Looking into an author email list? Becoming a successful writer means managing your sales and your branding. Marketing yourself is just as important as writing. One of the best ways to build an audience is through an author email list. An author email list will help you connect instantly with your readers, give you data you can use to build marketing campaigns, and create genuine, ongoing engagement. Here’s why you need to focus your efforts on building a solid author email list.
- 1. Talk Directly to Your Readers with an Author Email List
- 2. Email Marketing Works
- 3. Author Email List — Establish Your Authority
- 4. Make Marketing Easier with Cross-Selling
- 5. Author Email List — Build Loyalty with Specials and Subscriber-Only Benefits
- 6. Keep Informed About Your Readers
- How to Build an Author Email List in 5 Easy Steps
- Get Started Today
1. Talk Directly to Your Readers with an Author Email List
Email marketing gives you a direct line to people who want to hear from you. They’re not strangers, and you’re not bothering them with unwanted spam. Your letters and articles go directly to your readers’ inboxes. You don’t have to rely on a social media platform with rules and regulations that may restrict your messaging or even ban you. You own your data, and you own the addresses of the people you’re reaching.
You may not think email marketing works because you get hundreds of emails that you remove without reading. Many are spam or unwanted, but some come from trusted sources that you enjoy reading. At one point, you signed up willingly to get news, updates, and other information from that writer.
The best part about an email is that you can read it when you want to. If you get an email from a writer or other source you enjoy reading, you are likely to stop what you’re doing and at least peruse it briefly to see what it’s about.
2. Email Marketing Works
Industry studies show that email marketing has a higher return on investment (ROI) than web or social media advertising. That’s why every site you visit offers you something in exchange for signing up with an email address. Research has found that email marketing works because:
- People like personalized campaigns that use their names and feature products they want to use.
- Many people sign up for courses or register for events because of an email they receive.
- Automated campaigns make revenue-building effortless.
- They can read emails when they choose.
- People rarely delete emails from sources they trust.
- Email marketing is low cost, and the ROI can be as high as $35.00 for every $1.00 you spend.
Many of us indeed get more emails than we would like, but again, those are from unknown or untrustworthy sources. Send emails that have genuine information and insights. That way, readers on your author email list will be eager to get them.
3. Author Email List — Establish Your Authority
Consistent, meaningful content will set you apart from other writers and show that you’re an expert in your subject. Who do you trust more? A journalist who authors a compelling article on a topic once a year, or the one who posts weekly articles, think pieces, and blog posts about it? That person has proven themselves to be an authority. You can do the same with an author email list.
How can you show expertise? Choose a topic or topics you enjoy writing about. Offer tips about writing, news about the publishing world, your views on other books, or information about your industry. Write think pieces, blog posts, and, occasionally, in-depth articles. Share humorous experiences or discuss your views on art and creativity. It’s your platform. Use your author email list to set yourself up as an authority that readers can trust.
4. Make Marketing Easier with Cross-Selling
Did you build a new fan base with your latest book? Use this opportunity to sell your backlist. Let them know about other books you’ve written, even if they’re in other genres. Allow new fans to discover your entire catalog.
Another great idea is to offer related merchandise. Look at YouTube, Rumble, Spotify, and other broadcasting channels. The popular social media creators on these channels produce merchandise because fans request it.
These might be specific products related to the channel’s subject. For instance, a hair care expert might produce a branded hair care line. Others sell branded mugs, t-shirts, hoodies, and caps. Fans want the world to know about their favorite channel, and they will happily spend money on “merch” to support their favorite creators.
Why not do the same? Branded merchandise is a low-cost way to cross-sell your books and other items.
5. Author Email List — Build Loyalty with Specials and Subscriber-Only Benefits
One way to build loyalty is by rewarding people who have been with you from the start. Major companies know that everyone likes to be appreciated. That’s why most stores have loyalty cards that give you points and discounts every time you shop there.
People enjoy discounts and other benefits, and that will keep them shopping there. It creates an emotional connection with the company and a sense that the shopper’s time and money are valuable. For the company, these loyalty programs are an effective way to track data about their buyers. It’s a win-win for the companies. Their rewards program is a good source of emails they can use for marketing.
When building your email list, consider using a similar strategy. People who routinely read your email newsletter, visit your site, or buy your books deserve rewards. You may not be a big corporate store, but you can offer perks like:
- Subscriber-only discounts and giveaways.
- Video recordings or writer discussion sessions exclusively for monthly subscribers.
- Exclusive updates, character studies, or scenes you had to cut from the book.
- Question and answer sessions about what your readers would like to see in the next book.
- Subscriber-only invitations to book signings and other events.
Loyalty rewards are easy to create, and they create meaningful connections with your readers. It only takes a few small gestures of appreciation to turn someone into a devoted fan. Like shoppers who will only shop where they get points, they’ll feel a stronger sense of loyalty to you.
6. Keep Informed About Your Readers
An author email list is yours. That sets it apart from a social media account, which you can unexpectedly lose. You don’t have to follow a platform’s rules about how and when you communicate with readers. You own all the data your list produces about your readers.
Using data analytics, you’ll see which topics spark the most interest. You’ll also see how many people open your emails, read them, and act on them. Who are your readers, and what do they value most in your emails? You can learn all that, and you’ll be able to create targeted email messages that increase their interest and engagement.
How to Build an Author Email List in 5 Easy Steps
1 Create a lead magnet. This should be free. It might be a short story you’ve written or a chapter from an upcoming book. It might be a checklist, worksheet, template, or anything your readers value.
2 Offer a signup incentive. These could be an immediate download of the free book or template. It might be paired with a discount on a future purchase.
3 Use a multi-channel approach to invite readers to sign up for your website, social media channels, and other platforms.
4 Start with one to three introductory emails.
5 Commit to a regular schedule of weekly, biweekly, or monthly emails to keep your list active and engaged.
Get Started Today
The best time to start building your author email list is now. With just a little work, you’ll have a marketing tool that will help you learn about your readers, engage with them, and market directly to your most loyal fans. At Dazzle Printing, we help independent writers become successful, published authors.
