Newsletter 101: Essential Tips for Beginners

When I was an aspiring writer someone told me fiction writers needed a newsletter. The problem was I did not feel like a writer, but I wanted to learn. I also had no money, no budget. I was living on a small pension with no other income, so needed to find ways to do it for free.

I researched newsletter provider services. I tried MailChimp, but was not happy with it, because the free version offered no automated features. (Caveat)That has changed over time, and they do offer one automation for free now. 

I decided to pay for automation, so I switched to Aweber. It’s a good service, but in the end I just couldn’t afford it long term. 

Then Mailerlite appeared on the scene and offered automation with their free plan. I have been with them ever since. The free plan is very versatile with up to 1000 subscribers for free. 

I know, but you don’t want to do a newsletter, you have no idea what to say or do.  I didn’t either in the beginning, still struggle at times. My newsletter has just a little over 600 subscribers currently.

Having a newsletter is necessary. The newsletter is the only thing you own and control. It’s part of your author platform. 

Amazon and other such stores, social media platforms can and do go away, or change policies  that have a negative impact on authors. They don’t share emails and customer information

Your newsletter subscribers go with you where you are. They are your property because they said they wanted to follow you.  They gave you their email. They are your people/fans and they want to hear from you. 

Here are a few suggestions to help beginners get started and maintain a steady connection with their readers. 

Why Do I Need A Newsletter?

• Your newsletter is your direct line of communication with your readers/audience. It helps build a relationship between you and them. You are having a conversation with them, it’s not about selling.
• People don’t sign up to just hear about “buy my book” they want to get to know you, and the story worlds and characters you create. You do this with consistent contact and quality content that reflects you and your world/characters. 
• You should keep the schedule that feels most comfortable for you, and your fans will be there for you, whether you send it out once a month, twice a month, or weekly. 

How Do I Start & What Do Say

• Decide on your email provider e.g. MailChimp, Mailerlite, CovertKit, (list of providers).
• You will need to provide a Domain for setup with your provider. E.g. My domain is junetakey.com  (List of domain services). My domain provider is Tigertech.net.  Personally I do not recommend Go Daddy but that is my personal opinion. 
• Sign up and set up a sign up form. (Offer something for free in exchange for reader email. It can be, as simple as a checklist/character profile, deleted scene, photo of your pet, garden or character sketch, character recipe, short story, or book) 
• Craft your first email (Keep it simple and personable, be authentic.Share only what you’re comfortable with sharing. What you write and why, your favorite authors/influences, a hobby you are passionate about, what they can expect, ask them a question or their opinion to encourage engagement)
• Focus on engaging readers rather than increasing numbers and your email list will grow. It’s a slow process for beginners, but be consistent and authentic and you will see results.
• I have been told this for social media posting. I think it can work for newsletters too:  Laugh, Quote, Laugh, Quote, Ask, Promote, which means exactly that. Share something funny, share favorite quotes, ASK questions that require a response, and lastly promote your book—it’s more about connection, relationship with reader rather than selling. 

Craft Compelling Subject Lines

• Everyone’s audience is different. You need to try different things and watch what your readers respond to by checking open rates, and which emails or headlines they reply to. 
• Avoid clickbait subject lines. Use action words, make it funny, or raise a question, touch authentic emotion and curiosity, short subject lines are better. 
• Some people like to use emoji but don’t overuse them. 
• When marketing you might want a subject line that is SEO friendly (Search Engine Optimized), and you can use a free headline analyzer to help you determine the best. (Headline Analyzer (Free)) You can Google for other headline analyzers too.

Where Do I Share It?

• The main way to share your newsletter is via email. 
• Build an engaging conversation with your readers. 
• Share on social media via Instagram, Twitter, Facebook groups that allow it and have promo days, and other social media. 
• Ask your friends, family, online buddies to share it for you. 
• Put the link in the signature of your email.
• Put the link in the back matter of your book.
• Put a signup form on your website.
• Include the link in your newsletter, and ask your followers to share it for you–maybe offer a gift or surprise for those who do.
• Makeup business cards with the link address. Hand them out to those interested, or leave on tables, or in offices e.g. doctor etc. Take them to events such as conferences, retreats, book fairs… 
• Some bookstores will allow authors to leave cards to share.
• Author Facebook groups takeovers, or newsletter swaps with other authors of the same genre.

Are there people who don’t have newsletters or websites and are successful? The answer is yes but they are outliers not a majority. Big businesses rely on newsletters still for a reason they keep them connected to their customer/audience.  

Just be yourself and don’t worry whether yours is like someone else’s. Different approaches work for different authors. Find the one that works for you. Experiment. Be authentic and make it easy for you.

Remember:

• Find a newsletter provider
• Get your domain
• Craft your first form and email
• Be authentic
• Seek engagement over numbers
• Ask questions to engage response
• Laugh, Quote, Laugh, Quote, Ask, Promote