Weekly Roundup Email

Write A Weekly Roundup Email

Write a curated weekly roundup email that packages the best links, insights, or resources from your week into a scannable, valuable email — with your unique take on each item.

Why This Works

Roundup emails are one of the highest-value, lowest-effort email formats. They work because: (1) curation is a skill — your subscribers are busy and trust you to filter the noise, (2) they're scannable — readers can consume them in 2 minutes or save items for later, (3) they build a habit — subscribers learn to expect and look forward to your weekly digest, and (4) they position you as someone who's always learning and sharing. The key that separates great roundup emails from boring link dumps: your commentary. Every item needs YOUR angle, not just a description.

How to Use This Skill

When triggered, ask the user for:

To write your roundup email, I need:

1. What are you rounding up? — Paste links, resources, lessons, tools, tweets, content, or ideas you want to include (minimum 3, ideally 5-7 items)
2. Roundup format — What style do you want?
   • Link roundup — Best articles/content you consumed this week
   • Lesson roundup — Top things you learned or observed this week
   • Tool roundup — Apps, tools, or resources you discovered
   • Content roundup — Your own content from the week, repackaged
   • Hybrid — Mix of the above
3. Your audience — Who reads your newsletter?
4. Your newsletter voice — Casual, professional, witty, motivational?
5. Any recurring section? — Do you have a signature section? (Quote of the week, tool of the week, ask of the week, etc.)

Process

Step 1: Organize the Items

Group and sequence the roundup items for maximum flow:

• Lead with the most interesting/valuable item
• Alternate between formats (link, lesson, tool) to keep it dynamic
• End with something actionable or forward-looking

Step 2: Write the Intro (2-3 sentences)

The intro should:

• Set the tone for the week ("Big week." / "Quiet week but I found gold." / "This one thing changed everything.")
• Give a quick preview of what's inside
• Be conversational — like catching up with a friend

Step 3: Write Each Roundup Item

For each item, follow this format:

[Emoji] [Item Title or One-Line Hook] [2-3 sentences of YOUR commentary — why it matters, what you took from it, how it connects to your audience's world. Never just describe what it is. Add your angle.] [Link if applicable]

The commentary is what makes this YOUR newsletter, not a generic RSS feed.

Step 4: Write the Outro + CTA

Options for closing:

• Ask a question to drive replies ("What was your biggest win this week?")
• Tease next week's content
• Soft bridge to your paid offer
• Share a personal note or reflection

Step 5: Subject Line + Preview Text

Generate 3 subject line options:

• One curiosity-driven
• One value-driven
• One casual/personal

Output Format

Subject line options:

1. [Option 1]
2. [Option 2]
3. [Option 3]

Preview text: [Complementary preview text]

[Full roundup email — intro, curated items with commentary, outro with CTA, 400-600 words total]

Quality Criteria

The roundup email must:

• Add YOUR voice to every item — Commentary, not just descriptions
• Be scannable — Readers should be able to skim in 2 minutes
• Include 5-7 items — Enough value, not overwhelming
• Have a consistent format — Each item follows the same structure
• Feel curated, not random — Items should connect to a theme or your niche
• Include a clear CTA — Reply prompt, link, or bridge to offer
• Read like a person wrote it — Not a content aggregator

What good looks like

A great roundup email reads like a person wrote it, not a content aggregator — every item carries YOUR commentary and angle, never just a description. It's scannable in 2 minutes, holds to 5-7 items so there's enough value without overwhelming, and each item follows a consistent format. The items feel curated rather than random, connecting to a theme or your niche, and the email closes with a clear CTA — a reply prompt, a link, or a bridge to your offer.