5 Steps to an Awesome Author Newsletter

Connecting with your readers beyond just your book is possible with an author newsletter. This is the perfect way to keep readers engaged, grow your following, and nurture your fan base.

A newsletter can be started by anyone. However, getting results from one isn't easy, and it is one of your most powerful marketing tools if it's done right. Start an author newsletter by evaluating, planning, preparing, executing, and analyzing.

1: Evaluate

By maintaining long-term contact with their readers, newsletters help authors stay ahead of their readers' minds. Through sustained, intimate communication, you can open up future opportunities. This can be a blog subscriptions, event signups, and ultimately, enabling you to touch more lives by helping them, educating them, and inspiring them. It's not about making a sale or promoting something in a newsletter-it's about cultivating relationships with your readers.

Consider your commitment level

It takes dedication to create a successful author newsletter. Ensure that you have enough time to plan, write, edit, prepare, send, analyze, and maintain your newsletter before you start it. It must be sustained consistently, like other marketing efforts, such as blogging and social media posting, to have an impact.

Identify the marketing activities you are currently doing

The content and news in newsletters need to be regularly updated to keep the reader interested. In addition, you usually need a website or blog before starting a newsletter so subscribers can subscribe and you can post content.

2: Plan

Create an outline for your newsletter

What will you have for content in your newsletter? You don't need to include everything in a newsletter. If you write in various genres, you can choose a narrow focus for your newsletter. You should give subscribers what they want, and newsletters aren't meant to market or sell, and they're intended to inform, entertain,

Plan your schedule

If you send out a newsletter frequently, how often will you do it? Determine an appropriate balance. Overdoing it can irritate subscribers. Don't remind readers often enough, and they may forget they subscribed to you. Ask your fans and subscribers how often they prefer to receive it if you're unsure. Typically, newsletters are sent out every month.

Select a newsletter program

To send a newsletter, several programs can help you. You won’t have to know how to code or be a designer. The cost is affordable (or even free). The following programs provide a variety of newsletter templates, can track and analyze your emails, and can even automate your newsletter sending:

• Mailchimp

• MailerLite

• Campaign Monitor

• AWeber

• Constant Contact

Another thing to consider is AppSumo. While not a newsletter program, many companies offer lifetime subscriptions for premium accounts at a super low price. You may find a newsletter program that fits your needs. After all, it doesn't hurt to look.

List everything you need

Subscribers to your newsletter can be collected now. Your website or blog can be embedded with a signup form using the code provided by your email program of choice. You don't have the right to send a newsletter to someone because you have their email address. Ask people to opt-in, and make sure they understand what they're opting into.

3: Preparation

Create a newsletter

Give yourself plenty of time before your newsletter's send date to create its content. Creating eye-catching graphics, writing killer content, and perfecting your newsletter within the system takes time. Until you find a suitable newsletter template for you, try out different templates. For your readers' convenience, stick to the template you choose, at least for a while. Many email programs offer online help documents and customer support, especially paid versions.

Pay attention to the details

Before sending your newsletter, you need to examine several details. Don't forget the importance of the "from" field, the subject line, and the preview of your newsletter. These three factors determine whether someone will even open your email. To track traffic from your newsletter to your website, use UTM codes in your hyperlinks. Make sure your newsletter includes ALT text for all images. Don't forget to copyedit your work thoroughly before sending it. After you send the email, there is no chance to change it.

Test on various devices and browsers

Test your email on various browsers and email clients, as well as devices such as tablets, computers, and smartphones when you're preparing to send your newsletter. A preview tool may be included with your email service provider. Nevertheless, while signing up for free email accounts is a good idea, you should also test how your newsletter will look after it is sent out.

Stay compliant with CAN-SPAM

Unsolicited emails are protected by the CAN-SPAM act. Violating the law will result in an outrageous fine. Ensure the unsubscribe link is visible and easy to find, such as the footer, to stay compliant. You must also cease emailing the unsubscribers after they opt-out. Unsubscribe links and unsubscribe lists can typically be inserted into most email programs.

To stay compliant, you must also include your physical postal mailing address in the email. To ensure your privacy and safety, you can protect your home address by renting a P.O. box through the United States Mail or UPS. You can rent a box for as little as $5 per month. Lastly, ensure that your messaging is honest to stay compliant. Email subject lines, email copy, and sender information should not contain misleading information.

4: Execute and Testing

Authors and marketers should ask themselves constantly what is working and what is not. A/B testing is a method of testing your messaging, and your newsletter can be tested in many different ways. This can be the subject line, the headline, or the call to action. Ensure that you change only one element at a time to know which variant is producing results. The A/B testing functionality is available in most email newsletter programs.

List segmentation

List segmentation allows you to target your audience. You use this method to segment your subscriber list into smaller groups so that you can customize your content for each of them. Segmenting lists will increase click-through and open rates and reduce unsubscribes and spam complaints. Your list can be segmented based on factors such as the date of sign-up, the location, and the interests. Think about asking your newsletter subscribers about their interests (e.g., "Which are your favorite things to read? Books, Events, News, Blogs, Offers, All of the Above"). Creating customized content for segmented lists does take a little time, but you'll see your results improving as you go.

5: Enhance and Analyze

Analyzing the results of your email and taking action based on those results is the next step. Below are a few details you should examine:

• Open rate

• Click-through rate

• Conversions

• Delivery rate

• List growth

• Forwards

• SPAM rate

Create your author newsletter today

As soon as you have a plan of action in place, it's time to start designing the perfect newsletter. A newsletter that offers rich, engaging content allows you to communicate directly with them. You will gain valuable insight from your newsletter if you use it wisely.

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