![\"\"\/](\"https:\/\/kindlepreneur.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/online-store_icon.svg\"){kind=icon}
\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n I\u2019ve spoken to many a newbie author who (quite naturally) assumed that building an email list simply meant adding contact names to your regular email address book and emailing in bulk from there.\u00a0<\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n
It\u2019s an understandable assumption, but, unfortunately, using your own regular email service (like Gmail) isn\u2019t going to cut it, for a few reasons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
First, there are gazillions of laws and regulations throughout the world that regulate who you can – and can\u2019t – send marketing emails to. To stay compliant (without having to worry about \u201chow\u201d) you\u2019ll need a professional email marketing tool that handles all this compliance for you. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Second, email providers like Outlook and Gmail have spent decades figuring out how to stop businesses using their service to send out marketing emails – and if you start trying to bend the rules, you\u2019ll likely end up getting flagged.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thirdly, personal email providers just don\u2019t have the features and tools you need to make email marketing work for you – like recording opt-in consent, running automated emails, segmenting, tagging, and more. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
If all that sounds complicated, don\u2019t worry – we\u2019ll cover all this soon. But first, how do you choose a professional email marketing provider that\u2019s right for you?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Let\u2019s cover some of the most popular choices:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mailerlite<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Hugely popular among the author community, Mailerlite has a lot going for it. In particular:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- A great free plan that allows you to have up to 1,000 subscribers before you have to pay anything<\/li>
- An easy visual automation builder, that lets you drag and drop different automated emails based on a subscriber\u2019s actions (signed up for something, clicked something, etc)<\/li>
- Tagging and segmentation as standard, allowing you to automatically apply tags to your subscribers based on their history with you, and target those segments with either manual (broadcast) or automated emails<\/li>
- A simple and good-looking template system for designing your emails so they look great<\/li>
- Integrates with pretty much everything, if you need to hook it up to other tools you\u2019re using (eg your website)<\/li>
- Includes built-in signup pages as standard<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\nEditor's Note:<\/strong> We actually have an entire course for authors on how to use Mailerlite for your newsletter. And the best part is, it's absolutely FREE!
Check it Out!<\/a><\/center><\/div>\n\n\n\n Mailchimp<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
One of the original GOATs for authors, Mailchimp used to be the go-to for creative professionals on a budget. However, a lot has changed since the good old days, and Mailchimp is now more focused on becoming an \u201call-in-one\u201d marketing suite, which does often mean its main features aren\u2019t really designed with authors in mind. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, you do get a free tier with 2,000 subscribers before you have to pony up any hard-earned dollars, so this might be a good fit if you\u2019re planning on keeping things simple.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- The biggest free plan of any provider with 2,000 free contacts<\/li>
- The free plan does limit the automations you can use, but if you\u2019re only using simple email sequences (like a welcome email) and manual broadcasts this might be enough<\/li>
- Tagging and segmenting is fully supported, although navigating through the menus can be a pain if you don\u2019t know what you\u2019re looking for<\/li>
- Email automation is handled with a non-visual linear based \u201clist\u201d view, so creating automated sequences that include different emails for different people based on what they read or click can be horribly complicated to set up<\/li>
- Email templates are varied and easy to design<\/li>
- Also includes built-in signup pages and lots of integration options<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
If you don\u2019t plan on using any email automations (except a simple welcome email when someone signs up) then Mailchimp might be for you, thanks to the 2,000 subscriber free tier. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
But, if you plan on getting more targeted with your email marketing and setting up automated campaigns in advance (so you can let them run while you do other things) then Mailerlite can do all this with its free plan, and also includes a much easier to use visual automation builder. Mailerlite also works out cheaper on the paid plans too once you hit that subscriber limit. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
ConvertKit<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Generally considered \u201cThe New Kid on the Block\u201d, ConvertKit has become particularly popular with creative professionals in recent years and has developed a ton of cutting edge features to help more people make a living from their work. Convertkit has a lot going for it:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- Probably the easiest and most comprehensive visual automation builder – letting you build out automated campaigns however you like with an easy to use graphical interface<\/li>
- Advanced segmentation, targeting, and tagging rules – helping you reach the right people at the right time with the right offer<\/li>
- Built-in direct sales – you can hook your Convertkit account up to Stripe and make sales direct to your readers, then set up automated emails and tags based on the specific product or book that people buy<\/li>
