To Newsletter or Not to Newsletter?
The next decision started with the following questions of “Do I really need a newsletter?” Then expanded to: What if no one wanted to read it? What should I include in it? How often do I plan to send it to not be forgotten but also not inundate recipients with something that they would later just toss into the junk inbox, or unsubscribe completely!
Final answer, after listening to podcasts, reading blogs, and so on…YES! Even traditionally published authors are recommended to have a newsletter but more so, it is a smart move if you plan to publish more than one book. The people who subscribe actually want to know what you’re doing, want the updates and the information…they are, in other words, the fans interested in your book or what you have to say. And to rely on social media posts and algorithms that change all the time would be a detriment for any updates on news and information regarding your books.
The answers to the above questions might change over time for me, but I decided to start simply by finding a platform that would work best for me at this time. Through my job, I had a lot of experience with Mail Chimp and I considered jumping right in with them again, but after some research and consideration decided to go with Mailerlite. If you want specifics as to why I made this decision, feel free to ask, but to keep it simple, after researching the top options, Mailerlite seemed to make the most sense right now. I will include a few links below to peruse yourself if you are grappling with this decision.
The next question I answered was what should I include in it. For this, I looked at other authors newsletters that I already subscribe to. The ones I am most likely to click open included a short “What They Are Up To” and then went into the details on their books, updates of WIP’s or upcoming releases, but part of my favorites included a “What Inspires Them” section. I was likely to click on that Spotify playlist, certain song albums, open Pinterest boards if it was something they found that had them excited about their book or a WIP. I love the background of stories and how they come together, especially since certain songs or photos might illicit a different experience for others than it did for this particular story. It also helped that I was writing this blog to include (hehe).
Now, the big question…how often should I send out the newsletter. I do my best to post an update every other week on my blog posts, so obviously something I can share with my subscribers, but also, that would require me to send out emails with a lot to little news right now about my upcoming release. Looking at my schedule and timeline, I personally decided to do every other month for these next few months. My first newsletter went out with the release date, a milestone for A Nameless Curse. The next one (hint, hint!) will actually have preorder information and comes out two months later. Two months after that I'll be sharing street team information! Then after that, since things will be speeding up as I draw closer to the release date, since there will be preorder campaigns, a cover release, and so on, I plan to switch to a monthly instead of bi-monthly plan for the emails! I want to make sure the newsletter has a job, but also is not repeating the same thing over and over so this schedule seemed more realistic for subscribers and myself.
I also knew it would be important that I created a schedule that I could keep up with. I have a family, outside responsibilities…I had to be realistic with what I could do and sustain over time.
I hope you found this helpful. If you have anything to add, comment below!
Resources:
MailerLite vs Mailchimp: The Complete Guide
MailerLite vs Mailchimp: Which Meets Your Business Needs
