Here are some great author email newsletter ideas you can use in your email marketing: With such a user-friendly interface, creating a professional-looking newsletter is easier than you think. 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. If you team up with other writers, you can have them send a similar version of this newsletter to their own subscribers. Author newsletters are a great way to reach out to your readers on a regular basis and interact with them in various ways. Your author email newsletter is one of the best ways to communicate with your readers. The 4 Content Types When I first decided to start an author newsletter, […] 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. Many on your list arrived through contests and promotions. ... and within those templates you use drag-and-drop elements such as text boxes to create your newsletter design. So if you’ve read a book you enjoyed recently, be sure to share it with your subscribers! This article has been viewed 590,521 times. 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. 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. It’s considered “spam” and they’ll simply delete whatever you send. These readers already like your work. Susan Dennard’s author newsletter archive is an example of a good balance of content. You must send a newsletter on release day. While selling your books is a major goal of establishing a regular newsletter, it should never be all about you and your marketing efforts. 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. Once you’ve chosen which program you’ll go with, spend some time getting to know your way around it. Formats . Begin a campaign on social media promoting your brand-new newsletter. One of the most exciting benefits you can offer to newsletter subscribers is access to exclusive reveals for your books. How you can implement a newsletter; What they should include to keep readers invested; Benefits of school email newsletters. As an author and blogger, my personal favorite ecommerce solution is www.gumroad.com. To create a newsletter that gets results, use the following eight components. An important part of that platform and online presence is an author newsletter. Never give out your e-mail list to anybody else and assure your readers their information is kept private. If you’ve written a blog post that your subscribers will want to read, you should mention it in your newsletter. Show them how to get more of it. Insert links to blog, website, Amazon and Goodreads author pages, and reviews. One of the big misconceptions about newsletters is that it needs to be a multipage “book” about you and your writing. If they like what they read in one form, the more likely they are to check out the others. 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. 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 ‘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…?!’. You can still keep the regular engagement going by only mailing once a month. However, we don’t recommend sending emails any more frequently than once every two weeks, or less frequently than once every month. 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. We provide editing, design, publishing, and marketing of fiction and non-fiction. We know, we know. We’ve put together this resource of many great author email newsletter ideas of what to include. Not long ago, publishing was a one-way street. It’s nice to include a short general message or update in every newsletter as an introduction. “Let’s just create an email newsletter!” If marketers had a dime for every time we’ve heard that suggestion at a meeting. Let’s jump in and see what a good author newsletter should look like. We’ll talk more about these below. 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. You don't have to run a big business to create your own newsletter. Don’t just send one email. Now you know why you need an author newsletter, it’s time to learn how to create one. 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. The Solution: An Author Newsletter. ... You create a personal connection with your readers, making them your friends. Author newsletters help you build relationships with your reading audience. ). If you send it more frequently, readers feel like they’re getting spammed. Create a Newsletter in InDesign. 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. Stories To Tell is a full service book publishing company for independent authors. 50. 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. People love freebies, and a little bonus might be what it takes to get them entering their email address. 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. Everyone loves to be asked for advice. Newsletters can be produced in several formats. If you really want to keep people familiar with what’s going on with your books, a newsletter is for you. 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. What do you like to see in an email from an author? We all love getting book recommendations and discovering new authors – and who better to receive recs from than an author you already enjoy? But we’re here to explain why an author newsletter is an invaluable tool for authors (especially indie ones). 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’. Important note: NEVER add anyone to your email list unless they’ve signed up themselves or given you express permission to do so. Remember to keep promoting your newsletter even after you’ve sent out the inaugural issue. We specialize in sophisticated, unique illustrated book design. For businesses, the most economical and readily acceptable formats are plain text emails, HTML emails, HTML … So! Draw on your own areas of interest and expertise to diversify the content you’re offering. Getting Started: Newsletter Size and Dimensions 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. 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. (It’s legally required. 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. Even better news? End of story. 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. To get you started, check out these topic ideas and our tips on how to kickstart your writer’s blog. E-mail newsletters have a far higher “open rate” and what you have to say reaches far more people. Consider adding a reader-contributed segment to your newsletter to build response, interaction, and open rates. 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. 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. 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. However, it does come down to what suits you and your subscribers best. When your first newsletter is ready to go, it’s time to drum up as many subscribers as possible before you hit ‘send’. If you write poetry books, design a small e-book with samples from all your published work. What are some of your favourite author newsletters? With the right motivation, you’ll get a good start on a list of people who already love your work. 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. Read on to learn what an email newsletter is and how to create an effective one for your small business. 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. Even if you are posting regularly on Facebook and Twitter, you are still only reaching a fraction of your readers. 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. Invite friends, family and readers to sign up for your newsletter either online or at your launch party. 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. 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. 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. United States. 