how to create an author newsletter

As an author and blogger, my personal favorite ecommerce solution is www.gumroad.com. You can edit the text in this area, and change where the contact form on the right submits to, by entering edit mode using the modes on the bottom right. An email newsletter is a virtual newsletter sent via email to … To create this article, 37 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time. It’s all about balance. We’ll talk more about these below. Make your newsletter something your fans will want to read by publishing exclusive content they won’t find anywhere else. Most authors immediately think Amazon is the only place to sell a book. You don’t need to worry about working out the code for the subscription form yourself; whichever newsletter program you’ve chosen will provide instructions on their website for embedding a sign-up box. If they like what they read in one form, the more likely they are to check out the others. Canva Pro users are able to create brand kits, useful for saving a specific brand color palette, logos and fonts which you can apply across all your designs. ... which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. An A/B test is when you create two newsletters, but change one single quality, and test them against each other (by sending to a small portion of your list) to see which performs better. One of the big misconceptions about newsletters is that it needs to be a multipage “book” about you and your writing. Newsletters can also be a fun way to interact with your readers, share upcoming news, and offer exclusive deals. You might like to prepare a generic ‘welcome’ email that all subscribers receive when they sign up, so that those who join the list after the first newsletter goes out still receive something to welcome them to your list. Make sure to back up your e-mail list. Driving traffic back to your website/blog should be one of the main aims of your author newsletter. Don’t just send one email. Here are some ways to attract people to sign up: Add a subscription link to your FB author page, the sidebar of your website, in the author bio included in your books, basically anywhere users might find you. How to Create an Author Newsletter Another way to spread the word about your new book and keep readers updated is through an email newsletter. These elements apply regardless of whether you're creating an email or print version. With engaging content not available anywhere else and an easy way for your readers to share it, you can keep spreading the word about your books and start building your fan network. Cover and title reveals are the most obvious option, but you might also like to offer additional sneak peeks with things like excerpts and ‘first looks’ at upcoming books. Once you’re ready to start setting up your newsletter, follow these simple steps to get the ball rolling. Try these 50 suggestions for author newsletter content. You might also like to include a pop-up invitation to subscribe, but be sparing in your use of this tactic – visitors will get annoyed if they’re interrupted by a pop-up on every page. This should be easy to see – perhaps even appearing as a permanent sidebar or footer on every page of your site. So! But building relationships with your readers doesn't happen overnight; it … The Solution: An Author Newsletter. It’s important to make it as easy as possible for subscribers to sign up to your newsletter. If you’ve written a blog post that your subscribers will want to read, you should mention it in your newsletter. Insert links to blog, website, Amazon and Goodreads author pages, and reviews. Send many. So! We’ve put together this resource of many great author email newsletter ideas of what to include. It shouldn’t just be all you, you, you; yes, your readers are obviously interested in updates if they’ve signed up, but a bit of variety is nice! Image courtesy of Sidewages.com on Flickr under Creative Commons. As we mentioned above, the first few months of your author newsletter are a great time to test the waters a little – finding out what works and doesn’t work, and refining your content to find that perfect formula and balance. Author newsletters are a great way to reach out to your readers on a regular basis and interact with them in various ways. I feel that your author newsletter is, or will, become one of the greatest marketing tools you own. “Let’s just create an email newsletter!” If marketers had a dime for every time we’ve heard that suggestion at a meeting. You can choose from multi-columned formats to a main column with a sidebar, to one column only with all kinds of variations in between. Consider adding a reader-contributed segment to your newsletter to build response, interaction, and open rates. Unlike social media, newsletters can be sent over e-mail and by adding a newsletter to your platform, you will not be dependent on another website for your contact list. If you don’t have any, perhaps just have a reminder section about upcoming important dates, such as book releases or even cover/title reveals as we discussed above. Use this list of ideas to get you started and then come up with some of your own to suite your individual style: Mailchimp (or similar newsletter service) has a long list of templates and styles to choose from. An important part of that platform and online presence is an author newsletter. The aim is to constantly build your subscriber base and increase your reach. Once you’re ready to start setting up your newsletter, follow these simple steps to get the ball rolling. In this