Ben Settle - Email Players 1 - 15 May 2026

Here is the definitive breakdown of why issues 1-15 are considered cult classics, what is inside them, and how they can destroy every polite, boring marketing rule you’ve been fed. Before dissecting the first 15 issues, you need to understand the man.

Social media platforms are rented land. You are a serf. Issue #15 provides a 30-day plan to migrate your audience from Twitter (X), Facebook, and LinkedIn to your email list. Ben Settle - Email Players 1 - 15

What you refuse to do defines your brand. Settle lists his "Nos": No phone calls, no meetings, no refunds (on digital products), no speaking gigs, no coaching. Here is the definitive breakdown of why issues

Hell yes, if you want to. He argues that neutrality is a lie. By trying not to offend anyone, you excite no one. He details how to use controversial topics (pro-gun, pro-choice, left, right—doesn't matter) as a "filter" to find your tribe. He warns: Do not do this unless you have thick skin. Issue #13: The Swipe File Issue Issue #13 is a goldmine. He literally gives you 20 of his highest-converting subject lines and opening lines from the previous year. He annotates why each one worked (e.g., "This worked because it shamed the lazy people" or "This worked because it rewarded the paranoid"). Issue #14: Killing the "Launch" The marketing world loves "product launches" with webinars, countdown timers, and scarcity carts. Settle hates them. You are a serf

Write down 10 things you will no longer do for clients/customers. Post it publicly. Then, double your prices. Conclusion: Is It Worth Hunting Down? If you are a business owner, copywriter, or freelancer who is tired of playing the "like and share" game, Ben Settle's Email Players issues 1-15 are required reading. They are not a gentle introduction. They are a shock to the system.

Launches create feast/famine cycles. Instead of a launch, just send a "Now Available" email. If your daily emails have built desire, you don't need a 5-day video series. You send one email saying, "It’s out. Grab it here." And it sells.

He details how he replaced a $25,000 launch with a single email that did $18,000 in 6 hours. The final issue in this collection is a blueprint for quitting social media forever.