You're exactly right about marketing newsletters. Over the past year-plus, I've made some changes, too, and seen significant progress at least in terms of people following me. It hasn't made me rich yet--or even gotten me out of the red--but it's progress. I do send links to stories in my newsletters (friend links), and those links do get clicked. Not everyone reads them, but they get a fair bit of traction. I've also been using StoryOrigin to grow my newsletter with significant results. If you're interested in the full story, see "Revamp Your Author Platform" (https://writingcooperative.com/revamp-your-author-platform-d69a55656c1c).