By Michelle Griep, @MichelleGriep
Apparently all the cool kids are putting out newsletters nowadays. Not that I’m feeling the need to be cool, but I am feeling pressure from all the marketing gurus that say I must generate a newsletter. So guess who I’m taking along on the adventure? Yep. You, you lucky dog! After a fair amount of research, I discovered the essentials of what goes into a successful mailing.
Short Nuggets of Info
No one has time to read lengthy emails. Make your content punchy and interesting. Author Anne Friedman always lists what her most recent release is, what she’s currently reading, and an animated gif. Limit yourself to 2 or 3 important items.
Consistency
To make your brand recognizable, keep the format of the newsletter the same each time. Content should be easy to scan and digest with a sweep of the eyes.
Provide Value
Think about what information you can provide to a reader that he will think is valuable. This can be anything from a recipe to a short how-to.
Links
Embed 2 or 3 links for people to click on—and not just for your books that you want to sell. Share the love of other sites you enjoy.
Serialize
Hey, this worked for Dickens so why not for you? Leave your reader with a cliffhanger of some sort so that by the next time you send a newsletter he’s dying to open it.
Be Original
Don’t make your newsletter a copy of your blog (or anyone else’s for that matter). Put up fresh content in your mailing.
And there you have it. Pretty easy, eh? Actually, it should be. Readers have about as much reading time as you do writing time, so erring on the short side is fine. The most important thing is just to have fun with it. If you enjoy writing it, your readers will most likely enjoy reading it.
The House at the End of the Moor
What Can a London Opera Star and an Escaped Dartmoor Prisoner Have in Common?
Opera star Maggie Lee escapes her opulent lifestyle when threatened by a powerful politician who aims to ruin her life. She runs off to the wilds of the moors to live in anonymity. All that changes the day she discovers a half-dead man near her house. Escaped convict Oliver Ward is on the run to prove his innocence, until he gets hurt and is taken in by Maggie. He discovers some jewels in her possession—the very same jewels that got him convicted. Together they hatch a plan to return the jewels, clearing Oliver’s name and hopefully maintaining Maggie’s anonymity.
Michelle Griep’s been writing since she first discovered blank wall space and Crayolas. She is the author of historical romances: The Captured Bride, The Innkeeper’s Daughter, 12 Days at Bleakly Manor, The Captive Heart, Brentwood’s Ward, and A Heart Deceived, but also leaped the historical fence into the realm of contemporary with the zany romantic mystery Out of the Frying Pan. If you’d like to keep up with her escapades, find her at www.michellegriep.com or stalk her on Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest.