Thoughts on Newsletters

By James M. Jackson

Authors are largely responsible for promoting their books and their careers. With limited time (and budget) they want to find effective ways to connect with readers. Blogs, like Writers Who Kill, can work, but with the slash of its corporate pen, Google could kill Blogspot and the 4,400 blogs in our archive. Many experts suggest creating and nurturing a mailing list as one of the few ways to develop an asset that belongs to the author without the threat of corporate interference.

Having watched Amazon, Facebook, X (the social platform formally known as Twitter), TikTok, and other entities authors have relied on to reach readers arbitrarily change rules, ban authors, shut down services, etc., I think the experts are correct that while these platforms have proved useful to many, relying on them may result in a catastrophic business loss over which the author has little control.

Given my bias of disliking others controlling my destiny, I committed to put more effort this year into growing and tending to my newsletter. One of my first steps was to participate in a promotion with a group of thriller/suspense writers. In return for signing up for my newsletter, readers had the chance to receive a free ebook from me and be entered into a grand prize that included free ebooks from all thirty participating authors. The promotion cost $55, which I could earn back if only one of the 400 people who signed up purchased all the books in my series.

I wanted to use this opportunity to understand how the other authors handled their newsletter and learn from their practice. To do that, I signed up for the promotion. I expected to be included on twenty-nine new email lists, and that was my first surprise: So far, a month later, only half have sent me a newsletter. Maybe I will receive a few new ones in March, but this strikes me as a missed opportunity.

Of those who sent me newsletters, the vast majority focused on convincing me to buy their terrific books, usually through one or multiple promotions. Two offered a free book and then immediately went into sales mode. After two or three sales-oriented newsletters, they had written nothing that interested me, and I unsubscribed.

Only three provided a welcoming sequence that emphasized bringing me into their world. They told me a little about themselves: why they write, where they grew up, their pets. They provided information about their writing. Some mentioned what they were reading. One provided interesting background to one of their books. They also had books on offer, but the primary emphasis (it seemed to me) was to create a connection between me and them.

With that information, I learned one author’s stories are not the kind I enjoy. I dropped off her newsletter—no reason to cost her money by remaining a subscriber. The other two I will continue to read and probably buy a book to see if I enjoy their stories.

I provide an “onboarding” sequence for my newsletter subscribers (I call them my Readers Group). Over two and a half weeks, I send six newsletters. Like the two authors whose newsletters I still receive, I include information about myself, my writing, Seamus McCree (my series character), links to either a free novel and short story, and information about the series. At the conclusion, I encourage anyone who doesn’t think they are interested in my kind of writing to unsubscribe.

Given my preferences, it’s no surprise I drop out of the sales-only newsletters and gravitate toward those authors who bring me into their world. But, rather than patting myself on the back because I agree with myself, my question for you is what do you enjoy reading in an author’s newsletter?

If you'd like to join my Readers Group, here's the link to sign up.

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James M. Jackson authors the Seamus McCree series. Full of mystery and suspense, these thrillers explore financial crimes, family relationships, and what happens when they mix. To learn more information about Jim and his books, check out his website, https://jamesmjackson.com.