One reader asked me to write about, "Options for things to give to people in exchange for signing up to the mailing list - I don't have a spare book to give away but want to give something 'valuable' - just not sure what to
do."
I'll cover mailing lists for both fiction and non-fiction writers here (I think this reader is asking about promoting a novel).
#1: If You Write Non-Fiction
If you want to promote your non-fiction book – or an ecourse, piece of software, physical product, or anything else you sell – then a mailing list is a fantastic way to do it.
You can offer all sorts of
incentives to encourage people to sign up. A lot of bloggers go with a short ebook – I have several
(www.aliventures.com/newsletter-secret –
the password is alinewsletter), but other options are:
- A full-length ebook – impressive,
but a lot of work to create.
- A cheatsheet or checklist – often fairly quick to create, and something that's instantly useful to people who sign-up without them having to spend hours reading it!
- A .pdf version of one of your longer blog posts, potentially with some extra information included.
- Discount codes or other exclusive offers. (Aliventures newsletter readers get 35% off all my Blogger's Guides with the discount code "alinewsletter".)
One interesting spin on this is to give away your incentive over time. ProBlogger has a series of blogging prompts that they send out, with a new set each month – that's a great way not only to encourage people to sign-up for something useful, but also to keep them
subscribed!
#2: If You Write Fiction
While I absolutely believe that an email list is great for promoting fiction, I have to confess that I've not got very far with building my fiction-specific list! Right now, I'm not actively promoting it – I just have sign-up links in the back of my novels, so that people who've enjoyed the novels can easily join the list to hear when the third book in the trilogy comes
out.
I'm personally unsure about the benefits of getting people onto an email list if they've not already read – and liked! – some of your fiction. (If you're giving away a novel or novella, that perhaps solves this problem, as they can read it when they first join.)
In terms of giveaways, you could try:
- Deleted scenes from your novel (if you edited it substantially, like I did with Lycopolis).
- Written
or recorded interview(s), either with you as the interviewer or the interviewee.
- Short stories in the world of your novel(s).
- A list of recommended reads that people who've enjoyed your novel might like too.
You could also offer benefits that don't take you any extra time to create, like:
- The opportunity to beta-read your next book.
- The chance to request a (free) advance review copy of your next book.
