newsletters about your books

Nicky C · 08-01-2011, 09:52 PM

Hi! I'm really new to this forum and have skimmed through your threads and don't see this particular question mentioned. My apologies if it is a repeat! (BTW - You have some excellent info available here and I look forward to reading it more thoroughly in the future.)

I'm about to encounter a problem with my Nicky Charles newsletters (I send one out when I publish a new book) and am wondering how other authors deal with this, if indeed they do send out newsletters. It seemed like a neat way to do some self-promo but now I'm in a bit of a pickle!

Right now people send me fan mail, ask to be added to the mailing list and I add them to my contacts but... I'm only allowed to have 1500 contacts on hotmail and at the rate things are going I'll be out of space by the end of the summer. When I started this I never expected to have so many readers or that they'd want a newsletter! Now I'm left scratching my head. How do other author's manage this? Oh and I write as a hobby, my books are free, so I don't really want to spend a lot of money. Any ideas on what to do? The idea of saving as a word doc and then copy/pasting sounds rather daunting.

Sorry this is so long! I will try to be more sucinct in the future.

Nicky

Steven Lyle Jordan · 08-02-2011, 09:21 AM

Consider this: Instead of sending out e-newsletters to so many fans, you could set up a blog and tell your fans to go to that. Many authors are already going this way.

Blogs can be started for free through sites like WordPress. Blogs are supposed to be 2-way communications systems, but don't have to be. You can make entries whenever you want, regularly or on-the-fly, and you don't have to worry about sending out too many and being labeled a "spammer" (a very real possibility if you're trying to email 1500 people). Letting your fans leave comments, and engaging them in teh comments, will make you seem more accessible to them, which usually increases popularity and positively impacts sales.

Many blog services (like WordPress) include RSS feeds, so any entries you make will automatically be sent to those who subscribe. And your blog can be highly personalized, or you can use an easy-to-use template... your choice.

user_none · 08-02-2011, 10:06 AM

If you really want to go the email route (I'm with Steven on having a blog) there are commercial mailing list services. They're fairly inexpensive and if your low volume they would be worth looking into.

Nicky C · 08-02-2011, 03:22 PM

Thank you! I actually used an email service for my last newsletter but its the storing of the email addresses that has me puzzled. The email service will store them for the length of your subscription but I really didn't want to have to pay for months when no newsletter was being issued.

I have a website, an email address (I answer all my fan mail) and my friend and editor recently set up a fb page for me, so I think I'm fairly accessible. I suppose I could create a blog... I don't have that much to say though which was why a once or twice yearly newsletter to accompany each book seemed like a nice idea.

I will ponder the situation further. Thank you again

Harper Kingsley · 08-09-2011, 12:58 AM

How about starting a yahoo group? They sign up, then if they mark Daily Digest it just goes right to their inbox. Plus, you can keep track of who all joined your group, you can add exclusive content, etc.

Penforhire · 08-09-2011, 07:31 PM

+1 for blogs and I use Wordpress myself. It is easy enough to set up feeds and subscriptions (check their help/FAQ section). I like not having to personally manage any mailing list.

VydorScope · 08-09-2011, 10:59 PM

+1 on WordPress.... or is that +2 now?

Tome Keeper · 08-11-2011, 05:46 AM

+1 for blogs. People can easily subscribe themselves to keep up to date and remove themselves.

If you go for e-mailing, make sure that only people that want to subscribe to the list get added and that there is an easy (preferably automated) way of readers removing themselves from the list. Have had one author recently who has seemingly just added all his e-mail contacts to a mailing list *facepalm*

Steven Lyle Jordan · 08-11-2011, 09:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tome Keeper

Have had one author recently who has seemingly just added all his e-mail contacts to a mailing list *facepalm*

They might use different emails for different devices (PC, cellphone, iPad, etc)... some people like to distribute their emails that way.