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. Display social media links. Talk about your recent and upcoming releases. 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 How to set up your author newsletter. 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. You’ll also want to include high quality images to add color and catch people’s eyes. 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. Schedule print newsletters to leaders every 90 days, and email newsletters to your audience every 30 days. Five things you can include in your author newsletter 1. It’s not just bad email etiquette; it could also be illegal, depending on the spam legislation in your country. Though you want to keep your readers happy, make sure to have an unsubscribe link somewhere in your newsletter. Here's how to write newsletter content your subscribers will find relevant & interesting. 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. But building relationships with your readers doesn't happen overnight; it … Newsletters can also be a fun way to interact with your readers, share upcoming news, and offer exclusive deals. No matter what design you choose, make sure it’s easily viewable on smart phones as well. Almost everyone uses email, making it a great tool to use to reach out to your audience. ... which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. Calls for feedback. The newsletter below is another good example of offering a box set to your subscribers. When it comes to email newsletter design and layout, there are some best practices to follow. 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. ‘Wait a minute,’ you’re probably thinking. You’ll find that once you have the hang of creating newsletters, your program will make the whole process quite simple. To encourage people further, you might want to offer something in return for subscribing. 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. Silver Spring, MD Be sure to include links to your most recent blog post/s in each of your newsletters. Try these 50 suggestions for author newsletter content. Create a contest. 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. Having a newsletter can be the very best way to reach more readers and sell more books. 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. Create . The aim is to constantly build your subscriber base and increase your reach. Share subscription links whenever you participate in FB parties, guest blog, etc. To create this article, 37 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time. Send many. This should be easy to see – perhaps even appearing as a permanent sidebar or footer on every page of your site. How to Start a Newsletter. Let’s look at the process, step by step. 1. 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. 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. 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. The easier you make it for people to subscribe to your newsletter, the more people you’ll have reading it. Make sure to back up your e-mail list. If you have something to give away, or a price promotion, or a valuable collaboration, announce it in your author newsletter first. Driving traffic back to your website/blog should be one of the main aims of your author newsletter. Make sure your newsletter design follows your branding guidelines and remains consistent all throughout and from volume to volume. Let’s take the great reason to blog (regularly engage your mailing list) and make it easier by turning it into a monthly newsletter. How to Create a Newsletter Design in 7 Steps. 49. 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. So! 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. You can also do throwbacks to past posts for those who might not have already seen them. If you missed it, check it out! Include Helps and Links. It’s important to make it as easy as possible for subscribers to sign up to your newsletter. Make your newsletter something your fans will want to read by publishing exclusive content they won’t find anywhere else. 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. If you’re stuck between two book cover … It could also be a great spot to feature your book covers. Freebies, giveaways and exclusive bonus content are nice ways to reward the loyalty of your current subscribers. 1. 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. We tend to agree. See the ‘What should I include?’ section below for some specific ideas on what your newsletter could include. It’s also a nice way to show support for other authors. Let your subscribers know what author events you have coming up, such as book launches, talks and other appearances. What’s an email newsletter? How do I get people to sign up for my newsletter? Offer them something for free if they sign-up they won’t be able to get any other way. I feel that your author newsletter is, or will, become one of the greatest marketing tools you own. So a ‘What I’ve been reading’ segment can be a really useful and relevant inclusion in your newsletter. 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. You should aim to include a good balance of content in your author newsletter. Newsletters are some of the greatest marketing tools an author has. So how often should your newsletters go out? A regular newsletter keeps you at forefront of readers’ minds and provides an insight into who you are as an author and a person. 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. Most authors immediately think Amazon is the only place to sell a book. 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! Never add anyone to your list without asking them first. Author newsletters are a great way to reach out to your readers on a regular basis and interact with them in various ways. In addition to this, your author newsletter is one of the most valuable book marketing tools at your disposal. It’s all about balance. I Need Coffee: How to Create an Author Newsletter That Isn’t Terrible. 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. 616 votes - 76%. You also need to keep your voice the same across all your platforms whether in your books, blog, social media, or newsletter. An email newsletter can serve an essential role in your overall marketing communications strategy if done right. 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. Just keep things light and try not to get too personal – remember it’s a newsletter, not a diary entry! While your main articles can go in the central column, consider adding a sidebar as well. Image courtesy of Sidewages.com on Flickr under Creative Commons. Mailchimp also integrates with Facebook, Twitter, and Wordpress so people can sign up for your newsletter through various platforms. Who doesn’t love to ‘meet’ the person behind the books they love, and get a window into their life and creative process? A lot of authors don't have a newsletter, but an author newsletters are an incredibly useful tool. 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. 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. 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. The only difference is that this one includes a collection of books from multiple authors. Click to tweet. 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. Relationships are all about creating connections, and sending a regular email newsletter is a fun way to do just that. How to. Follow some important tips to create the best newsletter for your small business. Share with us in the comments! It’s best to do this with some small, unobtrusive icons. 48. You wrote a newsletter, article, or white paper, sent it to your readers, and they either read it or ignored it. 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