How to Grow Your Author Newsletter
As any writer who’s published anything from a short story to a novel knows, there’s a world of difference between writing something beautiful and actually getting it in front of readers, and the same is true with your author newsletter. Once you’ve decided to start an author newsletter, figured out the readers you’re aiming to reach, and developed a content strategy, how do you go about actually getting your newsletter into those readers’ inboxes?
This piece will provide you with a sampler of strategies for growing the readership of your author newsletter.
Easy strategies every newsletter writer should use
Add a link basically everywhere you are online, such as your email signature, your website, and your social media bios—and include a zippy tagline that tells people why they want to read your newsletter. Two quick examples: Jessica DeFino says that her newsletter, The Review of Beauty, is about “what the beauty industry won’t tell you, from a reporter on a mission to reform it” and Heather Lanier has a line in her email signature encouraging people to “Sign up for my newsletter, The Slow Take, here if you’d like occasional thoughts in your inbox about the strange beauty of being human.” Two really different writers, with really different approaches to their newsletter—and in a sentence or so, you can tell if their newsletter is going to speak to you.
Make sure your newsletter’s name and a link is in your bio when you publish online. Readers who like your poems, short stories, or essays are the ones who are the most likely to want to read more from you, so don’t miss that opportunity to promote your newsletter along with other publications! (And if you’ve got recent pubs that don’t include your newsletter, you could—very nicely!—email the editor or managing editor and see if they’d update your bio with a link.)
If you’re teaching or speaking somewhere, make sure to include your newsletter name and a hyperlink on handouts. I had cute postcards with a QR code and my newsletter’s logo made up a while ago, and I share those when I’m on panels or leading a community workshop.
Share your newsletter on social media—and ask your readers to share
The biggest growth I saw early on with my newsletter, Write More, Be Less Careful, came out of sharing posts on Facebook in groups of other writers. This strategy works best when it’s a group you’re already a part of and when you’re clear about why you think group members will like your newsletter. “I’m sharing this post because it provides some tips for doing research for writing historical novels” will work great for a group of historical novelists; “read my newsletter!” will get you crickets just about anywhere. If you’re not part of any groups on Facebook, you could spend a little time researching groups and see if any of them might be a good place to connect with fellow writers and/or your ideal readers.
You can also share your newsletter on any other social media platforms you’re using regularly. Most platforms are designed to keep users on their app, so you’re unlikely to get a ton of new subscribers from any given post, but I think a post for each new newsletter is a helpful reminder. (Because link sharing is clunky on Instagram, you’ll want to use your stories to share each new newsletter as well.)
Substack offers automated graphics for each post that you can share on social media. I’ve been having fun lately making posts in Canva to share favorite tidbits on Instagram, like this interview with The Leaving Season author Kelly McMasters. Because I believe in automating as much as I can, I picked a template in Canva, so all I need to do each time I have a new interview to share is swap in new text and a new author photo, and update the colors based on the book cover. Each graphic takes me 10 minutes or so, which feels like a reasonable amount of time to invest for a couple potential click-throughs.
Ask your readers to share! Add a note, right in the newsletter. You can be earnest (my newsletter always ends with some variation on “If Write More has helped you in your creative life, I’d love it if you would share it with a friend”), direct (Karla Starr’s The Starr Report often includes a line like “Thanks for reading! If you liked this, forward to someone who’d like it”), or whatever else suits the vibe of your newsletter. But you’re much more likely to get what you want if you ask for it.
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Collaborate with other writers
Keep an eye out for other writers whose newsletters you admire, especially ones you think are reaching a similar readership as yours. Collaborating with other newsletter writers through a guest post or interview is a great way to grow your newsletter, especially if you’re thoughtful about finding other writers with whom you share an audience. Two great examples: Aliza Sir and Aja Frost’s Platonic Love newsletter features five recommendations from a writer, artist, or other interesting person in each installment of their Links We Sent Our Friends series. Sherisa DeGroot’s Literary Liberation offers workshops to paying subscribers, and their workshop leaders have included great writers like Jane Wong, Shannon Sanders, and more.
A cautionary note about growth: I think it’s worth spending some time sharing your newsletter and trying to grow your audience—but keep in mind that connecting with readers is a more important goal than absolute numbers. You’re better off, I think, having a really clear view of who you’re trying to reach, writing newsletters that will engage those readers, and then sharing deliberately, rather than investing tons of energy worrying about subscriber counts. In the same way that a watched pot won’t boil, checking the subscriber count won’t make it climb.
Newsletter growth can be slow, especially as you’re getting started, but try to keep in mind that each new subscriber represents the potential for a stronger connection than a follower on social media. If you focus on writing an interesting newsletter that connects with your readers, I think you’ll build a loyal newsletter community—who will also be excited to read your next book.