Email Ideas for Fiction Authors

Fiction authors put in time and effort to grow their email lists. Take care of your subscribers with regular, quality newsletters. Here are ideas for what to email to them.

There are many articles and videos about growing your email list, and that is where everyone begins. Over time, however, it can be easier to continue focusing on getting new subscribers instead of putting effort into taking care of the ones you already have.

Why? Usually, it is because fiction authors don’t know what to write about and wonder if it even matters if they send out a regular newsletter.

Regular Communication With Your List Does Matter

You work hard to get people onto your list. You give away content, run sales, and participate in promotions. You create content such as blog posts and podcast episodes to help people find you organically. After doing this work, you want them to stay on your list, open your emails, and read them. You want to develop a positive relationship with them so that when you release a book, they are excited to buy it.

Do My Readers Want To Hear From Me Every Month?

Chances are they do. The only way to find out is begin sending regular emails. I suggest doing it monthly and vary the content you send each time. Check your open rates and see if certain information does better than others. Focus on that going forward.

What Should I Email To My Fiction List?

I’ve created a list of ideas for what to send your list. Not all suggestions will work for each author, but they will get you started and, hopefully, spark some ideas of your own.

You may find that some of these suggestions are good for blog posts or social media content. That is a great way to repurpose them. However, you want your subscribers to feel special. I recommend you make this content exclusive to your list or send it to them first before repurposing.

• Updates on your writing/work-in-progress
• Where the idea for your book/series came from
• Share deleted scenes and talk about why deleted
• Locations and settings from your book/series
• If you made up the location, share the inspiration behind it, and some details about the area, maybe creating a map
• Inspiration behind your characters
• How you chose names for your characters
• If any characters have deal with health issues or have a handicap, which did you chose to portray them this way?
• Interview with your main characters — protagonist, antagonist — share some of their backstory that relates to events in the book — Here is the interview I did with my protagonist
• Cover reveal
• Announce and promote new releases
• Announce and promote sales
• Have a giveaway
• Create special offers for your list — a discount or bonus just for them, or they get the first look at the cover, read the first couple of chapters, etc.
• New offer for list sign ups — be sure to give to current list
• Your writing process — even if you have talked about it before, if it changes, let your readers know and why. During COVID, most people have dealt with disruptions and changes, so they can relate to you having to shift your writing process
• Bits from your daily life — hobbies, interests, family (if you are comfortable doing so)
• Travels, especially related to book research. And you don’t have to go far. If you visit a neighboring town to use for locations in your book, share that. What is ordinary, everyday for you can be unusual for your readers.
• Share your favorite books/movies/TV shows/podcasts/YouTube videos and channels both in your genre and other things you enjoy
• Share books by other writers in the genre — this can be a link exchange or just a review of books you enjoyed. If you know of a sale by an author in your genre, share that.
• Comment on historic and cultural events if relevant to you book/series
• Create and share a playlist related to your book/series or music you write to

Now It Is Your Turn

Have some ideas not mentioned here? Please share in a comment to help others

And check back often — as I discover new ideas, I will add them to the list

Would you like access to the Resource Library for Authors? Join the email list today! In addition to the checklists, spreadsheets, and other tools you can download, you will also receive the monthly newsletter. You email address will never be sold, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Originally published at https://creativelysustainable.com on March 4, 2021.