How to publish a digital newsletter
Move your printed or PDF newsletter online as an interactive flipbook — cheaper to distribute, easier to read, and simple to archive.
Whether it's a school update, a club magazine, a community bulletin or a company newsletter, moving from print (or a plain PDF attachment) to a digital flipbook makes your newsletter cheaper to distribute, nicer to read and far easier to share. This guide walks through the whole process.
Why publish digitally
- No printing or postage. Reach everyone with a single link.
- Better reading experience. A page-flip flipbook reads like a real magazine on any device, unlike a raw PDF attachment.
- Clickable and trackable. Links to events, sign-ups and articles work inside the newsletter, and you can see how often each issue is opened.
- An instant archive. Past issues live on as a browsable collection.
Step 1 — Design the issue
Lay out your newsletter in your usual tool and export a PDF. Design for the screen: readable type, two-page spreads, a clear cover with the issue name and date. Use heading styles so the PDF gets a clickable table of contents, and add hyperlinks to anything you want readers to act on.
Step 2 — Put it in Google Drive and share it
Upload the PDF to Google Drive and set it to “Anyone with the link”. This keeps the file in your own account while letting readers open it. Keep the file light so it loads fast — see reducing PDF file size.
Step 3 — Turn it into a flipbook
Create a flipbook in the Toombler dashboard from your Drive link. Add a cover, sound, a table of contents and any other settings, and you have a polished issue with one shareable link.
Step 4 — Distribute it
Share the flipbook link by email, in a message to members, or on social media. To publish it on your own website, embed it with an iframe, the JS snippet, or the WordPress plugin — it scales to any container and looks sharp on mobile.
Step 5 — Build an archive
Each issue keeps its own link, so you can create a simple “Newsletter archive” page that lists them. Readers can browse back issues, and search engines can find the ones you make public.
Tips for a newsletter people actually read
- Publish on a predictable schedule so readers know when to expect it.
- Lead each issue with your strongest story on the cover.
- Keep issues a sensible length and file size so they open quickly.
- Always include a couple of clear calls to action with real links.
Publishing a digital newsletter this way costs nothing and takes minutes per issue once you're set up. Create your first issue →
Frequently asked questions
Can readers get the newsletter without an account?
Yes. Anyone with the link can open a flipbook — no login or app needed. Only creating flipbooks requires a free account.
How do I keep back issues available?
Each flipbook keeps its own link, so you can list past issues on an archive page. Nothing expires unless you set an expiry date yourself.
Can I embed the newsletter on our website?
Yes, via iframe, JS snippet, web component or the WordPress plugin — it's fully responsive and adds almost no weight to your page.