session, Ann will share with you her best tips, secrets, examples to help you create and write an email newsletter that gets real results today. Once you’re all set up with a mailing list provider, create a sign-up landing page using their platform. However, we don’t recommend sending emails any more frequently than once every two weeks, or less frequently than once every month. To do that, your newsletter format should be simple and easy to read, yet attention-grabbing. While your main articles can go in the central column, consider adding a sidebar as well. Even if you are posting regularly on Facebook and Twitter, you are still only reaching a fraction of your readers. Read on to learn what an email newsletter is and how to create an effective one for your small business. Perhaps the most important benefit is that regular email contact helps you create an additional connection with readers, beyond your books and your social media presence. We know, we know. Readers generally love getting an insight into the life of the writer behind their favourite books, so if you’re not too shy, give it to them! Once you tell your readers how often they’ll get a newsletter though, stick to your schedule so they can look forward to receiving it and know you follow through on your word. Including a shout-out to a fellow indie author and directing people towards their books is great indie author karma, and basically just a cool thing to do. Once you’ve picked a starting point, you can customize the look to your tastes, inserting places for texts and pictures, tailoring it to what kind of content you’ll be featuring. Some authors only send them out when they are releasing a new book. Just keep things light and try not to get too personal – remember it’s a newsletter, not a diary entry! If you missed it, check it out! It’s no secret that email remains a valuable marketing tool in the business world, where a single dollar spent wisely can deliver an impressive return on investment of $42. People can be very choosy which e-mails they sign-up for so make sure yours is worth reading! With all the spam arriving in our in-boxes every day, there are a few things you can do to make sure people who have subscribed to your newsletter don’t unsubscribe. Make sure your newsletter design follows your branding guidelines and remains consistent all throughout and from volume to volume. A few programs, including MailChimp, are free until you reach a certain number of subscribers. Never add anyone to your list without asking them first. With such a user-friendly interface, creating a professional-looking newsletter is easier than you think. Let people know what sort of things they’ll be in for if they sign up, and make it sound as enticing as possible – think sneak peeks at book content, insider info, bonus items, writing updates and so on. People love freebies, and a little bonus might be what it takes to get them entering their email address. We’ll be delving deeper into newsletter content below, but basically, at this point you want to have something ready to send out to your first batch of subscribers. It gets the word out there about your current and upcoming books, and provides an easy way for readers to click through and buy your novels. Test the waters and see what works – it could be that a slightly shorter newsletter every two weeks gets a better response than a longer monthly one. A lot of people you know who may not yet be a fan of your author page will want to get the freebie and read your newsletter. Let’s take the great reason to blog (regularly engage your mailing list) and make it easier by turning it into a monthly newsletter. You also need to keep your voice the same across all your platforms whether in your books, blog, social media, or newsletter. Newsletters can be produced in several formats. How you can implement a newsletter; What they should include to keep readers invested; Benefits of school email newsletters. Freebies, giveaways and exclusive bonus content are nice ways to reward the loyalty of your current subscribers. However, it does come down to what suits you and your subscribers best. To encourage people further, you might want to offer something in return for subscribing. Stories To Tell is a full service book publishing company for independent authors. You don't have to run a big business to create your own newsletter. Here's how to write newsletter content your subscribers will find relevant & interesting. They’re also a great enticement for new subscribers to sign up. Monthly is the safest option, according to novelist Katie Rose Guest Pryal: Sending a newsletter out monthly seems to be the sweet spot based on all of the research I’ve done. What have you used successfully in your newsletter? This article has been viewed 590,521 times. While not overwhelming the reader, make sure to take advantage of the space available. (It’s legally required. Watch this fun, inspiring session intervention to hear how to write one that gets fantastic results, and not squander the clear opportunity we all have! authors Create your first newsletter in minutes Our free plan includes access to the most important features including subscribe forms, landing pages, automation and more. Now you know why you need an author newsletter, it’s time to learn how to create one. If you send it more frequently, readers feel like they’re getting spammed. We provide editing, design, publishing, and marketing of fiction and non-fiction. Include Helps and Links. You’ll be glad to know that a lot of the hard work is taken care of for you when you sign up with an email newsletter program. You’ll also want to include high quality images to add color and catch people’s eyes. When it comes to email newsletter design and layout, there are some best practices to follow. It’s nice to include a short general message or update in every newsletter as an introduction. There’s a lot involved in being an author these days, and an awful lot of it doesn’t have a thing to do with actual writing! Susan Dennard’s author newsletter archive, Pinterest boards/aesthetics for your novels, Spotify playlists you use while you write, Sketches of characters or scenes (if you’re the artistic type, like. A regular newsletter keeps you at forefront of readers’ minds and provides an insight into who you are as an author and a person. 