The most important part of any author marketing strategy is to build an email list through a newsletter. This gives you direct access to your readers without having to rely on a third party go-between. Newsletters vary in style, content, and frequency. The good news is there really isn’t a wrong way to do one. In case you want some pointers though, below are a few best practices and tips on how to construct an author newsletter.
Email Service
The first thing to do is select which email service you want to use for your newsletter. I don’t recommend just sending emails out through your email account. There is no way for followers to subscribe to that list, and you will also not have the advantages of formatting and automation you get with an email service.
I’m not going to tell you which email service to use. Each one has its pros and cons, and every author has different priorities that will affect the decision. However, here is a list of the top email services I’ve heard authors use for their newsletter: Constant Contact, MailChimp, MailerLite, and Substack. Some of these have better free plans, others have better paid plans for larger contact lists, and some actually have options to make your newsletter a service readers pay to receive. Research what is out there, and then take the option that best fits your current needs. You can always download your contacts list and switch email services later if your goals change.
5 Essential Parts To Newsletters
There are five aspects to any good newsletter, regardless of the letter’s topic. Below are the main components you’ll need to have in your author newsletter.
Title
The title of each newsletter you send will also be the subject line of the email your readers see. It needs to be short and catchy so it gets their attention. I wrote a post on writing catchy blog post titles, and that can also be helpful for newsletter titles. Along with those tips, you can use words that evoke a call to action like free, new release, groundbreaking, surprise, etc. These types of words make the reader curious to see what you have to say.
You will also need to figure out what line you want to show under the subject line in an email inbox. Some authors just let it be the first line in their newsletter, but you can also customize it to be an eye-catching part of your newsletter. I’ve sometimes pulled a sentence from the middle of the newsletter to appear in the email inbox preview because that’s the part I thought my readers would be interested in most. The whole goal is to get them intrigued enough to open the email.
Visual
The first impression readers will have of your newsletter is the visual appeal. All newsletters should have at least one image at the top. It draws the eye and, if done to match the newsletter content, can pull people into reading on. You also want to make sure the font and color of the newsletter is easy to read and pleasing to the eye. You can refer to your brand color and fonts for this. Lastly, make sure the email format looks inviting. Doesn’t have huge blocks of paragraphs all the time. Even if you have a long newsletter, split it into sections so it looks easily consumable. Most readers skim their emails so make it easy for them to speed read.
One word of warning, make sure your newsletter is still readable if none of the images load. Personally, I have my email account set to not load images if I don’t ask them to load. It makes the email load faster so I can read it and move on quicker. If your images have to be seen to understand the newsletter, it could make some people like me not read it. If I’m curious enough, I’ll ask the images to load. But often, I just delete the email and move on. So, put images into your newsletter to make it pleasing to the eye and break up the words, but don’t rely on those images to get your meaning across.
Greeting
Yes, you need to greet your reader. Some just use, “Hi, ______!” They set the email service to auto-insert the reader’s name to give it a personal touch. You can also make it generic, like “Howdy!” It’s up to you, but greet the reader. Remind them they aren’t reading some blog on the internet anyone can find. They’re reading your email that you wrote for them.
Content
Content is the most flexible part of a newsletter. You can do anything. The key is to make sure you keep it consistent. Pick a tone, length, and subject range. Then stick to it. You can change over time if you get tired of the current format, but you need to show consistency for a while so readers know what to expect. If someone signs up to read about your travels and then a month later you start discussing recipes, you’ll lose the reader’s interest. However, if you write about travel for a couple years and then add a section about the recipes you pick up on your travels, the reader will be invested and easily follow the new content.
Below is a list of content suggestions you can put in your newsletter. You can do one or more, and you can even use something not on the list. These are just ideas to help get your mind turning.
- Book Promos—promote your books, other merchandise, and tours
- Book Updates—give status reports for where you are on your current projects
- Book reviews/recommendations—write book reviews and promote books you like that aren’t yours
- Personal Details—give some personal information on your life (though don’t make this your whole newsletter! Most people won’t want to read your diary.)
- Serials/Short Stories—send out a new short story or put out a new chapter in a serial for each newsletter
- Hobbies—talk about a hobby you love (that might tie into your genre)
- Insider Info—give little details on upcoming books that no one else gets to see (introduce a new main character or setting to get them excited to read the book)
- Fan Art—send out fan art from your books
- Reader Involvement—put up polls or questions that your readers can answer and then share the results in the next email
There are countless more ideas for newsletter content, but these are the main strategies I see authors use. Try working some of them into your newsletters or come up with a fresh idea that you think will hook your readers.
Links
Every newsletter should have at least two links for readers to click on. They can go to your website, social media, another author’s website, or a platform to buy a book. These links are calls to action. They encourage your readers to engage with your newsletter. The more people you can get to engage, the more likely they are willing to take the extra step to buy your book. Plus, directing any traffic to your website will boost the search engine optimization algorithm that brings new readers to your site.
Signature
The last component to a newsletter is your signature. Yes, you need to do it! I’ve seen newsletters that just end, and it loses the personal touch. Anyone could have copied and pasted the words into the email and sent it. Yes, anyone can type someone else’s name too, but we aren’t trained to think that way. When we see a name at the bottom of correspondence, we feel like they are talking to us.
You can also add a familiar tag line or sign off before your name. It doesn’t have to be anything big. Have a nice day. Thanks for reading. Until next time. However you want to finish your talk with the reader. If you stick with one sign off all the time, it will become part of your branding. Just make sure you have some kind of closing so there is a personal touch.
Final Thoughts
Newsletters are your direct path to readers. Take the time to start one and be consistent. If you want to send it weekly, then don’t miss a single week. You can also do it monthly or quarterly. Whatever works for you, but make it always deliver on time. Also, don’t be surprised when people unsubscribe. Don’t take it personal. We all grow and change. Both you and the reader. Take advantage of the time you have with them, and wish them luck on their endeavors when they leave. There will always be more people out there to join your email list.
Thanks for reading!
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