I am a reader.
I think that statement is probably true of a lot of writers - we start to write because we enjoy reading so much. Either we just have stories inside of us begging to be told, or we have tried to find stories that we want to read, but cannot, so decide to write them. A lot of us write for both reasons, and perhaps more as well.
I'll tell you soon about how I decided to take the independent publishing path, but this week I am focusing on one thing that Indie Publishing requires if an author wants to get any traction - marketing. Specifically, newsletters.
There are a lot more successful authors who can tell you the whys and wheres of putting out a newsletter, some of whom I follow and hope to learn from. This blog post will illuminate my experience, both as a reader and as a writer, with newsletters.
As I stated, I am a reader. As such, I am as down as the next limited-income reader with getting free books to read. Even better are when I can find lists that offer free books in the genre and rating-level (fantasy, clean, pg-13 or less) I prefer! Chances are that you have come across the kind of promotion I mean, especially if you get my newsletter, because I include them. You browse the offerings and find books that look appealing, sign up for the author's newsletter, and receive the ebook for free. You are free to continue to receive the newsletters or unsubscribe, and the ebook remains yours.
I have signed up for a lot of newsletters. Like a lot of readers, I haven't even read all of the books I currently have downloaded, and yet I still look for more. That can end up being a crap-ton of newsletters! I use these newsletters as a form of research. What do other authors do that I like, and may want to copy? What do other authors do that I hate, and will make sure I don't do?
Some authors treat their newsletter as a marketing tool - which, to be fair, it is. However, if all I see when I open the email is a bunch of promotions and books to buy, or a pitch to buy the author's other books, then I may stick around for another email to see if it changes but chances are I'm hitting the unsubscribe button.
I get enough flyers in the mailbox, and I pitch those directly in the bin to start the woodstove with. If I had a way to stop getting so many of those, I would. I don't need to start that many fires. In my email, I do have a way to stop receiving what I don't want. I unsub.
A newsletter needs to be engaging. There should be something in there that makes me want to open it. They also need to be aware of my time. (okay, newsletters are not sentient. Their authors, though, should be.) Michael's Arts and Crafts store convinced me to sign up for their coupons. I'll admit, I would want to open those, if I'm going to be heading to the store. I did NOT want to open the five emails they sent me a week. Unsub.
My favorite newsletters are entertaining. Not necessarily dishing personal details about the author, but at least enough to give me a connection. Share a bit of yourself with me, I'll share a bit of myself, either with comments, a reply email, or at the very least, my time.
I'm still learning. My newsletters are not perfect. In fact, earlier this month I sent one out without a link to the book I was showing and had to send a corrected version, hoping readers would open that to click to the book instead of getting mad and unsubscribing.
Here are two case studies I've recently done.
Author A, whose name appears at the top of the genre on Amazon and has hundreds of reviews, agreed to mention my book to her readers in exchange for the same from me. Hooray! Plus, I joined her list. I received her newsletter. She has a lovely banner at the top identifying her brand. She jumped in with chatty smatterings of what is going on in her writing and otherwise life, including a couple of photos. All great! I was enjoying this!
Then she had a separator, and graphic images of three promotions and the cover of my book. No introductions, no explanations of what we would find if we clicked, no words. Just the hyperlinked images. Her newsletter just ended. It felt like someone had engaged in a conversation with me and then turned and walked away without comment before the conversation had naturally ended. (Another word for that is Rude.)
I'm sure you know my reaction. Unsub.
Author B, whom I had not heard of before even though she has written a couple of series, got me to sign up to receive her free book. I almost didn't click on it, because I don't love the artwork on the cover - it's just not my style.
Because this is a positive review, I'll reveal that the author's name is L. S. O'Dea. Her newsletters have me eagerly checking my inbox. Each newsletter has a theme that she briefly discusses and includes references for (feeling different than others, animals adopting other animals, animal superpowers) For example, the first one was about not fitting in - it had a snip of conversation with her mom, quoted statistics with reference links, had funny pics she tied into reading her book. Then she put in a couple of paragraphs from one of the books that had to do with not fitting in.
In all of the newsletters I've received, she has more images than I've read is good to include, but they are fantastic. I've even gotten used to the weird art she has for her covers. (This is just my opinion, probably other people wouldn't find it weird at all. You know, if they like weird art.)
At the bottom of each of her newsletters, she has links and images (Again!) of each of the books in the series and then another series, plus a link to sign up for her FB page. This must be the onboarding sequence still, because there are no book promotions or swaps or other stuff in any of these; they are all about her books so far.
I admit I still haven't read the book, other than a few paragraphs in the newsletter. But, I have read and reread each of these newsletters, so she has definitely got my engagement! And I know her book will be one I turn to sooner, rather than later, based on my enjoyment of her newsletters. If you would like to sign up for her newsletters, go to her website. (lsodea.com.)
TLDR: I'm not interested in receiving sales flyers with no personal engagement, so I will not be sending those type of newsletters out. I have thoroughly enjoyed these themed newsletters with entertaining and informative tid-bits in them, tied into the author's series. Enough of the author's humor and style show in the newsletter to engage me. I plan to redo my onboarding sequence to increase the entertainment value and hope to increase engagement. I want conversations, people!
So tell me, if you are a reader, what newsletters do you enjoy, and why? If you are an author, what do you include in your newsletters?
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