As many of you have probably heard, having an author newsletter is a great way to reach out to your ideal readers. But what happens if you don’t actually have any books out yet? What could you possibly put in a newsletter that would be of any interest to anyone else?
I struggled with that very question when I first decided to create my author newsletter. Who would even want to read it, right?
Well, ten years ago, my first suspense novel was traditionally published by a small press and I had a group of readers who enjoyed the book and wanted another. Of course life has a way of derailing the best laid plans, so even though I had written a draft of a second suspense book, it’s taken me until now to have a polished, edited manuscript that I’m now querying.
So I contacted the folks who bought my first book and asked if they would be interested in signing up for my free monthly newsletter. And to my delight, they all said yes. Then, I emailed many of my contacts and asked the same question, and the vast majority of them also said yes.
I had the beginnings of a subscriber list. Thanks to guidance from my writing mentor, and the promise of an easy platform, I decided to create my newsletter in MailerLite. I use the drag and drop option and once you know what you want, it’s quite easy to add pictures, links etc.
Having learned the basics at Canva, I created a name for my newsletter, Jacqueline’s Journal, and then designed a simple logo in the color palette that I chose to go with the genres of books I write. I also created a signature in Canva that I put at the end of every issue of my newsletter.
Now, I had to decide on content.
So at the beginning of every newsletter, I introduce myself (for the newbies), and then type a short paragraph with something that isn’t about me as a writer.
Then, for issue #1, I decided to talk about the little squirrel that took residence in my yard and a cute story about his antics. And now the Saga of my Tree has become a popular segment in every issue.
I update my subscribers on my writing/querying process next. After all, they are waiting for the next book.
I offer book recommendations that I’ve read and think they might enjoy, or spotlight an author who writes suspense, thriller, mystery or horror.
If I’ve watched a particularly good show or movie in my genres, I do a short review and tell folks where to watch it.
I include a quote about writing.
I add my links to my socials (Facebook/Instagram/X-Twitter/Threads) and a link to my blog.
At the end I usually put a CTA (call to action). I’ve asked folks to recommend movies, shows, books, or authors they think I might enjoy. I’ve asked for feedback on my newsletter content. I’ve even asked subscribers to guess when they think I might get my agent and offering a free autographed copy to the person who’s guess is the closest. I love getting the replies and hearing what they have to say.
And finally, my signature.
*Make sure to have a link for unsubscribe at the bottom*
You will also have to make up a place for new subscribers to sign up for the newsletter (remember you can’t add anyone without their permission).
Here’s the link to sign up for Jacqueline’s Journal
https://dashboard.mailerlite.com/forms/1265559/144346715320747807/share
If you have an author newsletter, I’d love to check it out. Pop the links into the comments section.