Author Newletters: Who are they for?
How many author newsletters have you signed up for? Am I the only one who avoids them (sort of) like the plague?
I can certainly see why some authors need them. Authors with fans. Authors with platforms. Famous authors–the ones that fill the eight feet of fiction shelving in small town Christian bookstores. Everyone else? I didn’t get it.
Note the past tense. 😛
No sooner did I announce that I’d sold a novella than people began asking me to be sure to let them know when and where they could buy my book. Some said they’re rarely on Facebook and might not find out if I didn’t email them. Honestly? The number of these people is still small. Maybe a dozen or so. But for them, I will make a newsletter…and others can sign up as well if they feel like it.
So that’s who newsletters are for, at least at first! My old Real Life friends–the ones who are so excited to finally know a ‘real live author.’ It’s not for my writer buddies at all–duh. You’d think I could have figured that out.
Thursday I finished the first draft of the novella. Now I can take a bit of time to research and study various newsletter programs. Here are some criteria that I’m using:
1. Double opt-in. I understand that it’s called spam to send newsletters to people who haven’t expressly signed up. The double opt-in means you have to verify that you wish to receive it.
2. Expandable. I’m preferring a free product for now, with the possibility of going to a paid program later when/if the need occurs, either through number of subscribers, layout options, or whatever. I don’t want to switch hosts when that time comes.
3. Usable by the technologically-challenged. If I can’t figure a program out by myself, I need to find a different one that I can! WYSIWYG is a big plus. Drag and drop components make me happy. I understand some basic HTML, but it’s easy for me to get lost.
Am I missing any key components? At the moment I am playing with tutorials for two programs: Mail Chimp and YMLP. Do you know of another I might consider?
I’m thinking I’ll be doing good to have news to report quarterly. Does that sound like a good frequency? I’d really love some input here!
Either way, I’ll be sure to let you know when you can sign up to receive my exciting newsletter. Hey, if I’m going to do it, I might as well do it right!
For more about e-newsletters, check this post. Addendum: For more on newsletter software, click on the category button Newsletter. I’ll be posting info on a different subscription service every month.
Hey Val! Exciting times! I also use my newsletter to reach people who are interested in my topic: Celtic Christianity. But you are so right. By and large these are not for other authors. It drives me crazy when authors I don’t know (only because they are my FB friend) sign me up for their newsletters or invite me to “like” their fan page. There is no possible way I could read all of their books even if I wanted to. Not to mention that is ILLEGAL to sign people up for a newsletter when they haven’t asked for it and there is no option given for unsubscribing.
I use Vertical Response and pay $7.50 for 500 emails, which never expire so if it takes you several months to use all 500, that’s okay. They also had a special (I think it’s still on for the month) where they double the emails you buy for free up to 1000. It’s easy to use with templates and you don’t have to keep track of who signed up, who bounced, and who unsubscribed. I’m sure there are others, but I’ve had good luck with this one for several years.
Yes, it is illegal to sign someone else up for a newsletter–hence the double opt-in. I remember sitting in a Randy Ingermanson seminar a few years ago where he talked about a few of these issues!
Thanks for the heads-up on Vertical Response. By 500 emails, I guess you mean mailings, not receiving addresses?
Hey, don’t count out your writer friends as readers too :). I linked to an article on that in my Interesting Links the other day.
However, on the newsletter, double opt in is to protect you because you have proof they said they wanted it. I’m honestly not sure it’s illegal, and it depends on where you are, but what will happen is that your email, domain, and name could end up on a spam list which means your agent might not get your email, editors might not…etc.
As to what you’re looking at, I don’t have a newsletter, but quarterly makes sense to me. Monthly seems more common, but you have to come up with something of interest, though if you keep doing novellas, that could work. I wouldn’t rule it out.
On wanting something now that you’d never have to move, be careful about that as a criteria. It sets you up big time if the service decides to quit.
Oh, and there’s always Aweber. That’s what Holly uses. It’s generally reliable, but I think it costs from the start.
Thanks for your insights, Mar. Will take into consideration 🙂