Authors often ask, “Why are author newsletters important?” It is an important question when you are time strapped.
On average, people buy from people they like. This is why many companies employ customer relationship managers. They are there to build relationships. Readers are no different. They want to get to know the writer, understand why they wrote the book, what motivates them and, of course, if they are super fans, when the next book is coming out.
Author Newsletters Help You Connect with Your Readers
Your newsletter helps your readers to connect with you. Once your readers sign up for your newsletter, you can send them regular updates of what is happening in your life, with the characters and with your books.
Unlike social media, where your posts are only visible for a short period, your newsletter remains in your reader’s inbox until they take action. If your content appeals to them, they will eagerly await the next newsletter.
How Often Should You Send Out an Author Newsletter
So how often do you need to send out your newsletter? Author newsletters should go out every 7-10 days. This is a general rule of thumb to create avid fans. However, if the thought overwhelms you, try to at least stick to every second week at the very least once a month. Your readers don’t only want to hear from you when you have a new book.
Once your readers feel like they have a connection with you, they are more receptive to being on your advance reader’s team, doing reviews and buying pre-orders.
Reward Readers for Subscribing to Your Newsletter with a Reader Magnet
To start off, create a reader magnet, which is something that you offer to readers for free for signing onto your newsletter. Make sure that the quality is good. Link the reader magnet to popular newsletter subscription services such as Mailchimp or Mailerlite, which will allow you to build an automatic delivery option. These services also allow you to build email templates, so you don’t have to recreate the entire newsletter every time. To simplify things, create a formula for your newsletter. For example, a short article about what is happening in your life, an extract of what you are writing and something about one of your characters. Once you have planned your newsletters, it will take less time to prepare them.
At first, it may seem like a waste of time to do a regular newsletter when you have so few subscribers, but take heart, they do start to add up and as your fan base grows, so will your sales.
PRO TIP: Remember, to add your website, social media links and Amazon Author Page links to your newsletter.
