When it comes to sending your newsletter, approximately 40% of it deals with finding content, organizing it in your newsletter program, and doing the technical, manual tasks required like tracking down author book swaps, book bundles to share, and so on. The rest of the work, 60%, comes from your mindset.
There’s one important mindset you must have in order to send a newsletter: that readers are waiting to hear from you and want to know more about your books.
It’s tough, I know.
Sometimes when you send weekly newsletters, or go a few months (or longer) between releases, it’s too easy to think that it doesn’t matter if you send out a newsletter. Except, it does.
We need to keep in touch with our readers. They have lives, just like we do, and while they may not want to forget about us, sometimes we “fall off their radar” because there are so many books and so many authors competing for their attention. Part of a newsletter isn’t just to sell books, though that’s a bonus. It’s keeping our name in their mind and keeping our books in their thoughts.
How do you cultivate the mindset where you believe readers want to hear from you?
First, believe in yourself. Again, sometimes easier said than done. But you must believe in your books and in your writing, then share the joy you find in them with readers. Is something really lighting you up at the moment? Share that with your readers. Are you falling in love with your characters all over again? Let them know.
Next, trust that your readers want to hear from you. Many times authors and characters become like valued friends, people with whom they share their lives. Readers quite often want to know what you’re up to and what you are currently writing. They want to know what book(s) will be releasing soon.
With this mindset–trust in yourself and trust in your readers–release your newsletter to your subscribers. It’ll land in friendly inboxes, I’m sure of it.
