Now that we’ve got some feeds of information coming in from our curation we can begin to make content.

The simplest curation tactic we can use is to rewrite existing content, repurposed for a newsletter.

Here’s a prompt:

Act as a newsletter writer and editor

I will provide you with the text of a post

Convert the post into a short newsletter section

Focus on the main points, removing extraneous details. Condense to 200 words maximum. 

Provide a section title

Start with a hook like a question or bold statement. Make each sentence want the reader to move to the next sentence. 

Ignore quotes. 

Use bullet points when possible

No long paragraphs - use single sentence paragraphs.

Use a [tone] tone of voice.

##Post begins## 
[Copy/paste post here]
##Post ends##

This prompt will take an existing article and rewrite it in a format more suitable for a newsletter.

Simply copy/paste the source article you want to use into the prompt at the bottom.

I’ve also added a tone of voice parameter you can use to modify the output. Try serious, professional, cheeky, funny, rude etc. Or a combination!

One tip here is to take a sample of your own writing, paste it into ChatGPT and ask “How would you describe the tone of voice in this article?”

Here’s how ChatGPT describes my writing:

So if I wanted to match my tone of voice I’d add “informative, encouraging, conversational, insightful, enthusiastic” tone of voice.

The output will be a short, rewritten version of the original article that you can use in your newsletter. I’d recommend leaving a Read More link to the original piece - remember you are curating here!

Prompt Output

Based on original article from BBC News.

The output will be a short, rewritten version of the original article that you can use in your newsletter.

I’d recommend leaving a Read More link to the original piece - remember you are curating here!

This curated piece therefore acts to paraphrase the article for your reader, give them the most important points and then - if they are interested- show them where they can find out more.

A pro tip here (and a way to add value to your readers) is to provide articles without paywalls.

This is a cheeky but great way to add value for readers who don’t know how to remove a paywall.

My preference is https://12ft.io/

Simply put a paywalled article in there and 12 Foot will provide you an un-gated link. Share that un-gated link with your readers for an instant value-add.