- All the other goodies Mailerlite and Mailchimp offer<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Although ConvertKit easily has the most advanced features, its email templates are lacking and it can be quite tricky to make your automated campaigns look as nice as your broadcast emails. It\u2019s also noticeably more expensive per month versus Mailerlite and Mailchimp, but you are getting a lot of advanced tools for your money. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The question is whether or not you need them!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
SendFox<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Another relatively new offering, this time from the fine folks at AppSumo. SendFox is an email service built around SendGrid, an enterprise-level email tool that\u2019s used by thousands of businesses around the world and includes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- Up to 1,000 contacts on the free plan (with sending limits in place)<\/li>
- Linear automation builder<\/li>
- Basic tagging and segmentation<\/li>
- Affordable lifetime pricing option<\/li>
- SendFox branding (unless you purchase a monthly add-on)<\/li>
- Built-in signup pages<\/li>
- Limited integration (unless you purchase Zapier as an add-on)<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
In a nutshell, SendFox focuses on a limited feature set but at a very affordable price. And while the tools it offers are fairly basic compared with many other options, if you want to keep things super simple and super affordable (and don\u2019t need to integrate your email provider with other tools) then SendFox might be a good fit for you. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Recommendation<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
There are many more email marketing providers for authors out there, but these four options are the most popular (for good reason). <\/p>\n\n\n\n
At the end of the day, what matters most is your email marketing tool works for you – meaning, it has the features you need at a budget you can afford. So don\u2019t spend too much time making the decision!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you want my recommendation, Mailerlite is usually the best place to start for most beginners, thanks to their generous feature set, 1,000 contact free tier without restrictions, and their easy to use visual campaign builder. Their paid tiers are also very reasonable, and with their built-in signup pages you\u2019re getting an all-round winner. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
For the more experienced marketer, for those who want to sell direct without fuss, or if you plan on using a variety of automated campaigns to different segments of your audience, ConvertKit is a compelling option if you can afford it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Editor's Note:<\/strong> This is actually our recommendation as well: Mailerlite for beginners and ConvertKit for the more advanced offerings. See our list of the best email providers here:The Best Email Providers for Authors<\/a><\/center><\/div>\n\n\n\n For more on growing an email list of raving fans (and what to do with your list once you\u2019ve grown one) join me in a free seven day course all about how to go from $0 to $1k per month from books.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Registration is free. Sign up here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n\n![\"\"\/](\"https:\/\/kindlepreneur.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/formatting-icon.svg\")
\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \nChapter 1<\/span> <\/div>\n \nSetting up an Email List<\/h2>\n \n
\nThe next step is to set up your email list, which includes setting up your signup forms and welcome emails.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n
\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n\nOnce you have your email marketing platform set up, all you need to do is:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- Set up a signup form <\/strong>\u2013 where readers enter their email address (don\u2019t worry, these email software providers have GREAT help videos if you get stuck)<\/li>
- Set up a welcome email<\/strong> \u2013 this email gets sent out after someone joins and contains a link where they can download their Reader Magnet (more on this shortly)<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
Now, exactly how to set these things up will depend on the email marketing service you choose, but there are a few standard \u201crules\u201d to bear in mind regardless of the tool you use. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Your Signup Form<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
To get readers onto your email list, they\u2019ll need to complete a sign-up form to be added to your email marketing provider and receive emails from you. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
This also allows you to track where people have signed up and when, so you have a record of their consent – which is a legal requirement in most parts of the world. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
To create your signup form, there should be a section inside your email marketing provider that allows you to build your own form from scratch, and choose the fields of information you\u2019d like to collect. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
For most authors, you\u2019ll want to collect:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- Just the email address, or<\/li>
- The first name and email address<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
Collecting a first name makes it easier to personalize your emails (you can greet people by name) which can also help prevent you getting blocked by spam filters. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, the more fields someone has to fill in, the lower the conversion rate of the form. Meaning, if you ask for a first name AND an email address, you\u2019ll have slightly fewer people completing your signup process. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
