Author Newsletters: Open Book with Joelle Speranza
Authors often know that newsletters are important, but might not know why they are such a useful part of their platform. In the latest episode of All Things Book Marketing, we were joined by Smith Publicity publicist Joelle Speranza as she shared her insights about and tips for author newsletters, from why every author should have one to how often they should be sent and beyond. Let’s dive in… 
Why is having a newsletter important for authors?
Newsletters are so important for you, as an author, for many reasons. They help you stay connected to their audience, they help to grow an audience, and they help your audience learn more about you personally through personal stories that you choose to share. They are also a great platform for growing your business, as you can do giveaways, provide exclusive content, and more.
What makes a newsletter successful?
Newsletters should always entertain and educate, but shouldn’t be overly promotional. I think the best newsletters first and foremost are a tool to connect with your audience and share a little more about you, who you are, and why you do what you do. By approaching your newsletter this way, people will get to know you, so when it does come time to share updates about your book, it won’t seem like you’re just trying to sell something to them—they will know and understand you.
Another thing that makes a newsletter successful is using it to teach your audience something. Let’s say you’re a business expert, for example. You could offer your newsletter readers tips for asking for a raise at work. You can teach your audience through tips or a short story in your newsletter in order to help improve their lives, or pass along to a friend who might need it.
Which newsletter platforms should an author consider?
MailChimp is a very popular platform, and I’m also a big fan of Substack. I love that the newsletters you write live on the Substack platform, which makes everything seamless and also helps with SEO. A great tip for utilizing Substack is to create fun graphics that go with it in Canva, which is a free tool for creators, which makes the newsletter more inviting and engaging, rather than just a page of text. You can then take that newsletter and re-use it for a blog page that you might have, for your website, take snippets for your social media, etc.
How often should an author send a newsletter?
Once a week is good. If you need to start out sending a newsletter just once a month, that works too – but once a week would be a great goal. If you’re getting close to your book release, a lot of authors will begin sending emails two or three times a week as reminders.
If you’re an author who hasn’t yet started their newsletter, this is your sign to start today! As Joelle suggests, use it to let your audience get a glimpse into the person behind the book, and to teach them something that will help them. As long as you think of your newsletter as a way to serve over a way to sell, the selling part will take care of itself when the time comes.
The All Things Book Marketing podcast is a popular biweekly show featuring book marketing and publicity tips from the top voices in the publishing industry. Be sure to subscribe so you never miss a new episode! Our Open Book series was established in 2022 and features interviews with Smith Publicity team members.
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Joelle Speranza is a Smith Publicity publicist, author, and lifestyle writer who knows how to get the media’s attention—and keep it. A storyteller at heart, she specializes in creating and promoting compelling angles and has gained national coverage for Smith Publicity including The Today Show, Good Morning America, Tamron Hall, GQ, Glamour, Cosmo, Oprah Daily, Harvard Business Review, New York Post, Life & Style, In Touch, Extra, Forbes, The New York Times, MSNBC, Real Simple, Wall Street Journal, and MTV. Relationships are the foundation of her work and she credits much of her success to maintaining connections with the media and becoming united with her clients. Throughout her 18+ years in PR, she has worked in the music/entertainment, healthcare/ pharma/ life sciences, and consumer product sectors.
A goal-getter, Joelle has been self-publishing and producing since college, when she launched her own music ‘zine-turned-website and Internet TV show. She views everything in life as a potential article, photo, or TV segment and is always thinking of a way to create. Joelle has been published on Oprah Daily, Insider, LittleThings, and HuffPost, to name a few. She enjoys writing books ranging from non-fiction and romance novels to children’s interest. When she is not working, she can be found chasing around her two children and three dogs in her lake community.