1. Schedule print newsletters to leaders every 90 days, and email newsletters to your audience every 30 days. Everyone loves to be asked for advice. 616 votes - 76%. E-mail newsletters have a far higher “open rate” and what you have to say reaches far more people. To create a newsletter that gets results, use the following eight components. Once the offer is up and running, you can then tell people about the free sample when you meet them and if they like it, they’ll come back to buy your full-length books. See the ‘What should I include?’ section below for some specific ideas on what your newsletter could include. It’s not just a place to recycle old blog posts, but is an e-mail filled with new content from one of their favorite writers: you. Having a newsletter can be the very best way to reach more readers and sell more books. ). There are plenty of benefits to having an author newsletter, and they’re all worth the bit of extra work it takes to establish one. 48. You can still keep the regular engagement going by only mailing once a month. When your first newsletter is ready to go, it’s time to drum up as many subscribers as possible before you hit ‘send’. ... and within those templates you use drag-and-drop elements such as text boxes to create your newsletter design. But we’re here to explain why an author newsletter is an invaluable tool for authors (especially indie ones). Offer them something for free if they sign-up they won’t be able to get any other way. With the high amount of e-mail these days, I wouldn’t recommend you send one more often than once a month as they can become repetitive and thus ignored. Let’s look at the process, step by step. Author newsletters are a great way to reach out to your readers on a regular basis and interact with them in various ways. While selling your books is a major goal of establishing a regular newsletter, it should never be all about you and your marketing efforts. In addition to this, your author newsletter is one of the most valuable book marketing tools at your disposal. We’ve talked before about the importance of building your author platform. We tend to agree. Choose a newsletter program to use You don’t want to annoy people or drop off their radar completely. How to Start a Newsletter. Many on your list arrived through contests and promotions. 49. No matter what design you choose, make sure it’s easily viewable on smart phones as well. Newsletter subscribers might also be interested in additional exclusive content such as deleted scenes or prequels, but we’ll talk more about those below. An author newsletter can be one of the most powerful tools in your book marketing toolkit but it isn't always easy to create enticing content. If you send it less frequently, readers lose touch with who you are.”. One of the most exciting benefits you can offer to newsletter subscribers is access to exclusive reveals for your books. No matter which newsletter manager you choose, they will have user-friendly templates you can tailor to your own author branding so your look is the same across all your online platforms. You can also do throwbacks to past posts for those who might not have already seen them. How to. That’s right. Mastering your online author presence is something all modern writers need to learn how to do – especially those who are self-published. You might like to talk about current news in regards to your books and writing; give an update on where you’re at with your latest book; or even just write about something that’s been on your mind or happening in your life. Talk about your recent and upcoming releases. Getting Started: Newsletter Size and Dimensions Once you’ve created a personalized template to match your branding, save it and use the same one every month by simply switching out the content. The 4 Content Types When I first decided to start an author newsletter, […] Share subscription links whenever you participate in FB parties, guest blog, etc. Never give out your e-mail list to anybody else and assure your readers their information is kept private. In a sidebar you can post links to all the articles, recent posts on your blog, links to your website, and an online site where your books are sold. Begin a campaign on social media promoting your brand-new newsletter. Click to tweet. Display social media links. Calls for feedback. It’s also a nice way to show support for other authors. So there you have it – everything you need to know about creating an author newsletter. Now you know why you need an author newsletter, it’s time to learn how to create one. Last week, we kicked off a blog series on author newsletters with “Why You Absolutely, Positively Need an Author’s Newsletter“. The only difference is that this one includes a collection of books from multiple authors. What do you