News letters

[JETaylor]

I haven't gotten around to doing any sort of regular news letter yet. 

Yes - it's on my list of to-do's - but I figured I'd find out what people really want before I start putting something together that's just going to be a waste of time for all involved.  So I figured what better place to ask than the Kindle Boards. 

So - for the readers - do you like receiving email news letters from your favorite authors?
Would you just like to be on a mailing list that announces releases or do you like more meat in the communication? If so - what types of topics intrigue you the most?

For authors - do you have a regular news letter?  If so, what kind of feedback have you gotten in relation to this?  For those that don't - why not?

JET. 

[Feenix]

Isn't this accomplished by updating a blog?

Just wondering...

Dave King

[JETaylor]

In some cases I would think a blog helps - but I'm not sure that qualifies as a News letter per se - I'd love to get other's feedback on that as well, because it's a valid solution. 

However, I get email news letters from several authors both on a regular basis and only around release times - so it varies and I guess the business analyst (day job) in me is looking for the benefit of news letters versus an announcement on a blog or networking site.  Is there more of a personal connection when you receive an email - or could you care less. 

It's important to me to find out what my fans are looking for besides the next book and if it's the blog and social network announcements - great - but I'd rather not feel unapproachable to the masses.  I'm more for the personal touch than the banner advertisements.  Just me - but I'm curious to see what the majority feel.

[Bards and Sages (Julie)]

For individual authors, I follow their blogs.  For publishers, I subscribe to newsletters.

In both cases, I do so rarely.

Whether it is a blog or a newsletter, it needs to be content of interest TO ME AS A READER.  I don't need daily or weekly

"SQUEE! My book is free on Amazon!"
"SQUEE! My book is in the top 100 of some obscure catagory you didn't know existed!"
"SQUEE! Some blogger you never heard of gave me a 5 star review!"
"SQUEE! Look! I changed my cover art!"
"SQUEE! My book is on sale on Amazon!"

Now I DO have a newsetter, with around a thousand opt-in subscribers.  But I also have a lot of stuff going on.  I have a writing contest and the virtual book tours and a huge backlist of fiction and RPG titles.  I also bribe them with free digital copies of the Quarterly journal.  Bribery works.     The thing with a newsletter is that it has to be something beyond "Buy my book!" all the time.  It needs real content.  And it needs content of interest to readers.  A lot of authors make the mistake (both on blogs and in newsletter) of writing constantly about writing and indie publishing.  And that is all well and good if your target market is primarily other writers.  But it isn't all that interesting to the average reader.

[Feenix]

And what is the definition of

"SQUEE?"



Dave King

[Bards and Sages (Julie)]

And what is the definition of

"SQUEE?"



Dave King

lol Beats me.  I never even came across the alleged word until I started hanging out here.   

[JETaylor]

And what is the definition of

"SQUEE?"



Dave King

It's a noise one makes when they're excited. Perhaps a reflection of the excess computer gaming revolution.

[Bards and Sages (Julie)]

It's a noise one makes when they're excited.

*Reads above quote.*
*Looks at cover of Steam.*

Hmmm, those most be some interesting sex scenes...

[smreine]

I reserve my mailing list for announcing new releases (and an occasional cover reveal, because my readers seem to love them). Anything else, and it gets to be noisy, obnoxious, and kinda spammy. I keep all the little stuff to my Twitter and blog.

[Glen Krisch]

What is a good option for an opt-in service?

[Phoenix Sullivan]

I put together a newsletter that's a publisher/author hybrid for Steel Magnolia Press. In it, we include all the stuff Julie doesn't want to see along with stuff others do want to see. We've offered free recipes (the subscriber was asked to go to our website and download the pretty PDF) and holiday memories and Jennifer also talks about what she's been up to (she has some very, very loyal fans).

The goal is to put one out every month, building on the author-only newsletter Jennifer Blake used to publish monthly. Our subscriber base has about 600 readers.

I use MailChimp to handle all the opt-in stuff and to keep our template consistent. Still, it does take me awhile to put an issue together because I want it as perfect as possible. The result is a homey-professional feel. MailChimp also allows us to archive each newsletter on its own webpage that you can view standalone or, as we also do, pull it into a tab on our blog. And yes, we maintain a blog as well that also (in theory) has 6 authors contributing to it.

Perhaps think about linking with similar-genred folk to do a group newsletter and expand readership?

Here are the last two issues (Feb's is scheduled to go out tomorrow ):
January : http://us2.campaign-archive2.com/?u=85240c56621af7ec3adbbfbb2&id=23b2988a8c
December : http://us2.campaign-archive2.com/?u=85240c56621af7ec3adbbfbb2&id=0bcac1b06f

[Gregory Lynn]

I just want to know when new stuff is available. None of the rest of it is anything I really give a [crap] about.

[Sean Patrick Fox]

The only newsletter I read is Jim Butcher's, and usually I just skim the highlights and delete it. At the risk of sounding like a snob, I think individual newsletters are very 2002. I'm more likely to subscribe to a publisher's newsletter simply because I can get information on a bunch of authors I like at once, like Julie said. Otherwise, I can just go to an author's website/blog or check out their Twitter account.

But keep in mind, I'm not really one to follow the goings on of my favorite authors. I'll look up when their new books are coming out, read them when they do, and that's about it.

[Bards and Sages (Julie)]

I put together a newsletter that's a publisher/author hybrid for Steel Magnolia Press. In it, we include all the stuff Julie doesn't want to see along with stuff others do want to see.