You may also want to collect extra information like a second name, phone number, location, or interests – but also bear in mind, each extra field will reduce your signup rate. So only collect information you really need. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Your Signup Page<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
The form you create to collect readers\u2019 contact information needs to be displayed on a webpage that anyone can access. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Many of the email providers we talk about above will give you a page like this as part of their service – so if you don\u2019t have a website yet, don\u2019t worry, you\u2019re still good to go. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, if you want full control over the look and feel and function of the page, you can create a page on your own website and host the signup form there instead. You can copy and paste the html code of your form from your email provider, or use a third-party tool to integrate directly with your email host for the ultimate control.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Whichever route you go, your signup page should include an image of your Reader Magnet (usually a book or short story, or similar), a compelling headline and description, a strong call to action, and a form readers can fill in to join your email list and get their free gift. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Like this:<\/p>\n\n\n
\n![\"Email](\"https:\/\/kindlepreneur.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Email-Signup-Page.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nThat\u2019s the whole page. There\u2019s nothing else. No links to your bio, or Twitter page, or anything else to distract from this page\u2019s core purpose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Your Landing Page is the link you\u2019ll give readers in the front and back of all your books, at live events, in your advertising, and everywhere else you can. So it\u2019s important you get it right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n\n![\"\"\/](\"https:\/\/kindlepreneur.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/writing_icon.svg\")
\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \nChapter 1<\/span> <\/div>\n \nCreating a Reader Magnet<\/h2>\n \n
\nYour reader magnet is one of the most important aspects of your email marketing. It is what will allow you to interest readers in joining your list. But what is a reader magnet?<\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n
\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n\nIn short, a Reader Magnet is a book (or short story, or help guide, or \u201csomething else\u201d) that you offer to readers in exchange for them joining your email list \u2013 which you advertise in the front and the back of all your books (and anywhere else you can).<\/p>\n\n\n
\n![\"Email](\"https:\/\/kindlepreneur.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Email-Reader-Magnet-1024x836.png\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nOne of the most versatile and powerful business assets you can have is an email list. An email list of readers who ACTUALLY LIKE YOU and are waiting for your next release. And using Reader Magnets<\/a> is an extremely effective way of attractingyour ideal reader and developing a one-to-one line of communication with them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The best Reader Magnets follow these rules of thumb:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- The \u201cfree gift\u201d is compelling, complete, and relevant to the rest of your work. If you write thrillers, offer something in the same genre. Don\u2019t offer them a cook book. <\/li>
- Position your Reader Magnet offer in the front AND the back of your books. Include an eye-catching graphic. If you\u2019ve buried your offer in a bunch of other text, people won\u2019t see it.<\/li>
- Give readers an easy way to sign up and get their freebie \u2013 make sure you have a webpage set up to collect email addresses, that\u2019s free of any distractions.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
Some examples:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Fiction:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
- A free novel<\/li>
- Short story<\/li>
- Collection of stories (multi-author, or solo)<\/li>
- Deleted scenes<\/li>
- Background material (particularly in genres like Historical Fiction where you can blend fiction and non-fiction together)<\/li>
- Audio version (super high value)<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Non Fiction<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \u201cCheat Sheet\u201d summaries of your book<\/li>
- Bonus chapters<\/li>
- Video training<\/li>
- Private Facebook group for coaching \/ support<\/li>
- Audio version (again, very popular)<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Key point: <\/strong>whatever you offer, it needs to be relevant to your audience and provide value. And the best \u201cperceived value\u201d is usually something complete – rather than en excerpt or chapter. This doesn\u2019t mean you have to start giving away full novels, but whatever you do decide to offer will ideally be \u201ccomplete\u201d (like a short story).<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once you have your Reader Magnet written, simply create a downloadable file and provide a link for people to download it once they join your email list – you can easily do this with an automated \u201cwelcome email\u201d configured inside your email marketing provider (see earlier section for more on that). <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In terms of file formats, if you\u2019re offering a book you will ideally provide both the ePub and PDF versions. For audio, you can provide an MP3. If you\u2019re offering video content, you can host this as a private YouTube video or using a video hosting service like Vimeo to avoid readers having to download huge files. <\/p>\n\n\n\r\n
\r\n \r\n\r\n\r\n \r\n \r\n <\/i>\r\n \r\n<\/div>\r\n \r\n![\"Atticus](\"https:\/\/kindlepreneur.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Atticus.png\")
