It seems everyone has a newsletter these days, right? And author newsletters are becoming even more popular because they can be used in so many ways. From monetizing your work to promoting your books and building your author platform, newsletters are a valuable tool for authors. They’re also loved by readers.
But there’s a catch. It’s not enough to just start a newsletter. A successful newsletter needs to be both creative and consistent.
Below we’ll cover the benefits of maintaining a newsletter and offer up some creative content ideas that will help grow your audience and keep them engaged.
If everyone is doing it, maybe you should too?
How You Can Benefit from Maintaining an Author Newsletter
The key to a successful author newsletter is creating good content and maintaining output. The good content will draw your audience in and maintaining your output will keep your audience engaged. Because, yes, everyone has a newsletter, but not everyone is using them to their full potential. Many authors started newsletters with big ambitions, yet didn’t follow through. Some were just jumping on a bandwagon with no strategy or roadmap. You’ll need to do both if you want to reap the benefits. Of course, you’ll also need to start building your email list. Reader magnets are a great way to do that!
A successful author newsletter will be:
- On brand
- Creative and compelling
- Consistent
The benefits you’ll see from your efforts:
- A direct connection to your audience (visibility doesn’t depend on an algorithm)
- An open line of communication
- Reader engagement and loyalty
- Opportunities to monetize
- A highly visible platform for your book promotion
- Audience and reader growth
Go in with a Plan!
Starting an author newsletter, ideally, will begin with a plan. Know what you want to do with it and figure out how that lines up with what your audience wants. Will this be a creative outlet? Will you use it to keep your audience updated on your process? Are you imagining that you’ll offer industry insights and opinions? Your newsletter needs to have a consistent theme and a purpose. It needs to offer a promise to your audience. And you need to stick with it. So, deciding how much output you can manage and how often is crucial.
Of course, the content you put out will depend on your genre and your long-term goals. But, perhaps you envision using your newsletter to publish writing outside of your genre? For instance, if you’re a fiction writer, maybe you’d like to use a newsletter as an outlet for your essay writing?
Yes, you can do that! But it will depend on your goals and the drive and energy you want to put into it. Will your newsletter content draw in a larger audience? Will it intersect with your book’s genre and appeal to your existing fans? Will you be able to consistently deliver on schedule?
These are all things to consider before starting your newsletter.
Choosing a Platform that’s Right for You
There are quite a few options for hosting your newsletter and each has its unique advantages. You can host your newsletter from your website with an integrated plug-in like Mailchimp or Kit. You can also use an all-in-one platform such as Substack or Ghost. You get the idea. But one of them will likely be right for you.
We highly recommend doing a bit of research because your choice will also depend on a few things. You may want to consider factors such as:
- Whether it’s free or paid
- User friendliness
- Perks offered, such as analytics, tracking, and automations
- Reach and visibility
- Customization options
Some Creative Content Ideas for Author Newsletters
We mentioned that author newsletters are getting creative, and we believe that’s a big part of their success. Offering something beyond book promotion to your readers is key to keeping them engaged. It’s also an opportunity to reach a wider audience. If you create content that they really value, you may even be able to monetize your newsletter. Who wouldn’t want to create an income stream that can also boost book sales?
So, how are some of the most successful authors using their newsletters in creative ways?
Serials
What’s old is new. Serials were popular in newspapers and periodicals in the past and they’re gaining popularity again via newsletters. If you’re a fiction author, this is your chance to put out short fiction and publish it almost instantly. It can lead to audience growth and will keep your current fans engaged with a steady stream of new content. This can also translate to more book sales!
Supplemental and Bonus Materials
Another popular author newsletter focus is supplemental content. This means your content offers a deeper look inside the world of your books. You can expand on side character backstories or do further world building. Some authors share passages left on the cutting room floor.
Essay Newsletters
Even if you’re a fiction author, your author newsletter could be the space to test ideas outside your genre. You could write about topics related to your book or share personal stuff via memoir. If you want to explore your creativity, this could be a great author newsletter option. This can also be an opportunity to draw new readers to your books.
Expert Knowledge and Insights
If you’ve already established trust with your audience, an author newsletter offering expert knowledge or insights will go over well. You can write book reviews or share thoughts on your genre, such as sharing the new releases you’re looking forward to. Nonfiction authors can offer weekly tips or industry insights to keep their audiences engaged.
Interactive Content and Games
Gamifying content is gaining in popularity. Especially if you write in genres such as Romance, Fantasy or Mystery. Think character quizzes or choose your own adventure games. This takes a lot of creativity and engagement on your part as well, but if you’re up to it, your fans will love feeling like they’re part of the world of your book. Many authors even create polls, allowing their audience to take part in where the next story goes.
Successful Author Newsletters are Consistent Too
Again, a successful author newsletter requires consistency. So choose a theme and stick to it. You’ll also need to decide on a schedule. How much output can you realistically handle? Figure that out and stay on schedule. You don’t have to publish every week. Even once a month will do, especially if you give your audience the content they really look forward to.
It’s all about figuring out what you want to do, what your audience is looking for and finding your stride. If you have a great idea and some dedication, you’ll set yourself apart from all the other newsletters out there.
What are your thoughts on the topic? Do you have a favorite author newsletter to share? Let us know in the comments!
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