Email Players 1 - 15: Ben Settle -

The Email Players newsletter is a monthly, physical, paper-based newsletter aimed at entrepreneurs who want to make more sales by emailing their list. Unlike modern digital "content marketing," Settle advocates for "Pro-Email" marketing—a methodology that focuses on high-frequency, entertaining, and highly persuasive daily emails.

: Combining valuable information with entertainment so that your "product plugs" feel like a natural part of the story. The "Villain" Persona

, a 150-page "field manual" that establishes the Settle system before the first issue arrives. Email Players or how to get the first issue for free Email Players Newsletter

You cannot serve everyone. In fact, you should actively try to repel the wrong people. Issue #2 details how to find your customer’s "enemy" (a bad habit, a rival guru, a government regulation, a limiting belief) and frame your product as the sword they use to kill it.

By structuring emails this way, you train your audience to open your messages because they want to read the story. The pitch becomes a natural, non-intrusive extension of the entertainment. Key Strategies from the Early Issues Ben Settle - Email Players 1 - 15

Instead, the early issues introduce the concept of "Infotainment"—a calculated blend of information and entertainment.

"The offer maker is someone who creates irresistible offers that grab attention," Ben explained. "Their emails are often short and to the point, and they use scarcity and urgency to drive sales. They're masters at creating a sense of FOMO (fear of missing out)."

Ben Settle's Email Players is a monthly, print-only newsletter focused on "edutainment" and direct-response copywriting techniques, often emphasizing daily, high-frequency emailing. Early issues and associated training materials cover topics such as crafting high-attention subject lines, building subscriber trust, and generating sales through storytelling rather than data-driven tactics. For more details, visit Email Players .

One of the most legendary metaphors from the "Email Players" early years is the concept of writing emails that feel like a "hearse pulled up to the door." This refers to writing sales copy that is so natural, engaging, and scenario-driven that your readers want to read it and ask to buy from you, rather than you forcing a sale. Issues #8 through #12 likely provided the foundational frameworks for making this happen. The Email Players newsletter is a monthly, physical,

Settle emphasizes position over persuasion. He instructs marketers to stop chasing, pleading, or apologizing to their email lists. Instead, issues 1 through 15 focus on establishing yourself as an authority figure—the "Benign Alpha"—whom subscribers respect, look up to, and willingly buy from. 4. The Daily Email Cadence

Drop the corporate jargon. Use short paragraphs, single-sentence lines, and casual slang to mimic a message from a friend.

But not just any emails. The "Email Players" newsletter—specifically the legendary first 15 issues—is the Rosetta Stone for understanding his contrarian, abrasive, and outrageously effective philosophy.

Funnels are for farmers. Email players don't herd sheep; they lead wolves. The "Villain" Persona , a 150-page "field manual"

Ben Settle - Email Players 1 - 15: The Definitive Guide to Early Email Mastery

These issues introduce Settle’s "villain" persona, which is not about being evil, but about standing out, polarizing the audience, and refusing to follow the crowd. Key Philosophy: The "Email Villain"

Settle breaks down how to sell products before the reader even clicks the link. By structuring the email narrative a certain way, you prime the reader's psychological state. When they finally click through to the sales page, they are already convinced of the problem and looking for the exact solution you are offering. 2. Dealing with List Fatigue and Backlash