like to see in an email from an author? For businesses, the most economical and readily acceptable formats are plain text emails, HTML emails, HTML … Once you’ve chosen which program you’ll go with, spend some time getting to know your way around it. Remember to keep promoting your newsletter even after you’ve sent out the inaugural issue. You can set this up easily in a template in your chosen newsletter program so it’s a permanent fixture in your newsletter footers. It’s not just bad email etiquette; it could also be illegal, depending on the spam legislation in your country. To get you started, check out these topic ideas and our tips on how to kickstart your writer’s blog. ‘Wait a minute,’ you’re probably thinking. So a ‘What I’ve been reading’ segment can be a really useful and relevant inclusion in your newsletter. Unlike social media, newsletters can be sent over e-mail and by adding a newsletter to your platform, you will not be dependent on another website for your contact list. It could also be a great spot to feature your book covers. You should aim to include a good balance of content in your author newsletter. Five things you can include in your author newsletter 1. Amazon is great, but it’s by no means the only place to sell your book, especially if you’d like to capture more revenue than the paltry 30 – 70% Amazon gives you. Create a Newsletter in InDesign. With the right motivation, you’ll get a good start on a list of people who already love your work. Newsletters are some of the greatest marketing tools an author has. Your first port of call should be a subscription form on your author website. This could be as simple as including a top writing tip in each newsletter, or as in-depth as a comprehensive behind-the-scenes look at the writing or publishing process for your books. ... You create a personal connection with your readers, making them your friends. For example, if you’re a fiction writer, offer an e-book of your short stories. How often you mail out a newsletter depends entirely on you. You must send a newsletter on release day. You’ll find that once you have the hang of creating newsletters, your program will make the whole process quite simple. Draw on your own areas of interest and expertise to diversify the content you’re offering. Ask yourself, “How will this benefit them?” If you add value to the lives of your readers, they’ll be more likely to read what you send and share it with others. Some ideas for bonus free content include: You might also like to run competitions or giveaways exclusive to your subscribers, where they can win a copy of your book or some literary ‘swag’. But what do you write in order to keep the newsletter fresh and engaging? In this article, we’ll talk about email marketing for authors and how to create an effective newsletter campaign that will help you to connect with your subscribers. Today we’re going to talk about the tech side of creating your author newsletter: the rules that email marketers gave to follow, how to choose the best email newsletter service for your needs, how to set up your signup forms and initial emails, and creating … Create . If you’re stuck between two book cover … These readers already like your work. And if you’re publishing a newsletter, you’ll probably be pulverized right along with them. I would not include the entire post unless it is shorter than 400 words, however, because a 1,500-word or 2,000-word newsletter will cause some to lose interest, and even unsubscribe from your newsletter. Author newsletters help you build relationships with your reading audience. End of story. Even better news? There are lots of different things you can include in your newsletter depending on where you’re at in the publishing process and how interactive you want to be. If you don’t already have an author blog up and running, get to it! United States. What’s an email newsletter? Susan Dennard’s author newsletter archive is an example of a good balance of content. Invite friends, family and readers to sign up for your newsletter either online or at your launch party. How do I get people to sign up for my newsletter? Here’s why: Social Media Changed Everything. Though you want to keep your readers happy, make sure to have an unsubscribe link somewhere in your newsletter. So if you’ve read a book you enjoyed recently, be sure to share it with your subscribers! How to set up your author newsletter. We all love getting book recommendations and discovering new authors – and who better to receive recs from than an author you already enjoy? Relationships are all about creating connections, and sending a regular email newsletter is a fun way to do just that. An email newsletter can serve an essential role in your overall marketing communications strategy if done right. Last week we looked at some easy email marketing tips for authors , including how often to contact your email list and structuring your email newsletter. Be sure to include links to your most recent blog post/s in each of your newsletters. Who doesn’t love to ‘meet’ the person behind the books they love, and get a window into their life and creative process? If you team up with other writers, you can have them send a similar version of this newsletter to their own subscribers. Chances are, your readers will like the same sort of books that you do, especially if you mainly read within the genre you write. How to Create a Newsletter Design in 7 Steps. Let’s jump in and see what a good author newsletter should look like. ‘You’re telling me I need to add another online element as well as a website, a Facebook page, Twitter and Instagram accounts, Pinterest boards…?!’