by Melissa Tagg, @Melissa_Tagg

You’ve heard it. I’ve heard it. We’ve all heard it.

Email is marketing gold right now. It’s more dependable than social media. It’s more affordable than buying ads. It’s essentially you as the author showing up on a reader’s virtual doorstep…instead of waiting for the reader to show up on yours.

You can find a bazillion and one articles all over the interwebs about how to build your email address list. But today I want to talk about what to actually put in your author emails. Because here’s the thing: if we’re going to show up on a reader’s doorstep, we want that visit to be worth their while.

So here are a few tips for your next virtual visit:

• Be. Personal. I really can’t stress this one enough. Talk like you’d normally talk. Talk like you. Write your emails as if you were writing to a friend. Because that’s the goal here—to build a friendly rapport with your readers so they care about what you have to say. This doesn’t mean you have to tell long, overly emotional stories or give all the details of your personal life.

But it does mean, I think, doing more than a cursory intro paragraph followed by a sales pitch.

Think about it this way…if you’re hanging out with a real-life friend, you don’t spend tons of time on small talk, right? The visits that mean the most—the ones that stick in your mind and heart—go a little deeper.

 

• Show up with a gift. You know how sometimes when you’re visiting someone for the first time you might bring a gift? (An acquaintance brought me Pop-Tarts once. We’re now besties.)  

 

I always make sure there’s some kind of gift for the reader in my emails. It might be a giveaway…a  cute downloadable goodie…an exclusive sneak peek…something that says to the reader, “I’m grateful we’re connected. You’re special to me.”

 

• Hint at why they should watch out for your next email. I like to give little breadcrumbs about what might be coming up in future emails—giveaway announcements, cover reveals, upcoming news—just as a way to prep my reader for future communication and hopefully plant that message that this is an ongoing relationship.

 

 

• Say thank you. You just can’t say it enough. Thank them for reading this email. Thank them for reading your books. Thank them for staying connected.

 

 

• Invite replies. I’ve discovered that the more personal I get in my emails, the more my inbox fills with replies after it’s sent. And that’s awesome! It takes time to reply to your replies and sometimes I don’t get to it for a week or two. (And I’m sure I’ve let some slip through the cracks here and there.) But a reader who reaches out in response to your email—that’s a reader you want! That’s someone who is engaging with you on a deeper level.

 

And I don’t know about you, but I got into this writing gig not just to tell stories, but hopefully to have some kind of impact on my readers. It’s so cool to me that we live in an age when a connection that begins because of a novel can actually become personal!

A couple bonus notes:

• Don’t worry about length! Yes, you’re going to see some marketing gurus tell you shorter is better. But in both my 10-year experience as part of a nonprofit development team and in my 5-year author experience, I’ve seen over and over that longer, personal emails work. Not that every email needs to be long either. But don’t let a word limit stifle your creativity.
• Don’t get hung up on creating visually fancy emails. Seriously, just don’t. Know why? Because every email browser on the planet—and there are hundreds!—is going to display your email differently. What looks great in Gmail might look super wonky in Outlook. Some of the snazziest design people in the world—like the folks at Fixer Upper / Magnolia, for instance—actually send very simply-designed emails. So take a cue from them and don’t stress out trying to make your email pretty.  

 

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All This Time (Walker Family Book 4) 

Bear McKinley’s past refuses to let go.

Ten years ago, Bear gave up everything—his freedom and his reputation—for his mess of a family. But after years of distance and too many attempts at starting over, he finally has a new life doing noble work in Brazil . . . until his past catches up to him once again. Suddenly he finds himself back in Maple Valley, charged with the care of his missing brother’s children, convinced he’s out of second chances to make his life count. And yet, with every day that passes, these kids, this quirky town and the woman he never stopped missing help patch the holes in his heart. Maybe this is the fresh start he’s been longing for all along. But as his newfound hope grows, so does the mystery surrounding his brother’s activities—and when the threat reaches into the lives of those he loves, it’s clear he can’t run away this time.

Fear holds Raegan’s future captive.

Raegan Walker is fine. She’s happy working a slew of part-time jobs, still living in her childhood bedroom and rarely venturing from her hometown. At least, that’s what she tells everyone . . . and herself. But she can’t help wondering what might’ve happened if she hadn’t abandoned her art so many years ago—and if Bear McKinley had never left. When Bear returns and she’s commissioned for a painting that just might revive her artistic ambition all in one week, it’s time to finally reach for more than fine. But doing so means facing the fears that have held her back all this time, including admitting the secret she’s kept from Bear and her family. With her dream and her heart on the line, how much will Raegan have to risk to finally chase her happy ending?

Melissa Tagg is the award-winning author of the popular Walker Family series, the Where Love Begins series and the Enchanted Christmas Collection. She’s a former reporter, current nonprofit grant writer and total Iowa girl. Her recent releases include a Carol Award Winner(One Enchanted Noel), an RT Book Reviews TOP PICK (All This Time) and a Publishers Weekly Spring Top Ten Pick (Like Never Before). Melissa has taught at multiple national writing conferences, as well as workshops and women’s retreats. When she’s not writing, she can be found hanging out with the coolest family ever, watching old movies, and daydreaming about her next book. Melissa loves connecting with readers at www.melissatagg.com and on Facebook and Instagram.