Another First

I sent out my first newsletter tonight, and I’m glad I decided to take the plunge. My fan base is small. That had been my excuse to not start a newsletter sign-up. However, I’ve read threads of authors encouraging fellow authors to offer newsletters to their readers.

Really, it’s a win-win for readers and authors. Readers get the chance to discover more about the author and their books. Authors reach their target audience—readers interested in their books.

I played with the free option of two services, MailChimp and Mad Mimi. Both were difficult to navigate. I went with MailChimp because I had a finished template and found their tutorials most helpful.

Now I needed subscribers. I contacted two readers who graciously gave me the thumbs up to add their emails to my subscriber list. Then I added MailChimp’s subscriber form to my web page. Next up is adding the subscription link to the description section of my published and future books.

I could’ve shrugged off the idea of a newsletter as another task to add to my long list of to-do’s. However, I’m in this for the long haul. Providing readers another option to connect with me and my books is a no-brainer. Repeat with me, “win-win.”