a/aB3xK9pQrLmN)

  6. Copy the share URL or banner embed HTML and drop it into your newsletter

Click counts and attributed commissions show up automatically on the Affiliate Links page.

Tip: Affiliate commissions take 30-60 days to clear (advertisers wait for return windows to close before paying out), so don't rely on them for cash-flow-sensitive months. They're a great supplement to direct sponsorships.

See Affiliate Links for the full guide.

Step 6: Explore Cross-Promotions (Optional)

You can also grow your audience — or earn money — by cross-promoting with other newsletters:

  1. Navigate to Cross-Promo in the sidebar

  2. Browse cross-promotion campaigns from other newsletters looking for partners

  3. Apply to campaigns that match your audience

  4. If approved, you'll receive a tracking link to feature in your newsletter

  5. Earn a per-subscriber rate for every verified new subscriber you drive

You can also create your own cross-promotion campaign to find newsletters that will promote you to their readers.

See Cross-Promotions for the full guide.

Step 7: Preview Your Public Page

Every newsletter has a public profile page where businesses can view your ad slots:

  1. Go to Ad Slots

  2. Click Preview on any ad slot

  3. This opens your public newsletter page

Share this link with potential advertisers or include it in your newsletter's media kit.

What Happens Next

With your newsletter connected and ad slots created, you're ready to receive advertisers:

When a Business Submits a Booking Request

  1. You'll receive a notification

  2. The request appears in Ad Slots → Bids tab with a "Booking Request" badge

  3. Review the request and choose to:

    • Accept — Business has 48 hours to complete booking

    • Decline — Decline with an optional message explaining why

  4. If accepted and booked, follows standard booking flow

When a Business Makes an Offer

  1. You'll receive a notification

  2. The offer appears in Ad Slots → Bids tab

  3. Review the offer and choose to:

    • Accept — Business has 48 hours to complete booking

    • Counter-offer — Propose a different price

    • Decline — Decline with an optional message

  4. If accepted and booked, follows standard booking flow

Tips for Success

Optimize Your Profile

  • Use a professional logo

  • Write a compelling description

  • Include subscriber count and engagement metrics

  • Describe your audience demographics

Price Strategically

  • Research what similar newsletters charge

  • Consider offering a lower minimum bid for flexibility

  • Adjust pricing based on demand

Stay Responsive

  • Respond to booking requests and offers promptly

  • Check messages regularly

  • Publish ads on their scheduled dates

Build Trust

  • Deliver on your promises

  • Communicate proactively with advertisers

  • Ask satisfied advertisers for repeat bookings

Quick Reference

Task
Location

View your newsletters

Newsletters

Create/edit ad slots

Ad Slots

Review incoming bids

Ad Slots → Bids tab

Manage bookings

Bookings

View schedule

Bookings → Calendar tab

Browse campaigns

Campaigns

Track your applications

Campaigns → My Applications tab

Cross-promote newsletters

Cross-Promo

Generate affiliate links

Affiliate Links

View commissions

Affiliate Links → Commissions

Message advertisers

Messages

Withdraw earnings

Payments

Notification preferences

Notifications → Preferences tab

Need Help?


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