About a year ago when Wise Ink launched as an agency for authors, we were struck with the dilemma of how to handle the blog.
This blog is what gave us the courage to go out on our own, take the leap, and design our dream business working with authors. However, after we launched our beautiful blog that we had paid a designer to overhaul was now completely different from our agency’s website.
At the advice of a web designer and friend, we decided to do away with our design and make it cohesive with our company’s website.
Why are we telling you this?
Because we made a snafu when we disabled the old design and integrated the new one.
We did away with our email subscription box. Big mistake.
We had hundreds of subscribers to the blog and for months we didn’t have a way for new readers to subscribe. Even when people sent us their email addresses voluntarily with the instructions “add me to your list,” we still dragged our feet. Running a company got in the way.
Even worse, when we launched our book on social media for authors, we didn’t use one of the best tools we had to promote it.
Our subscriber list.
If you hate promotional emails, newsletters, etc., get in line. Spam is a horrid abomination of all the good that email can be used for. But we’re not talking about spamming your subscriber list with annoying pleas to buy your book.
We’re talking about building your subscriber list to use it as a powerful tool to grow your brand as an author.
Having an email list is like bolstering your book with a parachute. It provides a sure way to land on your feet.
Start collecting email addresses as soon as you start writing your book. Use every opportunity before, during, and after publishing to gather names and email addresses.
Once you have a subscriber list of folks who want to stay informed about your book’s updates, you’ve created one of the most powerful ways to promote your book and even more important, cultivate fans.
Use an email marketing service provider to grow your list. Our favorites are:
The key is to refrain from sending too many “buy my book” announcements. Those are dreadful in large doses. Send emails that are bigger than the book and that tell your story. Use articles/blog posts, book news (awards, features), recommendations, photos of you on the road, and tips.
Having a list is also a smart way to keep readers who’ve already bought your book invested in future books.
Every email that goes to your list is one more time you are in front of them. Treat your list like the treasure it is and only send emails that are story-based, valuable, and worthy of sharing or bookmarking.
If you’re feeling uncomfortable about building an email list, let it go. If you still need convincing, email marketing was the third most successful source of marketing in 2013, producing 13% of all leads.
The rules of email marketing are simple. If you’re respectful and follow the etiquette of email marketing, you’ll be miles ahead of the average author and you won’t be an annoyance to your subscribers.
Here are five simple ways you can grow your email list:
1. Add an opt-in box to your website
An opt-in box on your blog or website is the simplest thing you can do to build a list. Add a opt-in option to your homepage. If you have a blog, in your sidebar and at the end of each post is ideal.
2. Have a sign-up sheet at events
Book signings, speaking engagements, and tradeshows are all appropriate places to enlist new subscribers. Make it clear what they’re signing up for. Whenever giving a speech, mention your subscriber list as a call-to-action.
An example: If you’ve enjoyed what you’ve heard today, I invite you to sign up to receive my updates and tips about [insert subject/topic here].
3. Provide a link in your email signature
Add text like: “Join my list for book updates, news, and tips” and then hyperlink it to your opt-in box.
4. Add verbiage or a QR code to your book
At the end of your book, if appropriate add a QR code that links to your opt-in or add a line to your bio at the end that reads something like, “To receive updates and occasional tips, visit: www.yourname.com/list”
5. Use Your Facebook Page
If you have a fan page on Facebook, there are more than a few apps that you can use. In line with our previous recommendations, you can use:
Here’s a step-by-step tutorial on how to add an opt-in option to your Facebook page.
So, do you agree? Should authors collect email addresses? Are YOU collecting email addresses?
The only problem is that we’re required by law to put an address on the signup page and all emails (MailChimp, etc, forces this). Even with a P.O. Box, authors looking for complete anonymity will not get it.