Consistency & Confidence

Did I have a good writing routine before my newsletter? Hell no. I wrote when I had a deadline and freaked out the rest of the time. Yet, I haven’t missed a newsletter in 2 ½ years.
Having an audience to write for makes you want to write.
With that consistency, your skills grow, your confidence increases, and you’re ready to take on even bigger writing goals.

No Algorithms to Ruin Your Day

Twitter could explode any moment…even more than it already has. Social media platforms are inherently unstable, so all your followers can disappear with one billionaire tantrum. Email has no algorithms. Even if the Substack fad fades, email will stick around. Whether Zuck destroys Facebook in the metaverse or Musk makes Wingdings the default font, you’ll be able to stay in touch with your audience. A key to building a platform for your writing career.

Cash Possibilities

Newsletters are not an overnight cash cow. But having an audience that loves what you write leads to all kinds of possibilities. Whether you want to sell your books, grow your podcast, offer courses, move merch, or get new clients, a newsletter gives you a pool of people who want your work. My first workshop made $2000 from a list of 250. Since then I’ve made over $110,000 each year - every penny of that from my newsletter.

"Super productive...yet I didn't have a breakdown"

"I’ve taken so many writing classes but Amber had a way of telling me things that feel new. Yet the class was just super productive for me yet I didn’t have a complete breakdown. How did she do that?"

Julie Hoang

More words. Less Time.

"I wrote a piece in 2 sittings/ 2 drafts it would have normally taken me a week or more to assemble."

Emily Jockel

Like an IRL mentorship

"Even though this class was virtual, it had the feel of an IRL mentorship and for that I'm truly grateful."

Chealsia Smedley

Hello, I'm Amber Petty!

I’m Amber Petty and after being an actor for 13 years in New York, I got tired of waiting for auditions to play “girl who’s unpleasantly surprised by scale” in Weight Watchers commercials, moved to LA, and started freelance writing.

7 years later, I write full-time, have appeared in The New York Times, Thrillist, Greatist, Parade, IFC, MTV, Bustle, Syfy Wire, and Snooki’s blog (jealous?).

Plus, I've helped over 600 students start writing and get bylines.

I, too, started and bailed on two newsletters.
It seemed overwhelming, I had 20 people reading on a good day, and felt like I was annoying everyone.
So, I went back to hiding in comfy blankets and thinking "why does that weirdo have a popular newsletter, while no one cares about me?"
Thankfully, my pissy attitude ceased and I found a topic I could write a lot about, that was very helpful to people, and I wound up with 2000 subscribers in a year (with under $500 in ads).
In year 2 1/2, I'm up to 8500 subscribers, have very high open rates (53%), and I've sent 1 million emails.
Literally. 1 million!

Through this consistency, I've found greater confidence in my business, my writing, and even my dumbest ideas.
I mean, I wrote a book of short stories about Cats, simply because I knew someone in my growing audience would be interested (also, I just really wanted to write things about Cats, the terrible show fascinates me).
Having an audience to show up for helps your writing immensely. Not only do you get more practice, you get to explore your own voice, and share your ideas without waiting around for a gatekeeper's approval.
Plus, hearing "you're great," "I love getting your emails," and "I just bought your thing!" feels pretty good.

"Amber changed my freakin’ life"

…and I’m not a person who says that sort of thing lightly. I am a cynical old bag who believes in nothing. I believe in Amber. Whatever magic Amber has in her writing exercises and dulcet voice nudged me toward putting pen to paper (finger-nubs to keyboard?) until I was actually getting published in a bunch of online magazines, which eventually led to my nabbing of a full-time writing gig (a gig I ALSO found through her). Amber is the only semi-precious rock I believe in!”

Joan Kubicek

"Alleviated any anxiety"

Perfectionism has stopped me from finishing tons of creative projects. Amber helped me start a piece I’d been thinking about starting for months. I loved the exercises and having the support of the group. Amber’s kind, down to earth approach alleviated any anxiety I felt about producing work.

Elizabeth Reynolds

"From feeling apprehensive about sharing my work to taking it in my stride"

Amber with her endless patience and kindness always went above and beyond to create a supportive and inspiring environment. She's full of helpful advice and tips and I went from feeling apprehensive about sharing my work to taking it in my stride thanks to her encouraging feedback. I found the slack group very helpful, particularly having a community of people and sharing experiences. The zoom calls were also very useful for accountability and working through different struggles.

Emily Collins