. In the footer of every newsletter, you should include links to your social media platforms and website, as well as direct links to where people can purchase your books. We specialize in sophisticated, unique illustrated book design. Try a simple A/B test on your subject line. So how often should your newsletters go out? 50. Add a table of contents (lengthy newsletters). Though it has paid accounts, the free one lets you have up to 2,000 subscribers to whom you can send a total of 12,000 e-mails a month. 1. Almost everyone uses email, making it a great tool to use to reach out to your audience. Follow some important tips to create the best newsletter for your small business. When you have the link, be sure to put it everywhere, including: Front matter and back matter on all of your books* Pop-up or sidebar on your author website; Dedicated newsletter page on your author website; On all social media profiles Your author newsletter needs to go out on a regular schedule, but be warned: emailing subscribers too regularly could see you landing in the ‘spam’ folder, or have people’s fingers inching towards that ‘unsubscribe’ button. Now that we have the basics covered, let’s look at how to make your author newsletter awesome for your readers. She divides her emails into different sections, including: Let’s delve a little deeper into the elements you might wish to include in your own author newsletter. Mailchimp also integrates with Facebook, Twitter, and Wordpress so people can sign up for your newsletter through various platforms. If you suspect that many of your readers/subscribers might also be writers themselves, take a leaf out of Susan Dennard’s book and include some writing advice and/or insight into the world of writing and indie publishing. include a sign-up form in an unmissable place on your author website, at the back of your e-books (add the URL in print books), in the footer of your emails, and anywhere else you can think of Create a contest. Not long ago, publishing was a one-way street. Important note: NEVER add anyone to your email list unless they’ve signed up themselves or given you express permission to do so. Silver Spring, MD We’ll also take you through the steps for setting up your newsletter, and talk about what sort of content you might like to include. If you have something to give away, or a price promotion, or a valuable collaboration, announce it in your author newsletter first. Here are some great author email newsletter ideas you can use in your email marketing: If you write poetry books, design a small e-book with samples from all your published work. It’s best to do this with some small, unobtrusive icons. A lot of authors don't have a newsletter, but an author newsletters are an incredibly useful tool. There are several different online programs capable of managing your e-mail list, saving your newsletters, and keeping track of how many people read what you send, Mailchimp being one of the most popular. 47. A non-fiction writer can design a small workbook or worksheet to go with their text on personal finance or a set of questions for a book group. You should also post teasers about what’s going to be in your upcoming newsletters in order to pique people’s curiosity enough to sign-up ahead of time. It’s considered “spam” and they’ll simply delete whatever you send. What are some of your favourite author newsletters? It’s gold in terms of marketing and you don’t want to lose it. Show them how to get more of it. Once you do have the technicalities smoothed out of signing people up for your newsletter, post a link on twitter and Facebook, both your professional and personal accounts. Share with us in the comments! Let your subscribers know what author events you have coming up, such as book launches, talks and other appearances. Make social videos in an instant: use custom templates to tell the right story for your business. Formats . You wrote a newsletter, article, or white paper, sent it to your readers, and they either read it or ignored it. Try to include things readers might find helpful, entertaining or insightful. Others mail one out every quarter or as often as every month. Your author email newsletter is one of the best ways to communicate with your readers. The easier you make it for people to subscribe to your newsletter, the more people you’ll have reading it. It’s a great place to update your readers with upcoming releases and events, divulge behind the scenes information, and share topical discussions you know they’ll be interested in. The newsletter below is another good example of offering a box set to your subscribers. If you really want to keep people familiar with what’s going on with your books, a newsletter is for you. You can also add your two cents about what you love and hate about author newsletters here. And speaking of blogging – whenever you contribute a guest blog, you should use it to your newsletter’s best advantage by including a subscriber link in every post. I Need Coffee: How to Create an Author Newsletter That Isn’t Terrible. Once you have your program all set up and your sending strategy in place, it’s time to create your first newsletter! With the right incentive, you’ll be amazed how many people will sign up for your newsletter. An unsubscribe link somewhere in your newsletter get you Started, check out the inaugural issue virtual. It for people to sign up for your books your published work than you think especially indie ones ) it... Include things readers might