Monday, November 23, 2015

Mailing List Promotion

Today, we welcome literary advocate, LaShaunda Hoffman who will provide us with tips for promoting via your mailing list.

The number one goal for a writer is to build your readership.  Most writers make the mistake of waiting until their book releases to start building their readership, that’s too late.

I recommend to my clients that they start building their readership as soon they start writing the book.  If you have a website or blog you can start building your readership as you write your book.  Most readers are excited to know that you have a new book coming out and probably will sign up for your mailing list just to keep in touch.

You can offer them a small excerpt of your book or maybe create a short story just for your mailing list to get them to join.   Your main focus during your writing time is to get as many people as you can to join your mailing list.  As I tell my clients its one reader at a time so don't get upset if no one joins at the beginning, the readers will join over time as you write.  When your book is ready for publication, you will have a nice size list to promote to.

Remember I said most writers wait until the book comes out before starting their mailing list, now they have no one to promote to.  They have to start from scratch.  You will be different because if you get 10 readers a month, imagine how many you will have by the time your book hits the shelves.

Below is an excerpt of my book Building Online Relationships – One Reader At A Time.  It's all about learning how to build your readership with step-by-step plans on different things to do to get in front of more readers.

HOW TO USE YOUR MAILING LIST FOR PROMOTION 

I use my mailing list to introduce readers to writers by sending out eblasts and newsletters. You can do the same thing.

1. You can create and send out an eblast to introduce your new book.
2. You can create a monthly newsletter.
3. You can create eblasts for monthly sales.
4. You can host contests.
5. You can host workshops.

LaShaunda C. Hoffman is the owner of Hoffman Content LLC.  This summer she published her first book – Building Online Relationships – One Reader At A Time.  She’s the publisher of award winning Shades Of Romance Digital Literary Magazine, and also has a coaching business, Virtual Tea With LaShaunda, where she teaches writers and businesse
s about using online promotion to reach their clients.

Catch her online:  lchwriter@gmail.com
SORMAG - http://sormag.blogspot.com
See Ya On The Net, her personal site - http://lashaundahoffman.com
Facebook -facebook.com/lashaunda.hoffman
Twitter – @lashaundaH or the new platform
Periscope @sormag where she’s scoping about book promotion.

13 comments:

Pat Hatt said...

Very true, shouldn't wait until the new book hits as that just makes way more work.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Wish I'd built a bigger list before I started.

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi JL and Shauna - yes we all need those lists ... so these are good points - cheers Hilary

T. Powell Coltrin said...

These are great ideas. Thanks!

LaShaunda said...

Hi Pat,

Thanks for your comment. The last thing you want to do is make your promotion harder.

LaShaunda said...

Hi Alex, thanks for your comment. As I tell my clients, you can always start a mailing, not starting one is what hurts you.

LaShaunda said...

Thanks for your comments Hilary and T. Powell. Happy promoting.

Stephen Tremp said...

I started an email list in January called the 2015 Astronomical Calendar or something like that. Got off to a pretty darn good start, but life got in the way and I had to let it go. Just too darn busy these days.

J.L. Campbell said...

Thanks to everybody for stopping in. LaShauna would like to gift someone with a 30-minute virtual tea session, so keep the comments coming!

Lux G. said...

Really a nice tip for those who want to grow their audience.

Robyn Campbell said...

I love this post. Well done. I'm trying to grow my audience right now. Thank you so much.

Joylene Nowell Butler said...

Jotting all this down so I can model my page after your ideas. Thanks, LaShaunda.

Michelle Wallace said...

Interesting ideas on how to use your mailing list for promo... thanks for sharing LaShaunda.