Urban fantasy author Alexia Chamberlynn of The Life and Literary Pursuits of Alexia Chamberlynn not only has one of the most informative sites in the blogosphere, she recently launched the monthly newsletter Raven Moon for readers and writers of this popular genre.
I'm delighted Alexia stopped by today to share some behind-the-scenes tips for this marketing tool.
What role can newsletters play in an author's marketing plan?
A newsletter can be used to supplement an author's core social media tools, such as blogging, Twitter and Facebook. I chose to create a newsletter because I wanted something that appealed specifically to urban fantasy fans, since that is the primary genre I read and write, something unique I could offer to my core audience. My other social media tools focus on writing in general and are not genre specific, so a newsletter seemed the appropriate tool to complement the others.
What content should a newsletter include? Should it appeal to writers, readers or both?
Really, I think the possibilities are limitless for newsletters. I think the important thing is for the newsletter to offer something of value to the subscribers. For the most part, I think something that appeals to both writers and readers packs more punch. For instance, I have a list of urban fantasy new releases for the month and will be featuring books reviews and author interviews. I also include a featured book trailer and must-visit Web site. All of these appeal to both writers and readers. But I do have things that are more writer-focused, such as featured publishers and agents.
How often should a newsletter come out?
In my opinion, weekly, biweekly or monthly are all good alternatives. You don't want something that arrives in people's inboxes either too frequently or so far in between they forget they even subscribed. I chose monthly, because that frequency made the most sense in correlation with my blogging schedule.
What tools did you use to create an online newsletter and distribute it?
I chose an e-mail newsletter service called MailChimp. It's free and easy to use, and I've been very impressed. I mainly wanted to be able to create a professional-looking, HTML e-mail newsletter, but once I signed up I realized, that beyond their many newsletter templates, there is a great benefit in having a service that stores your newsletter contacts and makes sending the newsletter easy. There's even an easy way to create sign-up forms for your Web site. And MailChimp is certainly not the only option; there are many other choices on the market.
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| Alexia Chamberlynn |
What are some great ways to let readers know about a newsletter?
I've used my blog and Twitter to spread the word. I offered a book and gift card giveaway to celebrate the newsletter launch and created buttons that people can add to their Web site or blog that link back to my newsletter sign-up page. MailChimp gives a link to a Web preview of the newsletter and even a function that allows you to Tweet the link, so I've done that so people can sample the newsletter before signing up. Of course, word of mouth and interviews like this are golden. :)
How do I know if a newsletter is right for me and my genre?
I'll answer the second part first ... I think just about any genre could benefit from a newsletter. Whether it's right for you is a whole different story. With all the other social media and marketing that writers do, it's challenging to fit in one more thing. I decided it was worth the time it would take each month to produce the newsletter, because I wanted something purely urban fantasy that didn't take over my regular blogging and tweeting. I blog and tweet to connect with all types of writers, and I love experiencing both the diversity and universality of the experience. But for this I wanted to focus on just a particular sliver of the writing pie.
What else should I keep in mind before starting my first newsletter?
Be prepared to learn a ton! I've been amazed at how much I've learned with just the one issue I've produced so far. I learned a lot of technical stuff-formatting, graphics, etc. More importantly, I've learned a lot more about the industry while perusing the Internet to get good stuff for the newsletter. I researched agents, publishers and authors. I found Web sites and blogs and Twitter feeds I'd never thought to look for before. It's been a ton of hard work. And it's all been super fun.
Michelle, thanks so much for having me on your blog today! I love talking about what I love to do, so this has been a real treat. And I'm honored to be featured on such an amazing blog written by such an amazing writer!
Yesterday pre-published author and marketing consultant Laura Barnes of Laura B Writer awarded the Savvy Sensation Award to me. Thank you very much! The only criteria is to pass it on to someone who is amazing, inspiring and enthusiastic. Well, that perfectly describes Alexia, the second recipient of this new blog award.
If you'd like to be a guest blogger on Bird's-eye View or participate in a book review/author interview, I hope you'll let me know. My e-mail address is mefayard(at)yahoo(dot)com.
34 comments:
Excellent interview, Alexia. Thanks for doing it and thanks for the awesome newsletter. =o)
And thanks to Michelle for having you over. =o)
A wonderful interview, a pleasure to read.
Yvonne.
Thanks for the interview! I hadn't really considered newsletters as a way to reach your audience (even though I subscribe to a few agency ones). This was a great breakdown of how to write one and why :)
Thanks so much for having me today, Michelle, and for the beautiful award!!
Thanks, Beth, and so glad you enjoy the newsletter!
Yvonne, thanks for stopping by!
Jess, you are so welcome! Newsletters can be a cool and fun addition to one's online presence.
I'm sure it's a lot of work! Crap, I wouldn't even know what to say in a newsletter. Time might be the biggest factor for me.
Great interview! A newsletter would be a good way to focus on a specific topic if your blog is more generalized - also a very nice way to get invovled!
Very informative post. I read the interview and thought 'More work!' but I do see the benefits. Wishing Alexia success with this venture.
Oy...a newsletter on top of a blog sounds like a lot of work. And coming up with the material for that could be really challenging. But I can see where it can help with marketing. Kudos to anyone that can pull it off, especially weekly.
