Image Credit: Images created in Book Brush using Pixabay photos.
Earlier this year, I set up an author newsletter. I’d been toying with the idea for a while. Why?
Author newsletters are an excellent way to reach out to readers. They can give insights into the writing life as well as sharing hints and tips.
Newsletters are also an opportunity to share exciting news to those you know are loyal fans. There is something lovely about that I think. I know I appreciate this when I receive author newsletters. You feel a bit like you’re in on the gossip and I like that aspect.
Many writers accept author newsletters are part of their marketing – you are reaching out to people after all – but you can have fun and be creative with these.
Timing and Getting Started
I send mine out on the first of the month, as I suspect many writers do, because it is an easy date of the month to remember and therefore stick to. Consistency is vital here as is delivering on what you set out to do. If you promise to send a monthly newsletter, that is what you do.
People are understanding about life getting in the way as it will incidentally. What you do here is send out the newsletter as soon as possible after your usual date. You can schedule your newsletters depending on what kind of plan you have with your provider. I’m happy to send mine out “manually” as it gives me that final chance to ensure I haven’t missed anything I was keen to share.
Not every writer goes for a monthly one. Quarterly is quite common but generally timings don’t go beyond that. You don’t want your readers forgetting who you are! Equally you don’t want to keep bombarding them. I find monthly works out about right.
I use Mailchimp and I am on their free plan. It covers me for up to 2000 subscribers. On the free plan they have a monthly email send limit of 10,000 sends (daily limit of 2000, hence up to 2000 subscribers). Definitely enough to get you started!
Beyond that I would need to go for a paid plan but it is easy enough to upgrade and I am well short of that target so will not need to worry about this for some time (if at all!).
What is useful is that the forms they have as templates, which you use to get subscribers to sign up, are data protection regulation friendly (and indeed have the double opt-in. This is where someone has to consent twice. It ensures they really are signing up for your newsletter and this hasn’t been clicked on by accident. That matters).
Also at the bottom of my newsletter is where people can click to unsubscribe. That’s important too and comes as part of the template I use.
I have my sign up form on the landing page of my website at https://allisonsymescollectedworks.com and repeat the link for that form on my twice weekly blog round up via that site.
I can’t remember who said it but there is a saying someone has to see something seven times before they’ll even think about purchasing something from you, yet alone do so. I see all of this as letting people know I have got a newsletter. Writers and readers know most authors do have them. So just having one ties in with my “brand” as a writer, especially I am active on social media too.
What Do I Use My Newsletter For?
I share my writing news (whether it is mentioning having a story in a new anthology as I have done recently for The Best of CafeLit 11). I also share links to posts I write, including for Chandler’s Ford Today, which I think would be of particular interest to writers and/or readers. I have both on my list (I can view my contacts and I know who the writers are amongst them!).
I also share links to my stories on Friday Flash Fiction and others on my YouTube channel. Every so often I create an exclusive video via YouTube which I share the link with only via my newsletter. I also try to ensure news of talks I’m giving etc goes into my newsletter first.
I also share a writing tip and a permanent link to my blog on my website. Author newsletters can help drive traffic to websites. And naturally I share my social media links. I try to have a mixture of interesting things in the letter with stories and tips taking up the bulk of it.
I think 80% useful material to readers, 20% marketing is a good balance to have. The nice thing here is your readers will expect some marketing. I do from the newsletters I read but these are from authors whose work I admire and buy so I am keen to find out when their latest will be out.
Sounds Like Hard Work…
It can be but preparation helps a lot. I knew what I wanted my newsletter to do and be before I set one up. It does pay to work this out.
But I also like the creative aspect. I want to find different ways of entertaining my readers as well as ensuring I’m giving them the news about what I’m up to, writing wise. I prepare my newsletter during the month so it is easy to finish off and check before sending it out on the first of the next month.
Mind you, I schedule most things including the posts here (!), so I see this as another version of that. I also find because I am thinking about what my readers would want to find in the newsletter I have to think creatively to make things entertaining and (I hope) useful).
The big advantage of newsletters is they are a direct way of talking with your readers.
The disadvantage is they take time to do but so does writing your stories, so does marketing. I ensure I have slots for marketing throughout the week, including preparing material for my newsletter, as well as sessions where I am “just” creatively writing!
And as well as sharing news, you can share snippets from your reviews etc (which is something I must remember to do more often!). You can also talk about what you like to read, what inspires you, the writing tips you find most useful, and share insights into the writing life (the downs as well as the ups).
You can also share giveaways here. When people sign up to mine, they receive a Welcome to my Newsletter email (sent out automatically by Mailchimp) and in there is a link to a free pdf where I share who I am, where people can find me online, discuss what flash fiction is and why I love it, plus I include a free story.
Conclusion
Every writer has to market their work. Doesn’t matter if you’re self-published, traditionally published, are with an indie press, as I am, or do any combination of these things. It is a question of finding marketing you enjoy doing and can keep going. For many writers, including me, a chatty newsletter to readers works well here.
Related Posts:-
Read interviews with Chandler’s Ford writer Allison Symes: Part 1 and Part 2.
Read blog posts by Allison Symes published on Chandler’s Ford Today.
Never miss out on another blog post. Subscribe here:
Leave a Reply