\r\n \r\n <\/a> <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n \r\n \r\n \r\nFormat Beautiful Professional Books<\/h3>\r\n <\/a>\r\n \r\n
Easy to use, and and full of amazing features, you can quickly turn your book into a professional book.<\/p>\n Check It Out<\/a> <\/div>\r\n\r\n <\/div>\r\n<\/section>\r\n\r\n\n\n\n
If you\u2019re looking for a simple way to store and deliver ebook<\/a> and audio files, there\u2019s a great service called BookFunnel that will handle all this for you. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Otherwise, you can store your files on a cloud storage service like Google Docs or Amazon S3 and simply provide download links and a page of instructions. Totally up to you!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now, with your Reader Magnet written and ready to rock, it\u2019s time to look at how we get more people to discover you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For more on growing an email list of raving fans (and what to do with your list once you\u2019ve grown one) join me in a free seven day course all about how to go from $0 to $1k per month from books.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Registration is free. Sign up here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n\n![\"\"\/](\"https:\/\/kindlepreneur.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/bullseye_icon.svg\")
\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \nChapter 1<\/span> <\/div>\n \nHelping People Find Your Reader Magnet<\/h2>\n \n
\nWith your Reader Magnets \u201cmachine\u201d all set up, you\u2019ll need to start driving traffic to your offer to get more people on your email list. <\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n
\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n\nWe\u2019ve got a few options here:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Free or Permafree Books<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
A free book gets downloaded 50 to 100 times more frequently than a paid one. If your \u201cread through\u201d is good, a decent number of those free downloaders will move through the rest of your catalogue (and join your email list).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With permafree, your read-through rate will be lower. BUT\u2026 if we\u2019re getting 50 times as many downloads to make up for it, even a 1-2% read-through rate can work well because you\u2019ll be getting far more free downloads compared to paid sales to make up for it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You can even set your book to $0.00 permanently and set that up to run on autopilot. Best part? It costs you precisely\u2026 nothing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Or, if your book is in KDP Select, you can run a free promotion for 5 days out of every 90 day enrollment period. BUT\u2026 you\u2019ll need to pay for some ads to make that worthwhile (you\u2019ll need hundreds \u2013 or thousands \u2013 of downloads over that 5 day period to make it worthwhile).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here\u2019s a helpful list<\/a> with some places you can list your free book for extra exposure.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n
So, if you have a series, or multiple books in the same genre, you can set one of these books (usually #1 in the series if you write in order) permanently free on Amazon. This way, you\u2019ll pick up free downloads and readers will not only see your Reader Magnet offer and sign up for it, but many will pick up the other books in the series too. A win win!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And fortunately, permafree is relatively simple to set up:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- Make sure your book is published wide (you can use Draft2Digital to easily publish to non-Amazon stores)<\/li>
- Set the price on non-Amazon stores to $0.00<\/li>
- Email KDP Support with the links to your free book on Apple Books, Barnes & Noble, and Kobo and ask them to price match (if you look in the KDP Help section, there\u2019s an email template to fill out)<\/li>
- In almost all cases, if you do the above, Amazon will price-match your book in 3-5 days<\/li>
- In some cases, you might have to email back in again (if the price match doesn\u2019t go through, or the help rep denies your request \u2013 which they shouldn\u2019t, but sometimes they do for #reasonsunknown)<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Or, if your book is in KDP Select and you want to run a free promo, just schedule that from your KDP dashboard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So, having a perma-free book is a great way to get the ball rolling, but what else can we do? Let\u2019s take a look at some other traffic options\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Giveaways and Contests<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
You can do these solo, or with promo partners (see above). The premise is simple \u2013 offer a sweepstake prize that your target reader would be interested in (e.g. \u2013 a bundle of books, a Kindle, etc.) and post your contest up on some giveaway directories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There are hundreds of giveaway directories to choose from \u2013 GiveawayFrenzy is a great place to start \u2013 and you\u2019ll start growing a list of entrants quickly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Offer each entrant your Reader Magnet (we\u2019ll cover more on this in the next lesson) and keep those people who click through to download it. Discard the rest. Once the contest is done, and you\u2019re left with only the people who WANT to hear from you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here\u2019s the process:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Consider what prize you can offer \u2013 the prize should be compelling (eg \u2013 worth $50 \u2013 $100 or more) and ideally relevant to the readers you want to attract. You definitely don\u2019t want to offer cash or gift cards as a prize, unless you want to get flooded with awful quality entrants. I usually recommend starting off with offering a Kindle Paperwhite (or similar) e-reader device, as this will attract readers \u2013 if you pair this up with a bundle of ebooks (or paperbacks) in your genre (either yours, or someone else\u2019s if they\u2019re paper versions) this can help attract the right kind of readers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Use software \u2013 you want to be able to automate this as much as possible, and if you use software like UpViral or KingSumo Giveaways, there\u2019s a feature built in where entrants can win extra points for sharing the contest with their social media following. This can increase the number of entrants by 30-50% (so it\u2019s worth doing). You will also want to hook the contest software up to your mailing list provider so you can keep track of everyone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once the contest is set up, post the details on some giveaway directories. In some cases, you can pay a few dollars for \u201cfeatured spots\u201d, but you don\u2019t have to.<\/p>\n\n\n
\n![\"Giveaways](\"https:\/\/kindlepreneur.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Giveaways-for-Email-Marketing.png\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nWhen someone enters the contest, email them a confirmation and offer them a copy of your Reader Magnet (see previous section for more on that).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Offer your Reader Magnet again when you announce the winner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once the contest has ended, keep the people who downloaded your Reader Magnet (you can track the link clicks) and delete \/ unsubscribe everyone else to keep your list clean.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And voila! Lots of new readers joining up on your email list. Easy! And while these promotions do cost money (although not a huge amount), we found our cost per subscriber was about 10x lower versus paid ads. A great result.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Joint Promotions<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
With your Reader Magnet in place, and if you\u2019re using \u201cpermafree\u201d or free promotions on your books, you will start growing an email list pretty quickly. But how can you speed things up and make the most out of your subscriber list, regardless of how small it might be?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you\u2019re just getting started, chances are you don\u2019t have a huge email list or an endless ads budget. So, how can you get traction faster?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With Joint Promotions, the basic premise is this: \u201cWhat if, instead of spending 6 \u2013 12 months building up an audience of your own, you could \u2018borrow\u2019 the audience of someone else?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In practical terms\u2026 if you\u2019ve got 300 people on your mailing list, Facebook page, Twitter account, whatever\u2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And you find 3 other people with a similar reach\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Next time you run a promotion or launch a new book, you\u2019ll launch it to 1,200 people instead of 300.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The key is reciprocity. Offering value. Learning how to network effectively. No fancy advertising strategies, no super-wowza publicity stunts, no over-complicated psychoanalytical software and business automation\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Just good ol\u2019 fashioned network building and working together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There are 4 approaches that deliver consistent results, regardless of what stage you\u2019re at. They are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- Joint Contests<\/strong> \u2013 offer a prize (eg \u2013 a Kindle Paperwhite) and entrants join for a chance to win. Email your entrants with your Reader Magnet, and keep those who click through to download it after the contest has ended \u2013 thus, keeping only people who have confirmed they are interested (we\u2019ll cover Reader Magnets in the next lesson). << this is a perfect choice if you don\u2019t have an email list yet \u2013 see the next section for more on that.<\/li>
- Joint Promotions<\/strong> \u2013 team up with other authors and offer all your books on sale at the same time. Everyone emails out about the promotion, and you set up a webpage that lists them all out.<\/li>
- Cross Promotions<\/strong> \u2013 as above, but instead of putting all your books on sale in one go, you do it one by one. Particularly useful for launches.<\/li>
- Boxed Sets & Anthologies<\/strong> \u2013 take one of your books (or stories) and compile them together with 10-12 other authors, then promote like crazy during launch week (and beforehand, if you\u2019re doing pre-orders). This is a popular way for people to hit major bestseller lists.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Of course, building up a team of people to help you with joint promotions means getting out there and networking a little on sites like BookFunnel, Story Origin, or in author Facebook groups.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once you have 2-3 people you can team up with, you can start running these joint promo campaigns \u2013 and the more you run, the better your results will be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Other Traffic Options<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Permafree, Contests, and Joint Promos combined with your Reader Magnet are consistently the most cost effective way to start growing your email list.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you\u2019re looking to scale up – and you\u2019ve got a marketing budget to spend – you can also consider investing in paid ads. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Popping down to the \u201ctraffic store\u201d is a great option if you need to get lots of clicks in a short period of time (or you want to schedule a burst of traffic on a specific date).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In general, paid ads will fall into two categories:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- One-off \u201cEmail Blast\u201d ads, and<\/li>
