Christina Kaye
Okay…so, you’ve poured your heart and soul into your book, and now it’s time to share it with the world.
You’ve tried posting about your book on social media several times, and maybe you’ve managed to sell a few copies to someone other than your friends and family.
But you’re just not seeing anywhere near the number of book sales you really hoped for.
First off, you’re not alone.
Many indie authors struggle with getting their self-publishing careers off the ground, but here’s the thing.
Indie authors are now outselling our traditional counterparts by leaps and bounds, and self-publishing is making bestsellers out of aspiring authors now more than ever before.
However, don’t make the same common but deadly mistake way too many indie authors make, which is relying solely on social media to spread the word and skipping out on what is actually a much more effective and profitable marketing strategy.
Email marketing has been proven to be 40 times more effective than using social media alone!
Here’s how you’re going to set up your profitable and complete email marketing campaign.
Table of Contents
Create an irresistible lead magnet!
Your lead magnet (some authors call it a “reader magnet”) is that thing you will offer to your target audience to entice them to sign up for your newsletter.
And the word “magnet” is the key here.
It needs to act exactly like a magnet, luring in your ideal readers and making them feel silly if they don’t turn over their contact info for such an amazing, free offer!
To decide what your lead magnet will be, think about what your actual target audience truly craves.
It can be almost anything, but it should be valuable, and it should be easy to download and consume.
Here are just a few ideas that might work for you.
Give it an eyeball grabbing title, like “The Top 100 Thriller Books That Will Haunt Your Nightmares!”
Then, create your lead magnet in Canva (if you still don’t have a FREE Canva account, you can GET ONE HERE).
Pro Tip: Make sure it uses your author brand colors and fonts, and create a cover page that you can then download separately as a PNG or JPG because you then need to use THIS TOOL to make a 3D mockup of your cover, which should look something like this.
Add opt-in forms to your website!
You then need to create two different types of opt-in forms, including a pop-up form that goes right on your home page and appears 3 seconds after someone lands there, and a static form you embed on your Contact Me page for those who might have clicked away the pop-up.
Your forms need a combo of an eye-catching design and compelling content.
You need a headline in big bold letters that grabs visitors’ attention instantly and says something like, “Get My FREE List Of 100 Bone-Chilling Thriller Reads Now!”
Under that, write 1-2 sentences that invites readers to sign up for your VIP Email list, tells them the benefits of doing so, and includes a clear, enticing call-to-action button.
Pro Tip: Don’t just write “Submit” on the Call-to-Action button! Instead, use first-person language and say something like, “I NEED THIS!” instead.
Set up a mini funnel with canned emails!
The key to making your newsletter a highly effective book selling machine is creating and adding 4-5 emails that will go out automatically to your new subscribers starting the minute they sign up!
I recommend you set up no less than 3, no more than 5 of these “canned” emails, and they should look something like this:
- Email 1 (goes out immediately up on signup): Confirm they received the free offer and attach it again just in case.
- Email 2 (goes out 24 hours after signup): Introduce yourself, tell them your brand story, and explain what kind of books you write and what they can expect from you.
- Email 3 (goes out 48 hours after signup): Gives them all your social media links, invites them to follow you, tells them why they should, and promises to follow back.
- Email 4: (goes out 72 hours after signup): Tells them about your upcoming book release or recent launch, shows your book cover, and includes a link to your Amazon purchase page.
Pro Tip: Don’t worry too much about the logistics of setting up these “autoresponder” emails in your funnel. Most email marketing platforms help you do this in no time flat, but hang tight because I have the very best platform to share with you at the end of this email!
Create a Content Plan for Compelling Emails!
With your mini funnel all set up, you’re ready to start sending emails, even if you only have 10 subscribers (you can surely come up with that many).
I recommend you create a spreadsheet and plan out your content at least one month in advance, so you never have to sit and think about what on earth to send out each time.
You should start with one email per week on a set day of the week, then, as you near your book launch, you can amp it up to 2-3 times per week!
Remember, your newsletters need to keep your target audience in mind, so don’t send out “all about me” emails or emails that only talk about your book, your offers, your plans, or your events.
Save those for when absolutely necessary (a good email marketing rule of thumb is the “80/20 Rule” – keep 80% of your content nurturing and entertaining and the other 20% or less as promotional).
Pro Tip: Make sure your emails are highly optimized, easy to consume, fun to read, and visually appealing. Keep these things in mind to help with this:
- Use super catchy subject lines to increase open rates
- Personalize every email with their first name at the top
- Write the emails as if talking to ONE friend over coffee
- Only write one sentence per line (not long complex paragraphs)
- Use emojis, images, and GIFs to break up the narrative
- Always include a “PS” section with an important call-to-action
Promote Your Lead Magnet Widely!
If you want your newsletter to work as it should, you need to grow it consistently and as quickly as possible.
The most effective way to do this is to make sure you are promoting your lead magnet/free offer often and widely.
At least once each week, include a post about your lead magnet in your social media content.
If you write a blog, always include a call-to-action button that links to your lead magnet offer.
Add your website link and your cover image from your lead magnet to your “Link in Bio” (and if you need a link in bio platform, I highly recommend Beacons.io, which you can get FOR FREE HERE).
Pro Tip: Every time you are anywhere actively promoting your books, like book fairs or book signings, or even when you’re just out and about, when the opportunity arises, always give people a quick and easy way to sign up for your newsletter. To make this easy peasy like a breazy, you can grab my Canva template for your Author Business Card BY CLICKING HERE. Save it to your camera roll on your phone, and ask them to scan the QR code with their phone, which will instantly take them to your Link in Bio!
Put it All Together in a Platform!
There are a few options out there for email marketing platforms, such as MailerLite, MailChimp, Klavyio, Constant Contact, and more.
But many of them are outdated, don’t offer all the features you need, and/or super expensive.
So, I have an offer I am positive you just can’t refuse (and shouldn’t)!
I have been using GetResponse for my email marketing (and more) for over 3 years now, and I absolutely love it!
Not only does it have ALL the features you need, such as funnel building, forms, templates, autoresponders, workflows, newsletters, and even ad campaigns, its user interface is simple, clean, and easy to use.
And if you do run into any issue or need help at any time, what I love most about GetResponse (other than that affordable monthly fee of $20!) is that you can connect with their support team 24/7 via their chat box.
They answer every time immediately and they are easy to understand English speaking agents.
Here’s that offer I promised you!
If you CLICK HERE NOW you can try all the amazing features offered by GetResponse for 30 days completely free on me!
Pro Tip: If you want to see how my highly engaged, popular newsletter is set up, the system I use, and my lead magnet, forms, etc., then, might I suggest you go ahead and sign up for my VIP Email List right here, RIGHT NOW?!
If you have questions, or if you just found this post helpful, please drop it in the comments below.
