Recently I read an excellent email from a solopreneur about the best way to market through newsletters without annoying or bombarding the recipients. It was so refreshing to hear this “BNP” (big name person) say what I’d had been thinking and articulating what drives me to unsubscribe. Now the good news is that in talking to authors, most authors certainly don’t email as often as your garden variety solopreneur (coach, consultant, etc.). And, he said the ideal number of newsletters to send a month would be no more than 7-10. So my plan for weekly newsletters? PERFECT!
The one concept he mentioned was that it’s important for each newsletter to impart value to the reader. For the service provider, coach, etc., this can be easy as it would help discuss solving a problem, coming up with a solution, a new trick, and so on. I admit, this is what I try to do with my blogs and newsletters to you. Sure, I talk about author coaching and the “inner game” of being an author, but I’m a techie at heart and love talking with you about some of the technical problems authors face. Like newsletters. *smiles* But the question arose: how do authors generate value for their readers?
Many authors think value equates to free books. Certainly this is part of it. Before I took a break from writing, I wrote a book, usually a chapter a month, for my newsletter subscribers and they got to read it first. Reader magnets, sharing book fairs and book giveaways, all of these are great ways to add value. However, they aren’t the only way.
Newsletter swaps with other authors for their books, free or paid, are another good way to add value. Writing reviews, talking even if it’s just a line or two, about a book you read. These are also good ways to use affiliate links. (I have a great class to show you how to make money talking about books!)
Character interviews, “cut scenes”, even a where are they now sort of follow up on beloved characters also count as value. And I’m not done yet. Recipes make great value added bits for your newsletter. If you solved a problem, especially if it involved pets or children, that can also be a great way to add value and it helps you seem more human.
Value doesn’t always mean “free stuff”. Connecting with your readers, appearing more human, providing community, those are all ways to add value without giving away books.
The good news for authors is many of us already do these things. And many of us already send the sweet spot number of emails every month. How do you add value to your newsletters? I’d love to hear so drop me a comment below.
