You don't need to be a cult follower of Ben Settle to use this framework. Here is a practical 3-step action plan inspired by the "1 15 New" concept:
Ben Settle's Email Players is an offline, print newsletter focused on direct response email marketing and copywriting. The first 15 issues (approximately the first year and a quarter of publication) established the "Settle-esque" style of edutainment, which combines teaching with high-impact personality. Core Philosophy of Early Issues
The initial issues focused on shifting away from "nice guy" marketing toward becoming an "Email Villain"—someone who breaks the established order to build authority and leadership.
List Building: Early content covers "siphoning" leads from platforms like Facebook and Google without paid ads and using privacy policies to increase opt-ins.
The "Settle Way": Shifting the heavy lifting from the sales page to the emails themselves, often seeing higher conversion rates from the list than from the initial landing page.
Daily Consistency: Teaching the importance of writing and sending emails daily to build a deep bond with the audience. Key Content & Strategies (Issues 1–15)
Based on the foundational teachings in the Email Players Playbook (which accompanies these issues), the content includes: Key Concept Copywriting
Applying the 80/20 rule—where 20% of your copy drives 80% of your results. Strategy
World-Building: Creating an "irresistible business universe" that customers hate to leave. Sales
Using emails as "brilliant content" so that sales copy becomes incapable of being ignored. Efficiency
The "6-Figure Slacker" mindset: reducing work hours while maximizing revenue through direct response. How to Access Back Issues What is the 80/20 Rule in Copywriting?
The Email Players 1–15 New collection represents the foundation of Ben Settle's provocative "Settle-style" email marketing philosophy. This series of monthly physical newsletters, widely regarded as a masterclass in direct-response copywriting, moves away from traditional "value-added" marketing to focus on building deep authority and high-converting relationships through daily entertainment and direct selling. Core Philosophy: The "Settle Way" of Email
Unlike typical marketing advice that suggests sending occasional emails to avoid "bothering" subscribers, Ben Settle advocates for daily frequency. The first 15 issues of Email Players lay the groundwork for this strategy, focusing on:
Infotainment: Combining education with entertainment to ensure subscribers enjoy being sold to.
Authority Building: Establishing a unique voice that makes you a "welcome guest" in an inbox rather than a "persistent pest".
Psychological Marketing: Moving beyond metrics to focus on "Sociological Marketing"—understanding the customer's world instead of just their data. Key Content Highlights from Issues 1–15 ben settle email players 1 15 new
Each issue in this series includes actionable techniques for both veteran copywriters and business owners who struggle with writing. Ben Settle Email Players 1 15 New
Understanding Ben Settle’s "Email Players" (Issues 1–15) Ben Settle’s Email Players
is a high-ticket, offline (print and ink) monthly newsletter that serves as an advanced curriculum for direct-response email marketing and copywriting. While the specific "1 15 new" issues typically refer to the foundational "Email Players" back-catalog or specialized compilations, Settle’s system is built on the philosophy of "edutainment"—sending daily emails that combine entertainment with a soft or hard sales pitch. Core Philosophy: The "Seinfeld" Method
Settle is often referred to as the "Seinfeld of Email" because he advocates writing emails "about nothing" that still generate sales. Daily Frequency
: He encourages mailing your list every single day (sometimes multiple times per day) to stay top-of-mind and build a "hyper-responsive" audience. Anti-Educational Content
: Unlike most gurus who preach "teaching" in every email, Settle argues that 90%+ of your emails should be a blend of storytelling and selling. Pure teaching often bores the market; instead, you should use content that people Key Strategies in Early Issues
Foundational issues (like 1–15) often cover the "Settle Way" of list management and copy: The "Playbook" : New subscribers typically receive the Email Players Playbook
, a field manual derived from his retired "Street Smart Email" system. Building a Responsive List
: Strategies focus on list-building methods like "List Swell," which uses "meat and potatoes" techniques to attract buyers rather than freebie-seekers. Engagement Through Conflict
: Settle frequently uses polarizing copy to filter his list—attracting "loyal new customers" while intentionally repelling "do-nothings". Multi-Media Integration
: Early and specialized issues discuss using podcasts and even "old school" press releases to drive traffic to opt-in pages. What’s Inside the Newsletter? Every issue is a physical, 15+ page training that includes:
Storytelling Ain’t The Only Way To Write Emails - Ben Settle
This content is designed to be a "Newsletter Issue" or a deep-dive email sequence based on the core principles Ben teaches in those early editions.
Title: The "Aggressive List Building" Issue Subject Lines:
Until next time, Keep sending, [Your Name] You don't need to be a cult follower
When someone subscribes, what happens?
If the answer is "they get a free PDF and then silence," you are losing money.
The first 5-7 days are critical. This is the "Honeymoon Phase." They just fell in love with your idea. You need to solidify that relationship immediately.
The Protocol:
Here’s where it gets interesting. Ben doesn’t write “join now to claim your spot.” He’d likely write something closer to:
“Players 1–15 are already in. They’ve got the blueprint. The rest of you? You can either watch them win, or you can email me why you should be Player 1 in the NEXT round. Spoiler: Most of you won’t. And that’s fine. More for them.”
That’s not a call to action. That’s a challenge wrapped in an insult. And it works because his audience self-selects for people who respond to being told they can’t do something.
If you are even remotely connected to the world of copywriting, email marketing, or direct response, you have likely heard the name Ben Settle. For nearly two decades, Settle has been the abrasive, no-BS herald of “emailing like a human being.” But recently, a specific string of keywords has been buzzing through forums, ClickBank groups, and copywriting Slack channels: "Ben Settle email players 1 15 new."
What does it mean? Is it a new product? A secret newsletter issue? Or a specific sequence of 15 emails designed to turn "players" into buyers?
After digging through the archives, analyzing Settle’s recent “Email Players” newsletter issues, and reconstructing the context, this article unpacks exactly what the "1 15 New" framework is—and how you can use it to stop sounding like a robot and start sounding like a million bucks.
In the "old" days (pre-2024), you could spam, trick opens, and write long, winding stories. The "Ben Settle Email Players 1 15 New" framework is a response to the new reality:
Here is an example of how to write an email that builds the relationship rather than just asking for a sale.
Subject: The "evil" guru down the street
I saw something disturbing yesterday.
I was walking my dog, gnashing my teeth about a copy project I was stuck on, when I saw my neighbor. Title: The "Aggressive List Building" Issue Subject Lines:
He’s a "marketing guru."
(The bad kind. The kind who sells "get rich quick" schemes but drives a beat-up Honda.)
He was screaming at his assistant on the phone.
"I don't care if they open the emails! Just send the blast!"
I cringed.
It’s that kind of attitude that gives email marketing a bad name.
It’s also why he’s struggling.
When you treat your list like cattle to be herded... you get trampled.
But when you treat them like friends you’re inviting over for a BBQ...
You get loyalty.
And loyalty pays better than any "blast" ever could.
Talk soon,
[Your Name]
P.S. If you want to know exactly how I write emails that build loyalty (and sales) without the "blast" mentality, I break down the exact templates in the Email Players back issues.