This is a part two of a TBD point posting about Marketing. As with the other posts in the writer’s drawer series, this is not going to be about how to do something right. Not directly at least. This is more of a post on what I did, have done, or am doing – and hopefully some of the information (my mistakes) here may be helpful. Now today we are talking about Newsletters, and not a historical context.
Email …. Marketing? Is this the 90’s? Believe it or not, even with the advent of social media, newsletters still dominate. They are the descendants of the mail order, and until that dystopian cyberpunk novel becomes a reality and ads are beamed to our brains, they will likely remain so. They are several reasons why, especially as an author, this is the case:
- Engagement is important, and few things allow you to directly stir things up (legally, stalking is a no-no) like email. Facebook, Twitter, put your subscribers behind paywalls. Email/newsletters circumvents that. For the most part readers must interact to inevitably not have to interact.
- Ominous sounding eh? In reality it is quite benign, but auspicious; as the curator you maintain your image, brand, and message.
Early in my career I focused on everything but a newsletter. In fact, I didn’t have one. Partly because I thought the age of email marketing was over, and partly because I had no idea what to write. By the time I began working things out my book had already been out for half a year. The first issue when I came around, was finding subscribers. I was my first, and my wife the second. It stayed like that for a while, until I found some paid services:
- AuthorsXP
- Booksweeps
- Bookthrone
Some, like these give authors a way – after paying a fee – to join premade group giveaway contests. Generally, they offer up a collection of free books to a winner, and people can sign up for a chance to win them. Others:
- Bookfunnel
- Kingsumo
Give you a platform to create your own giveaways. Now, I am not going to get into the benefits and negatives of any of these services. But what I will do is briefly highlight one free, author made resource which has been extremely helpful in connecting me with likeminded readers. And that would be Storyorigin. Generally speaking, it gives the most benefits to people who already have a bit of a list, but it is free, and allows you to sign up with other authors for mutual promotion. More often, since the people who subscribe are already fans of other, similar authors, there is already an interest there beyond just a freebie. I have had a plethora of wonderful conversations with folks who have signed up via that site.
But conversations only happen if you have content.
This is perhaps the portion most writers find challenging, and one where nobody can really give you any advice. What makes great content? Whatever your audience likes. What does your audience like? Different things, every time – because like all friends, people come, and people go. There is no point in dreading it. Especially if you are from Alabama and insist on reading southern folk stories to your fantasy readers…Not saying anyone I know did that.
On the technical side of things professional marketers like Nick Stevenson will give you some great ideas, especially with automation and your first couple of emails. His thought about leading with a welcome email, with a free story, is a good one. As are his beliefs that the follow ups mails should then delve into you and your writing. Everything else, as we have mentioned, is very subjective. I would avoid investing in any service that offers special insights on newsletter creation, or otherwise. Most of that information, while useful, can be found in a few hours of using doctor google.
However, I will leave you with one bit of advice. The most important thing I have come to find is that people who subscribe to your newsletter want to know about you, and your writing. Start there. After all, it is rather the point of the whole proposal eh?
Next major post will focus more on the review side of marketing, their importance, and some options I have investigated there. Though I believe I will make a light hearted addendum to this post, with some of the stupid nonsense I’ve said over the years in my newsletters.
Till then, keep writing, and don’t sweat the small stuff! Course, the small stuff can kill you. Let’s try to keep it positive, though.
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