08-01-2011, 09:52 PM	#1
Nicky C Junior Member Posts: 4 Karma: 10 Join Date: Aug 2011 Device: none	newsletters about your books Hi! I'm really new to this forum and have skimmed through your threads and don't see this particular question mentioned. My apologies if it is a repeat! (BTW - You have some excellent info available here and I look forward to reading it more thoroughly in the future.) I'm about to encounter a problem with my Nicky Charles newsletters (I send one out when I publish a new book) and am wondering how other authors deal with this, if indeed they do send out newsletters. It seemed like a neat way to do some self-promo but now I'm in a bit of a pickle! Right now people send me fan mail, ask to be added to the mailing list and I add them to my contacts but... I'm only allowed to have 1500 contacts on hotmail and at the rate things are going I'll be out of space by the end of the summer. When I started this I never expected to have so many readers or that they'd want a newsletter! Now I'm left scratching my head. How do other author's manage this? Oh and I write as a hobby, my books are free, so I don't really want to spend a lot of money. Any ideas on what to do? The idea of saving as a word doc and then copy/pasting sounds rather daunting. Sorry this is so long! I will try to be more sucinct in the future. Nicky

08-11-2011, 05:46 AM	#8
Tome Keeper Addict Posts: 355 Karma: 1001201 Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: UK Device: Kindle 3 Keyboard, Surface Tablet, Android Smartphone, Laptop, Netbook	+1 for blogs. People can easily subscribe themselves to keep up to date and remove themselves. If you go for e-mailing, make sure that only people that want to subscribe to the list get added and that there is an easy (preferably automated) way of readers removing themselves from the list. Have had one author recently who has seemingly just added all his e-mail contacts to a mailing list facepalm Last edited by Tome Keeper; 08-11-2011 at 05:49 AM. Reason: spelling

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08-02-2011, 09:21 AM	#2
Steven Lyle Jordan Grand Sorcerer Posts: 8,478 Karma: 5171130 Join Date: Jan 2006 Device: none	Consider this: Instead of sending out e-newsletters to so many fans, you could set up a blog and tell your fans to go to that. Many authors are already going this way. Blogs can be started for free through sites like WordPress. Blogs are supposed to be 2-way communications systems, but don't have to be. You can make entries whenever you want, regularly or on-the-fly, and you don't have to worry about sending out too many and being labeled a "spammer" (a very real possibility if you're trying to email 1500 people). Letting your fans leave comments, and engaging them in teh comments, will make you seem more accessible to them, which usually increases popularity and positively impacts sales. Many blog services (like WordPress) include RSS feeds, so any entries you make will automatically be sent to those who subscribe. And your blog can be highly personalized, or you can use an easy-to-use template... your choice.

08-02-2011, 10:06 AM	#3
user_none Sigil & calibre developer Posts: 2,487 Karma: 1063785 Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Florida, USA Device: Nook STR	If you really want to go the email route (I'm with Steven on having a blog) there are commercial mailing list services. They're fairly inexpensive and if your low volume they would be worth looking into.

08-02-2011, 03:22 PM	#4
Nicky C Junior Member Posts: 4 Karma: 10 Join Date: Aug 2011 Device: none	Thank you! I actually used an email service for my last newsletter but its the storing of the email addresses that has me puzzled. The email service will store them for the length of your subscription but I really didn't want to have to pay for months when no newsletter was being issued. I have a website, an email address (I answer all my fan mail) and my friend and editor recently set up a fb page for me, so I think I'm fairly accessible. I suppose I could create a blog... I don't have that much to say though which was why a once or twice yearly newsletter to accompany each book seemed like a nice idea. I will ponder the situation further. Thank you again

08-09-2011, 12:58 AM	#5
Harper Kingsley Clone Trooper Posts: 212 Karma: 4566103 Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Washington Device: kindle	How about starting a yahoo group? They sign up, then if they mark Daily Digest it just goes right to their inbox. Plus, you can keep track of who all joined your group, you can add exclusive content, etc.

08-09-2011, 07:31 PM	#6
Penforhire Wizard Posts: 2,230 Karma: 7145404 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Southern California Device: Kindle Voyage & iPhone 7+	+1 for blogs and I use Wordpress myself. It is easy enough to set up feeds and subscriptions (check their help/FAQ section). I like not having to personally manage any mailing list.

08-09-2011, 10:59 PM	#7
VydorScope Wizard Posts: 3,418 Karma: 35207650 Join Date: Jun 2011 Device: iPad	+1 on WordPress.... or is that +2 now?

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