Why Every Author Needs a Newsletter (And What to Put in It)

I am a HUGE advocate for incorporating email newsletter into your book marketing strategy as an author. We recently experienced first-hand how unstable social media is with the TikTok ban in the United States, which provides even MORE evidence as to why you need to build your newsletter NOW.

In this blog post, we’ll discuss the importance of email newsletters, how often they should be sent, and what to include to engage your readers. Are you ready? Let’s dive in!

Why You Need an Email Newsletter

Unlike social media, your email newsletter is a platform you (almost) completely control. TikTok’s previous ban in the U.S. reminds us that no platform is forever, and it’s essential to grow an audience on a platform that offers a reliable environment, like an email newsletter.

Of course, our email marketing platforms, MailChimp, MailerLite, etc., could decide to shut down too, but you will always have your email list. On all of these email marketing platforms, your subscribers’ names and email addresses are your property. If MailChimp decided to shut down, I would just download my subscriber list and move it to another platform. Easy! However, you can’t do this with social media.

How Often Should You Send Newsletters?

The number of newsletters you send is totally up to you! My best advice is to pick a realistic number that you can stick to so that you build trust with your audience and don’t overwhelm yourself. So, maybe start with one newsletter per month. You also don’t want to spam your subscribers with emails, so try to stay under 2-3 monthly newsletters.

What Should My Newsletters Be About?

I believe a newsletter with a variety of content performs the best. For example, your monthly newsletter could contain a writing update, what you’re reading, an ebook sale, and an inspirational creativity quote. This provides value, entertainment, and promotion.

Incorporating each content pillar in your newsletters is very important, so here are some content ideas for each pillar.

VALUE

  • Writing updates
  • Behind the scenes of your writing process
  • Deleted scenes from your books
  • Character backstories and/or fanart
  • Reading guides for your books
  • Publishing/writing tips

PROMOTION

  • Book reviews written by readers
  • Book sales (Newsletter exclusive, early access, etc.)
  • Sneak peeks at your upcoming book
  • Giveaways
  • Cover reveals, book trailer debuts, etc.
  • Calls for ARC readers or beta readers
  • Highlight your fellow author friends’ books

ENTERTAINMENT

  • What you’re currently watching/reading
  • Movies and TV shows your MC would love
  • Your writing playlist
  • What books, movies, and TV shows are similar to your book
  • Mini flash fiction stories
  • Relatable writer/reader memes
  • Polls, questions, and quizzes

And remember, always include some sort of call to action for readers to take. This can be participating in a poll or clicking the link to visit your new website.

A question to my readers: Do you currently have an author newsletter, and if the answer is “No,” what has stopped you from creating one?

Thanks for reading! If this was helpful, like and comment, and check out my Instagram for more book and author marketing tips.