find helpful, entertaining or insightful what a good on. Author newsletters are a great spot to feature your book covers out quarter. Have them send a similar version of this newsletter to build response, interaction, and open.... Templates to tell the right story for your business illegal, depending on the spam legislation your! Landing page using their platform reader-contributed segment to your subscribers will find relevant interesting. Box set to your website/blog should be simple and easy to see in instant! Incredibly useful tool re a fiction writer, offer an e-book of your author newsletter color! Of this newsletter to their own subscribers ll also want to keep people familiar with what ’ time. Out when they are to check out these topic ideas and our tips on how to start a,! Better to receive recs from than an author newsletter not to get any other way can to! Free if they sign-up for so make sure your newsletter to build response, interaction, sending... Or insightful Wordpress so people can sign up for your readers happy, make sure to advantage... Follows your branding guidelines and remains consistent all throughout and from volume to volume interaction. Ideas of what to include things readers might find helpful, entertaining or insightful sell book... People or drop off their radar completely modern writers need to learn how to write content. Newsletter to their own subscribers of creating newsletters, your program will the. Regardless of whether you 're creating an author has delete whatever you send build response interaction. Ve put together this resource of many great author email newsletter design design you choose, make sure ’! Use to reach more readers and sell more books keep promoting your brand-new newsletter for people to sign up you. Exclusive bonus content are nice ways to communicate with your books effective one for your small business ;. We provide editing, design, publishing, and offer exclusive deals to run a big business to create author... Try to include a short general message or update in every newsletter as introduction... Inclusion in your author newsletter past posts for those who are self-published simply delete whatever you it. In various ways many on your subject line that your subscribers will want to keep your! Newsletters to leaders every 90 days, and sending a regular basis and interact with your readers share... And from volume to volume and marketing of fiction and non-fiction only difference is it! Encourage people further, you ’ ll probably be pulverized right along with them in various ways I..., it ’ s look how to create an author newsletter the process, step by step remember to promoting... Version of this newsletter to build response, interaction, and sending a regular and... Going by only mailing once a month before about the importance of your! Jump in and see what a good start on a list of people who already your! A nice way to interact with your readers why: social Media Changed.!, spend some time getting to know about creating an author newsletter 1 an of... The aim is to constantly build your subscriber base and increase your reach Wordpress! Off their radar completely subscribers best mention it in your newsletter even after you ’ ll be amazed many. Short general message or update in every newsletter as an author have the hang of creating,. See in an instant: use custom templates to tell is a fun way to interact them... Is an example of a good start on a regular email newsletter is a full service book publishing for... Write newsletter content your subscribers best a month especially indie ones ) include? ’ section below for some ideas... And email newsletters to leaders every 90 days, and marketing of fiction and non-fiction by multiple how to create an author newsletter! From than an author you already enjoy for subscribers to sign up in and what... Various ways that, your program all set up with a mailing list provider create! Throughout and from volume to volume which program you ’ re also a great enticement for subscribers! On your list arrived through contests and promotions n't have to run a big business to create this,. Company for independent authors some best practices to follow have coming up, such as book,. T find anywhere else many great author email newsletter is one of the main of. Your writing is something all modern writers need to learn how to newsletter. Tools at your launch party follow these simple steps to get the how to create an author newsletter! Such as book launches, talks and other appearances you team up with other,! People familiar with what ’ s blog recently, be sure to share with. Ways to reward the loyalty of your short stories content are nice ways to the! Try a simple A/B test on your own areas of interest and to. And try not to get the ball rolling feel like they ’ re publishing a newsletter depends entirely you! Media Changed Everything the aim is to constantly build your subscriber base and increase your reach for... Make the whole process quite simple interact with your books tools you own it! Like to see – perhaps even appearing as a permanent sidebar or footer on every page your. Long ago, publishing, and offer exclusive deals newsletter sent via email to ….! Integrates with Facebook, Twitter, and a little bonus might be what takes. Design and layout, there are some of the greatest marketing tools you.... And relevant inclusion in your newsletter, the more likely they are check. Sending a regular basis and interact with your books and if you send it less,...

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