- Ongoing \u201cpay per click\u201d or \u201cpay per impression\u201d ads<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
With the former, you pay a fee to have your book listed in a daily email that goes out to the ad provider\u2019s email list. Pricing for this will vary, and so will results, but if you line up 3-5 of these during a launch or promotion week, it can have some great results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Check out Kindlepreneur\u2019s List of Email Blast Ad Providers here.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
For the latter, most likely you\u2019ll be looking at Amazon Advertising, Facebook Ads, and BookBub (self-serve) ads. These platforms allow you to bid for clicks, and you can set up campaigns to run 24\/7.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Essentially, you\u2019ll pay a fee for each click (or thousand impressions) and you\u2019ll be able to target your ads to the people most likely to be interested in them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For list-building purposes, Facebook ads are a great place to start – as you can target fans of similar authors and send traffic direct to your signup page (see earlier section for more on that).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But remember – if you\u2019re going to invest in paid advertising, make sure you have the catalogue and read-through rate to deliver a profit. So this is definitely not for beginners!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Going Deeper<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
To dive into this process in more detail, come along to a free seven day course and I\u2019ll break down all the options and help you decide what\u2019s right for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Registration is free. Sign up here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We\u2019ll cover the Reader Magnets process, talk about traffic options, and I\u2019ll show you a simple way to figure out how many clicks you\u2019ll need each day to hit your revenue goals (so you know you\u2019re always going to make a profit).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now, with a steady stream of traffic to your Reader Magnet offer, and with readers joining your email list, it\u2019s time to think about what you actually need to DO with your email list once you\u2019ve got one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \nChapter 1<\/span> <\/div>\n \nNurturing Your Subscribers (ie autoresponders)<\/h2>\n \n
\nTo “prime” your audience to make more sales, you are going to need to nurture them over time. One of the best ways to do this is with an autoresponder.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n
\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n\nWhile you\u2019re email list is going to be your #1 source of sales during a launch or promotion (and your go-to resource for getting reviews) the goal is not to continually \u201cblast\u201d your audience with sales messages. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In fact, \u201cselling\u201d should be very much the last thing on your mind – especially in the beginning – as you aim to build a lasting relationship and turn \u201ccurious browsers\u201d into loyal fans. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
To help develop this, we need to send out regular content that delivers value to your subscribers and keeps them engaged between launches and promotions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
That way, you audience will be only too pleased you\u2019ve got a new book coming out – and will be first in line to purchase during launch week. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
So, how can we deliver great content and engage people without spending all day trying to write emails? Thankfully, there\u2019s a process\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \nChapter 1<\/span> <\/div>\n \nWhat to Write in Your Newsletter<\/h2>\n \n
\nWriting an effective email is no different \u2013 in principle \u2013 to writing a great book. You have a story to tell and a mission to evoke a certain response. But, in reality, it *feels* a million miles away.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n
\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n\nYour readers don\u2019t want to be \u201csold\u201d to. Heck, YOU don\u2019t want to be \u201csold\u201d to, either. Not unless you actively want something and are looking for that solution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Chances are, you\u2019ve got ~50 different email campaigns hitting your inbox every day. I\u2019ll wager every single one of them is actively trying to get you to buy something.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The problem is, this \u201cbrute force\u201d approach has diminishing returns. And people get sick of it, fast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There\u2019s a place for \u201cselling\u201d \u2013 sure. But when it\u2019s every. Single. Email\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This is where a lot of authors struggle. They\u2019ve assumed that \u201cemail marketing\u201d means \u201cselling stuff to strangers that they don\u2019t want \u2013 all the time\u201d. And that\u2019s what many authors do. But it\u2019s the wrong approach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Your email marketing should be an extension of your books. You don\u2019t relentlessly pitch your latest boxed-set in chapters one through forty, do you? No.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Instead, you provide readers with an exceptional EXPERIENCE. Build their trust, develop your brand, and prove your value.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What Do I Put in My Emails?