When composing an author newsletter, consider the following:
1. Probably not a good idea to name your series with a word that unhappy readers will subsequently use to describe your writing.
2. Keep the predictions hopeful and minimal. May save you a lot of egg/face.
3. Refrain from begging.
4. Calling your unreleased novel ground-breaking is premature. Break the ground first, then take the credit.
5. Talking about your characters the same way you do real people can creep out the civilians.
6. Unless you're naturally funny, test all jokes on a real person first.
7. Gushing about yourself is like cheerleading in a church. A little goes a long way.
8. Whining about how busy you are does not create the illusion of glam.
9. False heartiness generally sounds false. If you can't be genuine without depressing the hell out of everyone, have the happiest person you know write the newsletter for you.
10. Quadruple-check the accuracy of the ISBN number, title, release date, and publisher of your novel. Also, check the spelling of your own name.
What bugs you guys about author newsletters?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I’ve never actually read one. Which sounds like a good thing. Unless I’m missing out on naked pictures of squirrels, of course. Wouldn’t want to miss that.
ReplyDeleteJack Mc Devitt (http://www.sfwa.org/members/mcdevitt/) has a good news letter. It's short and matter of fact, and only goes out when there's new stuff on his website, or in print.
ReplyDeleteAgree re characters as real people. I feel we need a slogan: "Characters don't tell stories, people do."
Releases should inform, and not simply flay the reader with hyperbole.
ReplyDeleteNews that a book is now available in the UK is of interest. A positive review in a major newspaper or entry into a bestseller list is also of interest. News that [author's close family member disguised with the name of their employment - e.g. a local doctor] bought 2 copies and thought it was great is not news.
Incidentally, my Hal Spacejock book launch is tomorrow night. Wish me luck! (And that's suitable news for a newsletter IMHO ;-)
I don't want:
ReplyDeleteNews of pets and kids, unless the authors can manage clever when they write the anecdotes.
Recipes that the authors haven't made or that have the wrong ingredients/proportions. I don't use the recipes, but I might. Someday.
Any articles longer than five hundred words, unless it's a Real Article and not puff--but I don't remember reading anything real or worthwhile (ie useful for me, the reader who's looking for industry news) in a newsletter.
The spelling issue is the one that makes me grind my teeth. I'm sorry, but when it's obvious you never re-read your newsletter before sending it out, I have to question your credibility as a writer.
ReplyDeleteI only get Karin Slaughter's newsletter, and her's is fantastic. Short, sweet, and very funny.
ReplyDeleteI only get Karin Slaughter's newsletter, and her's is fantastic. Short, sweet, and very funny.
ReplyDelete"I'd much rather get ingrequent but useful messages than endless self-marketing fluff."
ReplyDeleteEqually annoying is The Newsletter That Never Came.
I've signed up for promised newsletters from a couple authors who then never sent anything out, and probably never will. It's like Mom promises to buy you a new action figure at the K-Mart, then totally forgets to even go down the toy aisle. Or something like that. Ahem.
What bugs me about author newsletters? Almost everything.
ReplyDeleteBut it strikes me that it's going to be almost impossible to please all of the people all of the time. After all, I know readers who love piccies of the pets....
I'm not a writer, but I like Number 5, it doesn't creep me out at all. In fact, when talking with friends about individual books, or book series we read, we talk about characters like real people.
ReplyDeleteUh-oh, now I'm starting to creep myself out!
Here's something for your newsletter ;-)
ReplyDeletehttp://www.galaxybooks.com.au/
Check the bestsellers down the right hand side of the page.
Cheers
Simon
A lot of these are the reasons why I avoid doing a newsletter with any frequency. I use mine to announce a contest or the book's release. I guess I should do one now because I have signings arranged. I think my blog has pretty much taken the place of an e-newsletter and I don't use it to constantly promote my book.
ReplyDeleteI just want to be entertaining most days. If people like my blog, maybe they'll buy my book. If they like the blog and don't buy my book -- that's okay, too. I'm happy to entertain either way.
Molly wrote: Had to comment on item number 5 though -- I am a writer myself, but that one freaks me out every time!
ReplyDeleteIt can be disconcerting, especially in casual conversation. One author at RWA went on and on so much about one of her heroes that I thought she was talking about her husband.
Stuart wrote: I’ve never actually read one. Which sounds like a good thing. Unless I’m missing out on naked pictures of squirrels, of course. Wouldn’t want to miss that.
We have laws about exploiting animals over here, MacBride.
Zornhau, thanks for the link -- I agree, that is a good one. I especially like the links to online fiction.
Simon wrote: Incidentally, my Hal Spacejock book launch is tomorrow night. Wish me luck!
Great news -- and may the launch go smoothly, Simon.
Kate wrote: Any articles longer than five hundred words, unless it's a Real Article and not puff--but I don't remember reading anything real or worthwhile (ie useful for me, the reader who's looking for industry news) in a newsletter.
Puff or plodding on and on articles are hard to get through. I appreciate that everyone wants to share their process, and occasionally it's interesting, but generally it's like watching someone else's Grand Canyon vacation trip slides.
Andi wrote: I'm sorry, but when it's obvious you never re-read your newsletter before sending it out, I have to question your credibility as a writer.
I'm going to cop to being guilty of this one, but I'm a horrible speller who too often forgets to hit the spell-checker before "send."
Trace, have you got a link to Karen Slaughter's newsletter for folks who want to take a look?
Good tips on what you want to see, Carter, thanks -- and I'm with you on the constant shilling. Select, modest shilling works better on me than battering me with perpetual buy it-buy it-buy it.
Rob wrote: I've signed up for promised newsletters from a couple authors who then never sent anything out, and probably never will.
I'm guilty of this one, too. My web designers decided to have a newsletter sign-up somewhere on the new site and evidently I missed it; I had never planned on doing a newsletter. Now I'll probably have to do a newsletter telling people that there is not going to be a newsletter.
Anna Lucia wrote: But it strikes me that it's going to be almost impossible to please all of the people all of the time. After all, I know readers who love piccies of the pets....
Agreed. Good idea to put an un-subscribe option on your newsletter so people can drop it without a fuss.
Lia wrote: Uh-oh, now I'm starting to creep myself out!
See? Lol.
Simon wrote: Check the bestsellers down the right hand side of the page.
What a terrific surprise. That's all import sales, too; I haven't sold rights over there yet that I know of. Thanks, Simon. Great to see that Marjorie's kicking major sales butt, too.
Mary wrote: I guess I should do one now because I have signings arranged. I think my blog has pretty much taken the place of an e-newsletter and I don't use it to constantly promote my book.
If you send out a copy to the local RWA chapters in the area of your signing before their monthly meeting, I know a few gals will usually come over to show support. RWA local chapters are always good about stopping in at signings.
There's only one author whose dispatches I read eagerly.
ReplyDeleteThere was one author that somehow snagged MY email and started sending newsletters. GRRRR. Bad. Gets you sent to the graveyard of email addresses.
The usual, spelling, content, frequency are my quibbles. Keep the fluffy hype and hyperbole to a minimum.
What bugs me is the automatic marketing pressure that One Must Have One. Surely a blog is enough ego expression?
ReplyDeleteI'm very choosy about which author newsletters I read. Overloading them with too much personal stuff is a sure way to get me to delete before I read.
ReplyDeleteI like freebie stories and excerpts to be included in newsletters.
According to my dh, every newsletter I've attempted to compose sounds stilted. Not sure what I'm going to do with my list.
ReplyDeleteJordan - have him try writing it?
ReplyDelete