@J.L. and @Michael, I like the distinction Alexia makes that she started Raven Moon so her blog could appeal to more than just urban fantasy fans yet her urban fantasy fans could get their fix too.
I'm curious about what you think about a newsletter for readers, since I've heard some bloggers express concern that they might not be reaching this segment of their audience via their blogs.
mmm...blogging really isn't about reaching readers. It's more or less about making yourself visible so that once they find your book, if they want to investigate further, they can find you easily. I think that for the most part, online presence is about that really...attempting to destroy the invisibility cloak that surrounds everyone so that someone will pick up your book and actually read it.
I think it is accurate to assume that as far as blogs go, you will only sell 10% to your actual following...so if you have 200 followers, that means 20 people will buy your book. So doing a blog is not about selling your book. It's about having connections in the community so that when it comes time to market, people will post widgets for you, do blog tours, and essentially help out with getting your name visible. Then the actual readers will gravitate (eventually) toward your blog.
That's all just opinion though.
Thanks for the advice, Alexia :) I enjoy reading monthly newsletters from publishers, and I think it's a good idea for bloggers to use them too. Shall keep an eye out for more!
When I have a decent following for my books, I suppose that'll be a good time to launch a newsletter. Meantime, I'll be blogging. :)
@Michael, ah, but these opinions are pure gold; thank you!
What an awesome post! And the commebnts are also very fascinating. First, congrats to alexia who totally deserves this award. Your newsletter is awesome and congrats on the launch. I do agree with some of the comments that it cann be a big undertaking, but having a specific agenda will help you a ton. Good job both of you!
Ah, I loved this post. I never thought of having a newsletter, but it's definitely something to consider. I don't think I have the time or resources to start one now, but I'll totally keep this post on the back-burner so that I can refer back to it. Thanks for the help Alexia, Michelle! And congrats on the award!
What great comments! Thanks so much everyone for stopping by.
Alex, it is a lot of work, but a lot of fun, too!
Lev, I definitely like being able to focus on my favorite genre in the newsletter, but writing in general on my blog.
J.L. - thanks! Ditto what I said to Alex - hard work, but lots of fun!
Thanks for the detailed comments, Michael! I definitely couldn't pull off a newsletter once a week.
Jamie, you are welcome! I definitely need to find some of these good publishing newsletters.
Laura, thanks so much! Having a focus for the newsletter definitely helps.
Don't think I'd every go towards writing a newsletter - but I do enjoy writing for the odd one here and there.
great post - thank you xx
I lurve Alexia! Great ideas on creating newsletters. Now, if only I knew someone I could bribe to help me with mine...hmmmm...
This is something worth thinking about. I don't have a need for a newsletter at the present, but if I had something to promote I don't know that I'd want to since my blog keeps me busy enough. I subscribe to a few newsletters, but I find myself just looking briefly at them and not reading much of anything. I will have to keep this concept in mind for future reference.
Lee
Tossing It Out
Such a cool idea! I'd never really thought about newsletters before, but I can see how they would be super helpful. Great interview!
What an interesting and informative interview! A newsletter is something to think about. Going to investigate MallChimp just to see what it can do. Thanks!
Thanks to everyone for stopping by! I'm loving these comments.
Marlena and Michelle - thanks! It's been great to see everyone's responses.
Alleged Author, I will be happy to share what I've discovered! I've been through a lot of trial and error in my learning process :)
Arlee, I try to keep my newsletter engaging, with lots of places for people to click and explore... so hopefully that helps.
Thanks, Meredith! I aim for it to be helpful with the new releases and cool websites to check out.
Susanna, Mail Chimp is super cool, I think you'll like it!
This is very informative and interesting interview. Thank you Alexia and Michelle! :)
Wonderful interview. I've been curious about newsletter. So far I'm receiving one and it's brief, yet informative.
Hello my friend Michelle! Always nice to come back to read your beautiful article. Very understandable , simple and elegant. I wish a excellent weekend for you, with very smiles and peace! Visit me too. Greetings from Rio de Janeiro/Brasil.
Len, Medeia and Nelson - thanks so much for stopping by! I'm glad you enjoyed it.
Excellent post, Alexia. Thanks for doing it and thanks for the awesome information on newsletters.
And thanks to Michelle for having you over.
Michelle, thanks for hosting Alexia.
Alexia, thanks for the tips. I think when I have enough news for a newsletter, it will be something I'd like to do.
A newsletter sounds like a lot of work. I'll definitely keep it in mind!
I so agree! I love Alexia's newsletter, and Alexia, I was wondering how you put it all together. This is a great interview! I can't wait for next months:)
I'm a bit late to this party, but had to chime in and say "what a great idea". I'm marching off to sign up for Alexia's newsletter right now. Thanks for the info, Michelle and Alexia!
As always, great info, Michelle. Thanks for this!
Nas, Theresa, Lydia and Jeanne - thanks for stopping by!
Deana, I'm so happy to hear you enjoy the newsletter! Thanks!
CherylAnne, thanks for signing up! I hope you enjoy it!
Another great interview, Michelle, and so informative, Alexia. I learned so much from this. I don't think I'm ready to do a newsletter, but I'm bookmarking this post for the future.
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