Do you produce a weekly, monthly or quarterly newsletter designed to promote your book(s)? I guess some of you use your blogs as a substitute for a promotional newsletter. And that’s okay. But it would be better if you did both! Why?
There are still potential customers who are not going to visit a blogsite regularly. And a newsletter is a good way to reach and remind folks of your book and other products and services. This is still a great method of keeping your name and the name of your book in front of potential readers.
So what goes into a newsletter? It should be more than an advertisement. It should inform, educate and entertain readers. Include material that your potential audience craves, is interested in, needs or that makes him/her think, ponder, smile or want to improve in some way. Strive to gain your potential readers’ trust and you will sell more books. Someone who learns from and/or enjoys your promotional newsletter will most likely want to read your book and purchase copies for gifts.
With this in mind, what exactly should your newsletter contain? If you’re promoting a nonfiction book, consider the following:
• Present an article on a cutting edge experiment, or report on a recent scientific discovery related to the focus of your book.
• Share anecdotes related to the topic of your book.
• Note current testimonials about your book.
• List a few resources.
• Write about some of your recent speaking engagements.
• Post an interesting editorial (which might include some of the above).
• Announce a contest—give a $100 to the 100th person to purchase your latest book, for example.
• Run an interview with an expert in your field.
• Pitch your book—maybe offering a discount during the month of December, for example.
• Announce new books/products/blogsite, etc.
For a book of fiction, your newsletter might include:
• An excerpt from your book.
• Your appearance schedule.
• Anecdotes reflecting readers’ experiences with your book.
• A challenge for readers—give a writing prompt, ask them to write in with the number of times you mention a particular character in your book or quiz them on an aspect of a particular scene in the book, for example.
• Treat your newsletter readers to a short story—yours or one by another writer.
• If you have a pet, a child or an otherwise interesting life, share some of your experiences each month. Maybe you’re an avid hiker, you train horses, you perform in community theater or work at Food Share. Share an anecdote about those experiences and try to connect it to the theme or your book or your writing life.
• Pitch your book—offer a discount during a certain period.
• Announce new books/products.
You are a writer. Why not promote your book using your special talent—writing? Maintain a blog, sure, but reach a wider audience by also producing a newsletter. And let us know how that goes. Those of you with newsletters, we’d love to hear from you. Is it a worthwhile venture? Give us some of your newsletter tips.
As predicted, my books are selling this month. I’m hauling loads to the post office just about every other day. Thank you! Thank you! If you haven’t placed your order for The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book, the book that many authors consider their bible, there’s still time to receive it for studying during the long holiday season. Read it now and by the New Year, you’ll have the knowledge, direction and guidance that you need in order to succeed with your book project. http://www.matilijapress.com/rightway.html Perfect bound book $19.95.
Order Catscapades, Tales of Ordinary and Extraordinary Cats within the next few days and receive it in time for Christmas giving. Three of these comb-bound books went out the door yesterday. http://www.matilijapress.com/catscapdes.html Comb-bound book $14.00. Ebook $8.50.