Don't misunderstand.  It isn't that I don't WANT to see it at all.  I just don't want that to be the only thing I see and not all the darn time.  Like the discussions we've had here regarding Twitter and FB and even Goodreads.  Some authors all they do is spam the same stuff all the time and never really share interesting content.  

[Phoenix Sullivan]

Don't misunderstand.

  I got that. I was really only teasing with my comment.

[CoraBuhlert]

I don't subscribe to e-mail newsletters, though I am on a few mailing lists, usually because I bought a book/attended an event/signed up to get free stuff/the publisher is a friend of mine. I rarely read newsletters, so I was hesitant to start one, because I couldn't imagine who would sign up for it.

Eventually I caved in and added a newsletter sign-up to my personal and publisher blog. I started my newsletter maybe a month ago and had two actual subscribers at last check (plus myself and my Dad). So far I'm planning to use it only for announcing new releases and maybe the occasional giveaway. Perhaps I'll offer an exclusive free story as an incentive on occasion - I have a few stories that are too short for standalone publication. For everything else, I've got a blog.

I use a Wordpress plugin called ALO EasyMail newsletter.

[JETaylor]

*Reads above quote.*
*Looks at cover of Steam.*

Hmmm, those most be some interesting sex scenes...

LMAO - after a tough week at the day job - this was so what I needed.  Thanks!

And everyone else - thank you for your input.  It's an interesting subject and worth the conversation.  I personally only look at a couple news letters that cross my desk as well - so that's why I wanted to pose the question. 

[Phoenix Sullivan]

Here are a few stats from the newsletter we sent out Thursday morning. Stats as of end of day Friday.

243 opens
78 clicks

21 paid purchases were made through Amazon Associates as a result of click-throughs to our site. We also had 50+ downloads of two books we advertised for free. We've had additional click-throughs today as well, but won't know how many actual sales were made today until tomorrow's Associates report.

A lot depends on how you position your newsletter, what value-add you offer in each issue and what types of fans you can attract. Also, do you offer something free to folk who sign up for your newsletter? We do. It's all about "what's in it for me" from the subscriber's perspective.

[BrianKittrell]

I rarely send one out because I don't always have something to say that readers might find interesting. I announce major releases through my infrequent postings, but I'm of the opinion that people don't want a flood of newsletters in their inboxes. With writers, it's more of a, "Hey, do you remember me? Here's what we've been up to lately," than a "BUY NOW BUY NOW BUY NOW, and, if you buy now, thanks! P.S. BUY NOW BUY NOW BUY NOW!!!! If you'd like to unsubscribe, please BUY NOW BUY NOW BUY NOW before you do! The unsubscribe button is hidden on my author profile which you can reach after visiting my book's product page where you can BUY NOW BUY NOW BUY NOW!!!"

Whew, that was exhausting.

If my subscribers follow 10 people and we all send an email a week, that's 40 emails a month. With the length newsletters tend to run, lots of the content will be skimmed or auto-deleted. And if you have nothing to say other than, "Yep, it's still for sale, guys!" then you should probably wait until you do a few interviews or make a cool video. People are engaged by content, not sales pitches.

* communal you, not specific you, used throughout.

[TexasGirl]

I don't think it's 2002 at all! I have a blog, but my newsletter is stuff I would never put on my blog.

In mine, which is monthly, I give an excerpt of a scene from my novel in progress, to keep everyone fired up for its release. And I also excerpt another author I think they'll love, and provide links to their book. Monday I'm doing a Valentine's Edition with a bunch of excerpts, book links, song links, and links to contests I know about.

The buy rate is pretty good, it seems. People like book recommendations from people they already like.

My contact form is everywhere. I have a QR code on the paperback of my book and a link in the e-book. The service I use has a million ways you can subscribe, including sending the text message DEANNAROY to 22828. Which was AWESOME at my book signing! The one time I got giddy over people pulling out their smart phones.

I've gathered 300 subscribers since I launched it in November and now get 5 or so new ones a week. It is REALLY useful when I have a need for something--a guest post on a blog that needs comment love, especially. I have actually spun about 30 of the subscribers into a secondary list called "SuperFans" as they will do anything I ask to help promote, tweet, etc. and I can do this privately, rather than via a public tweet or post. I love them!

[JETaylor]

In mine, which is monthly, I give an excerpt of a scene from my novel in progress, to keep everyone fired up for its release. And I also excerpt another author I think they'll love, and provide links to their book. Monday I'm doing a Valentine's Edition with a bunch of excerpts, book links, song links, and links to contests I know about.

The buy rate is pretty good, it seems. People like book recommendations from people they already like.

Thank you Deanna - this is extremely interesting and useful.  I've got a few dozen fans that have been pinging me about when my next book is coming out - this type newsletter would probably be the best received, although I don't want to copy my blog - which I do interviews and guest spots from other authors - indies and traditional alike.

[TexasGirl]

I make sure my newsletter is personal and something I would not ever post on my blog. The top section is always tidbits about how my writing is coming, and maybe what bit of my history led to a certain scene, or an anecdote like when I ran into the man who looked EXACTLY like my main character in a bar and he thought I was PSYCHO for taking his picture until a friend explained.

Even if I know I might use this info in a guest post somewhere later, my fans hear it FIRST, and they feel they get a piece of me no one else does.

I almost never promo my own books to buy.  A list and links are always on the sidebar, but I don't ever say--please buy. They are my choir, and I'm not going to preach to them!