Saturday, April 16, 2011

Newsletters

For the A to Z Challenge, I’m posting promo and other tips for writers. Today it’s newsletters.

Do you have a newsletter?

Newsletters are a great way to keep your fans/customers up to date on new information.

However, the purpose of a newsletter is not just to promote - it is to provide valuable information. If all you do is talk about yourself or your books/products, people will unsubscribe - or worse yet, report you as spam! (And not the Monty Python type.) It can only go out to those who’ve subscribed to receive it, too.

What items would be good for a newsletter?

Articles that solve problems or inform
News flashes on growing trends
Links to other news items or articles
Highlight on a guest (author, company, product, etc.)
Contests
Photos
And finally, any new news about you, including new dates, products, books, etc.

Can you do that? Do you already put out a newsletter?

And because it's time for the Weekend Sillies:

funny pictures - This too shall pass.
see more Lolcats and funny pictures, and check out our Socially Awkward Penguin lolz!

10 comments:

Jeff Beesler said...

I'm not sure a newsletter is the way to go for me. I prefer using my blog to promote myself and offer tips and other things to my readers. I do have a subscribe to my blog function on my blog, but that's it.

Great promotion tips though! Thanks for sharing.

L. Diane Wolfe said...

Jeffrey, newsletters work well for authors, speakers, and those offering a service. If you're not there yet, don't worry about the newsletter.

RHYTHM AND RHYME said...

Lovewd the N word, I see from the sillie someone is relaxing.

Have a good week-end.
Yvonne.

Mary@GigglesandGuns said...

I actually feel just like your kitty. It's great!

notesfromnadir said...

I think a newsletter can work for a small company--I used to wish I had time to do 1 when I had my bath & body products biz. But now I have a blog & a website & think that's adequate.

Southpaw said...

Someday a newsletter might be good, but right now, everything is a “work in progress.” I do like when authors have them though and give tidbits about the new releases.

The Words Crafter said...

A newsletter.....see, I never thought of them as being anything other than something you write up for parents on a random/as needed basis. Or for Christmas for family and friends.

What an incredible idea! I would never, ever have thought of this. Thanks, cause when I do get published, I'm going to need all this great info.

Going over now to check out the penguins :) Have a great weekend!

Nicole said...

That picture with the cat is really cute. I don't have a newsletter because I don't think that I need one. I'm not a writer of novels. Most of my writing is for freelance assignments and my own blogs, so I don't have any books to promote or anything.

The two e-books that I wrote are geared to specific audiences who would likely not be interested in a newsletter, so I think it all depends on the writer, or at least, who is writing what :)

Nice blog!

The Madlab Post

Beverly Stowe McClure said...

Now that's the way to relax.

I enjoy reading newsletters, but haven't ever tried one of my own. They would take a lot of time, it seems.

L. Diane Wolfe said...

Newsletters are a major commitment. Mine only goes out four times a year now.