Email Marketing For Authors (Why, How, and Top Tips)

Why Does an Author Need an Email List?

83% of consumers prefer receiving brand communications via email.

This means that the best way for you to also communicate with your readers, especially if you want them to become loyal readers who will purchase your future books, would be by email.

Most if not all authors engage mainly with their readers on their social media platforms and create groups specifically for their fans. This allows you as an author to have a dedicated space where the subject of engagement is your books and other author-related content.

However, even though you can have your own community space, for example on Facebook, the space is not completely yours because someone on your community page easily gets distracted by other parts of Facebook such as Ads…

Or look puppies! I love puppies!

Yes, um, you get the idea.

So having a platform where you can get all the attention you need from your readers is important. Apart from your website, your newsletters can help achieve this.

What Are the Benefits of an Author Mailing List?

There are many benefits to having a mailing list, especially as a newer author. Here are some of those benefits for you to consider:

Email is personal

Communicating with someone over email is more personal than any other form of online marketing. This is because you can personalize the emails that you send to your subscribers

Not only can you send readers broadcasts or automated emails, but you can curate email sequences based on their interaction with your website or main email campaigns. 

You can also have one-on-one conversations with your readers or give them a shout-out for their questions in the email.

Creates connections with your readers

If you want a tight-knit community, an author newsletters will help you connect on a more personal level by sharing insights on your writing journey and life in general. Bonus: Once you have developed a good relationship with your readers, they’ll be more likely to buy your upcoming books.

Cost-effective marketing

Your mailing list is like a pot of gold that can only multiply and produce better results with time.

Once you have the list, you can directly communicate with the people on the list regarding various things, including promoting upcoming books, merchandise, or events you will be part of.

You can create email marketing campaigns at no cost additional cost. You can remarket and nurture readers who showed interest in your books but have not made a purchase.

Increases your credibility

As you regularly communicate with your readers and potential readers, you increase your credibility as they feel more familiar with you.

For example, if you have a payment portal on a website that features your books, someone who was not comfortable purchasing on your site will now warm up to the idea of buying from you.

And if you communicate to the mailing list about your creative content, customers who weren’t convinced they would enjoy reading your book become familiar with your writing. This can help improve your creative credibility.

Builds brand recognition

If a customer regularly receives your emails that include your distinctive author branding style (fonts, color, logo, etc.) they easily recognize your books from a distance.

This will be very beneficial for you because people more often than not buy things from brands they are familiar with.

So the next time someone on your mailing list sees your book in a bookstore or on Amazon, they will stop and consider buying it simply because they recognize the author.

You can measure the results

Using an email service provider to communicate with your mailing list will allow you to track the results over time. You can see how many people open your emails and click on the links you have provided in your emails (these would most likely be URL links to where your books can be bought).

You can get more granular reporting features depending on the email service provider you choose. Some of the recommended providers for authors are MailerLite, Mailchimp, or ConvertKit.

What Do You Put in Your Email Newsletters?

You might be wondering what you could write about in newsletters regularly. There’s always going to be something that happens in your author world. That’s why it’s called a NEWS-letter!

But only share whatever you’re comfortable with.

Personal updates

If someone is only interested in buying your book, they would probably only do that and not subscribe to your newsletter. So if they sign up, it shows they want more.

They might want to know more about you as an author, what other books you have coming up, and any big milestones in your career or personal life, if you are willing to divulge that information.

An update on your current project

If you are working on a new book, you could let your readers in on the process a little bit by giving them updates at different stages. For example, you can send a newsletter for a book cover reveal, send them your new book trailer, or have a limited-time offer for signed copies. 

There are so many things that you can send to build up the hype for the book before it’s released!

Upcoming author events

If you have upcoming book tours, you can send a newsletter in advance so that your readers can prepare and RSVP for the event. Or any other event you might be part of that might interest your readers.

Plus, the world is constantly online, so you can have virtual book tours and send the details about this too!

Feature one of your books

You can send an excerpt of one of your books to promote it more. It doesn’t always have to be the new books that get promoted. Even your other books that did not get much attention can get some promotional love and care.

You can make a newsletter that breaks down a scene in the book, allowing the reader into your mind to understand the intricacies of the plot.

Gifts and fun things

If you have a new book you are working on, you can gift your mailing list with a free chapter or two on your book. Or exclusive gifts only your mailing list can get, like character wallpapers.

Try something fun like quizzes on your books! And maybe if you are considering writing another book you can send a poll for inspiration on what your readers would like to read.

How To Make Your Newsletter Effective

Write to an “ideal reader”

Just like we do with our blogs! We have an imaginary author in mind as we write blogs. This helps you write like you are writing/speaking to an actual person. This is how you will come across as genuine.

This can be tough because our brain tells us that “since you are writing an email, it needs to be all professional”.

Having an ideal reader will help you write more personalized newsletters. This way people who receive the emails will feel like they are genuinely engaging with the author rather than just getting an automated email.

Make it readable

This means that when someone reads it, they must be able to understand what you are saying and the purpose of the email without having to decipher and read between lines.

You don’t have to use technical jargon that most people won’t understand. Unless you are using the terms from your book. Don’t do this too much because you will have subscribers who haven’t read your books yet.

Send test emails

Send yourself a test email to see what the newsletter will look like when it gets to your subscribers. Check the test email and look out for spelling mistakes and incorrect links.

The email must look like you put time and effort into writing and sending the newsletter. But this doesn’t mean it should look like a whole poster, it can be simple. In fact, sometimes it’s better when it’s simple because too many elements in a newsletter will be too busy for the reader.

We’re Here To Help

Now that you know all about the benefits of having an email list, you are probably wondering how to go about it. There are a ton of great author marketing services available online. But you need an author website if you want to have a sustainable way of capturing emails from interested readers.

Luckily for you, we specialize in author websites and know a thing or two about creating beautiful sign-up pages. Check out our work here: website design services for authors.