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A mailing list is a great way to connect with readers and sell more books. With your newsletter, you can remind readers of who you are and let them know about new releases, deals, and other information about you and your books. Best of all, you own the list, so you can email them whenever you want, and no one can shut it down.
But how do you build an email list? Check out these tips! If you haven’t set up your list yet, read this post for more information on mailing list services.
Building a Mailing List
1. Include a sign-up link for your newsletter on your author website.
Make sure to put the sign in a prominent position on your site. Many authors have a sign up on every page because you never know where readers will end up. So don’t overlook About page, the Blog page, and your Books page. Offer a free ebook or other incentive for signing up. We call this free book a subscriber or reader magnet.
2. Create a subscriber magnet and let your social media followers know about it.
Create a subscriber or reader magnet, which is a free book you give to readers in exchange for signing up to receive your newsletter. Periodically post the link to the subscriber magnet on your social media updates. You can also pin a post to the top of your social media pages. But you’ll need to keep posting other content regularly to get people coming to your page. Boosting the post may help you find new subscribers.
3. Host your subscriber magnet on Book Cave.
On Book Cave, you can upload your subscriber magnet and readers can sign up for your newsletter and download your book directly from our site. You can also make multiple links for one subscriber magnet, then mark one link “public” so it’ll show up for readers who browse on Book Cave Direct. You can choose to give away one or unlimited number of books, but make sure to require readers to first give you their email addresses. Use that same link to join a subscriber magnet group promotion with other authors. Joining a group and co-promoting is the fastest way to gain more subscribers. You can create a second link to join another group, or a third link to give out limited review copies.
4. Add a newsletter signup link to your regular email signature.
5. Try guest posting.
When you guest post, include a link to your bio and make sure that page also has a newsletter sign up link to your Book Cave magnet. (If you are signed up for Author Happenings at Book Cave, you’ll receive notice periodically on posting opportunities on our popular reader blog.)
6. Collect email addresses at book signings and events
You can bring a paper signup on a clipboard, then input the emails into your mailing list provider later. Also include information on how readers can sign up for your newsletter online, because many will prefer to sign themselves up.
5. Write interesting newsletters
You want to hold your readers’ attentions. Even better if you can get them to share the email with a friend.
6. Ask subscribers to share the email.
At the end of your newsletter, include a sentence that asks subscribers to share your email. Something like, “Did you enjoy this email? Feel free to share it with friends!”
7. Send your subscribers exclusive offers, information, sneak peeks, and giveaways.
When your subscribers feel special and important, they are more loyal to you and more likely to tell others about your books.
What have you done to build your mailing list? We’d love to hear in the comments below.
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