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Here\u2019s where we dig a little deeper\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You\u2019ll need to know how your main objective (reviews, sales, responses, getting someone to download a free book, etc) can be \u201cframed\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Meaning \u2013 it\u2019s not always enough just to know what your objective is (eg \u2013 \u201cmake sales\u201d, \u201cget reviews\u201d, etc). You need to know how to frame it in the right way to suit your audience, your own personal style, and to fit the action you actually want people to perform.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In other words, you need to define the \u201ctone\u201d you want to use. Or, more specifically, the \u201ccharacter or attitude\u201d of your message.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here\u2019s how that works.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Setting Your Tone<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Your emails should generally fall into one of four categories:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- Information<\/strong> \u2013 \u201cthis is happening now\u201d, or \u201chere\u2019s what to do next\u201d, or \u201chere\u2019s how to download your book\u201d. Pretty much just laying out some instructions. A lot of these emails will be \u201ctransactional emails\u201d or will form parts of other kinds of emails (where instructions are needed \u2013 eg the call to action in a sales email) and have a very narrow purpose.<\/li>
- Education <\/strong>\u2013 \u201chere\u2019s how to solve your problem\u201d, \u201chere\u2019s an idea that might help you\u201d, \u201chere\u2019s something you haven\u2019t thought of before\u2026\u201d. Not just for the non-fiction folks. What\u2019s the central \u201cproblem\u201d your reader has? What are they trying to achieve or \u201cget\u201d? Here\u2019s where you can help them with that.<\/li>
- Inspiration<\/strong> \u2013 \u201cyou can be part of this too,\u201d or \u201chere\u2019s a glimpse of something awesome,\u201d or \u201chere\u2019s how a change could affect you for the better\u201d. <\/li>
- Entertainment <\/strong>\u2013 \u201cHere\u2019s something you might enjoy\u201d, or \u201cHere\u2019s your anti-dote to boredom today,\u201d or, \u201cSit down with a cup of coffee and check THIS out\u2026\u201d<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
This is the \u201ceasy\u201d part for fiction writers \u2013 or, at least, it should be. Consider what JK Rowling does on her website \u2013 it\u2019s filled with quizzes, videos, community, and\u2026 well, it\u2019s fun!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Or children\u2019s author David Walliams \u2013 who uses challenges, competitions, and multi-media to get kids reading.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Or non-fiction author and journalist Lesley MM Blume who uses articles and slideshows to show her target audience a glimpse into the subject matter of her books.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While other authors are relentlessly pushing their latest release, these are some examples of authors putting their readers\u2019 experiences first. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you can do that with your website, you can do that with your emails. When your readers know you\u2019re a source of value \u2013 that\u2019s not hidden behind a paywall or dripped out in tiny pieces as a \u201cbonus\u201d for buying something \u2013 then you\u2019re building massive equity with your audience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And guess what? When \u201csales time\u201d rolls around, that pays back in spades.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Structure of an Email<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Like writing a book, it helps to have a plan – or structure – in place before you sit down to write anything. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
For emails, I like to use a simple four-part structure called HTOC. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
- Hook (get Attention)<\/li>
- Transition (make it relevant and generate Interest)<\/li>
- Offer (a segue from the transition, and evokes desire)<\/li>
- Call to Action (get people to \u201cdo\u201d something)<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
With your framework, your idea, and your structure \u2013 you\u2019re ready to rock.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Let's Take a Fiction Example<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Bob writes thrillers, with a forensic science twist. He\u2019s got a book coming out soon and wants to get some great ARC readers to read his book and give him a review on launch day. Here\u2019s how Bob would approach that process:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Objective<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Two objectives here \u2013 (1) get the \u201cbest\u201d people to download an ARC copy of his book, and (2) ensure they\u2019re primed to leave a review on launch day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Tone<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Bob writes fiction, with a forensic twist. That means his readers are interested in thrillers and forensic science (duh). Bob decides to use a mix of entertainment and education \u2013 a little science behind the story.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Central Idea<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Bob read in the newspaper that scientists have been studying one of the oldest complete human skeletons ever found \u2013 dubbed \u201cCheddar Man\u201d. He learns that, using modern techniques, they\u2019ve been able to identify that his skin was black and his eyes were blue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Bob knows for anyone interested in forensic science, this is an interesting topic. And it\u2019s something he can relate back to his books quite easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Structure<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
- Hook \u2013 the \u201cCheddar Man\u201d story (Interest)<\/li>
- Transition \u2013 the process of including \u201ccorrect\u201d science in Bob\u2019s books, the research he does, the work he puts in. Letting his readers into his world (Attention).<\/li>
- Offer \u2013 Bob wants to offer a limited number of ARC copies of his latest forensic thriller, which contains elements explored in the \u201cCheddar Man\u201d story (Desire).<\/li>
- Call to Action \u2013 Bob asks those who are interested to complete a short questionnaire. Bob will choose the best 10 responses and invite those people onto his \u201cLaunch Team\u201d (Action).<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
The process is the same, whatever genre you write.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It's the Same for Non-fiction…<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Jane runs a Facebook consulting service and has written several books on paid advertising on that platform. She is launching a new book all about \u201cFacebook Advertising for Etsy Shop Owners\u201d and wants to get as many sales as possible on launch day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Objective<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Get people excited about an upcoming promotion<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Tone<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Jane wants to sell a book about Facebook advertising, so she\u2019ll use a mix of Education (showing off her expertise) and Inspiration (showing what results people might get and how it will improve their businesses).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Idea<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Jane read that Facebook recently updated their algorithms and knows a lot of people are concerned about it. So Jane wants to dispel some myths and show how she can help.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Structure<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
- Hook \u2013 Facebook\u2019s changing algorithm and how it will affect your Etsy shop (Attention)<\/li>
- Transition \u2013 Jane \u201cbusts some myths\u201d about the new algorithm and tells her readers what they really need to focus on (Interest)<\/li>
- Offer \u2013 Jane wants to take all the stress away from \u201cguessing\u201d how Facebook ads work, and has a book that covers everything readers need to know, with a link to a free consultation as a special launch bonus, where Jane might also sell coaching packages down the line (Desire).<\/li>
- Action \u2013 Jane tells her readers to pre-order the book within 72 hours to qualify for the free consultation. She includes links to everywhere the book is sold (Action).<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
See how this works? There\u2019s a defined process for coming up with ideas, expanding those ideas, and crafting emails that take readers \u201con a journey\u201d towards the action you want them to perform.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Frequency<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
How often should you email your list? The answer is\u2026 it depends. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
You should email your list as often as you can, taking into account your schedule and how well your readers respond to regular content. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
An education business that sells instructional books, courses, and coaching can quite feasibly send an email out 3-5 times per week and get great results. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
A fiction author, on the other hand, might see complaints coming through if he or she emails out more than once per week (or a couple times a month). <\/p>\n\n\n\n
There is no magic number – but a good rule of thumb is for non-fiction \/ educational authors to email once per week minimum, and fiction authors once per month minimum. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
With a solid plan in place, each email should only take 20-30 minutes to write, and you can often re-use these broadcasts in your automated sequences later on as new people join your list. So it\u2019s work that definitely pays dividends!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For more on email marketing strategies join me in a free seven day course about how to go from $0 to $1k per month from books.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- Education <\/strong>\u2013 \u201chere\u2019s how to solve your problem\u201d, \u201chere\u2019s an idea that might help you\u201d, \u201chere\u2019s something you haven\u2019t thought of before\u2026\u201d. Not just for the non-fiction folks. What\u2019s the central \u201cproblem\u201d your reader has? What are they trying to achieve or \u201cget\u201d? Here\u2019s where you can help them with that.<\/li>
- Information<\/strong> \u2013 \u201cthis is happening now\u201d, or \u201chere\u2019s what to do next\u201d, or \u201chere\u2019s how to download your book\u201d. Pretty much just laying out some instructions. A lot of these emails will be \u201ctransactional emails\u201d or will form parts of other kinds of emails (where instructions are needed \u2013 eg the call to action in a sales email) and have a very narrow purpose.<\/li>
- Joint Promotions<\/strong> \u2013 team up with other authors and offer all your books on sale at the same time. Everyone emails out about the promotion, and you set up a webpage that lists them all out.<\/li>
- Joint Contests<\/strong> \u2013 offer a prize (eg \u2013 a Kindle Paperwhite) and entrants join for a chance to win. Email your entrants with your Reader Magnet, and keep those who click through to download it after the contest has ended \u2013 thus, keeping only people who have confirmed they are interested (we\u2019ll cover Reader Magnets in the next lesson). << this is a perfect choice if you don\u2019t have an email list yet \u2013 see the next section for more on that.<\/li>
- Set up a welcome email<\/strong> \u2013 this email gets sent out after someone joins and contains a link where they can download their Reader Magnet (more on this shortly)<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
- Set up a signup form <\/strong>\u2013 where readers enter their email address (don\u2019t worry, these email software providers have GREAT help videos if you get stuck)<\/li>
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