How to build an author email list from zero
An email list is the one audience no platform can take away from you. Here's how to start one with nobody on it.
- You need four things: an email service, a signup form, a reason to join, and places to put the link.
- A reader magnet works best when it's a taste of the book you want to sell.
- Write a short welcome sequence once, and it works for every new subscriber.
- Send something useful on a steady schedule. Monthly is fine. Silence for a year isn't.
Why email
When a social platform changes its feed, your posts reach fewer people overnight, and there's nothing you can do. An email list is different. The people on it asked to hear from you, and the message goes straight to them.
It's also where your most committed readers end up. People who follow you casually may never notice your release. People on your list will hear about it the day it happens, because you'll tell them.
What you need to start
- An email service. Several are built for newsletters and have free tiers for small lists. Pick one that handles signup forms, unsubscribes and automated emails. Don't send a newsletter from your personal inbox.
- A signup form or landing page. One page, one sentence on what people get, one box for an email address. Most email services give you this.
- A reason to join. Either a reader magnet (below) or a clear promise of what you'll send.
- Places to put the link. Your website, your social profiles, your email signature and, above all, the back of your books.
Choosing a reader magnet
A reader magnet is something free you give people for joining. It works because "join my newsletter" is vague, and "get the prequel story free" is not.
The best magnet attracts the readers who will buy your books, not just anyone who likes free things. So make it closely tied to what you write.
For fiction:
- A short story or novella set in the same world, with the same characters.
- A bonus scene or epilogue from the book.
- The first few chapters of a book that isn't out yet.
For nonfiction:
- A checklist, template or worksheet from the book.
- A short guide to one specific problem the book solves.
- A sample chapter.
Keep it finished and polished. It's the first thing a new reader sees of your work. A rushed magnet does more harm than none.
Deliver it as a file people can read easily: an EPUB for e-readers, a PDF for everything else, or a simple web page. Many authors use a book delivery service that handles download links and sends readers instructions for their device.
If you don't have a book yet
You can still start. Offer updates instead of a magnet: "Behind-the-scenes notes as I write the book, and first word when it's out." The list will grow slowly. That's fine. A small list of people interested in your actual book is worth more than a big one built on a giveaway.
Where to put the link
- The back matter of your books. Right after "The End", with a line saying what readers get by joining. A reader who just finished your book is the warmest lead you'll ever have.
- The front matter, briefly, for readers who never reach the back.
- Your website, on every page.
- Your social profiles, as the main link.
- The end of anything you post about the book.
Write a welcome sequence
A welcome sequence is a short series of emails that every new subscriber gets automatically, over the first week or two. You write it once and it keeps working.
Three to five emails is plenty:
- Welcome and delivery. Send the magnet, say thanks, say what to expect and how often.
- Who you are. A short, real note: why you write what you write. Ask a question they can reply to, such as what they're reading right now.
- Behind the scenes. Something about the world, the research or the making of the book.
- Your books. What's out, what's next, and where to get it. One clear link.
Replies matter. Some email providers treat replies as a sign your mail is wanted, and every reply is a reader telling you something useful.
What to send after that
Pick a rhythm you can keep. Monthly works for most authors. Twice a month is fine if you have things to say. What hurts is silence followed by a sudden "buy my new book!" from a name people have forgotten.
Ideas that don't run out:
- Progress on the next book, with a short excerpt.
- The story behind a character, place or scene.
- Books you've read and loved in your genre.
- A question or a small vote: two possible titles, two covers.
- For nonfiction: one useful idea or tip on your subject.
Most emails should give something. Some can ask. Keep the balance tilted toward giving.
Stay on the right side of the rules
- Only email people who signed up. Don't import contacts from your phone, buy lists, or add people you met at an event without asking.
- Make unsubscribing easy. Every email needs an unsubscribe link. Good services add one automatically.
- Follow the laws that apply to you and your readers. These vary by country. Some, like the US CAN-SPAM Act, require a postal address in commercial email, and Europe's GDPR sets rules on consent and data. Most email services build these in, but it's your list and your responsibility.
- Say what you'll send, and send that. If people joined for a free story, don't surprise them with daily sales emails.
Measure the right things
Don't obsess over size. A list of a few hundred people who open, reply and buy is worth more than thousands who joined for a giveaway and never read.
Open rates are less reliable than they used to be, because privacy features in some email apps report opens that never happened. Clicks and replies tell you more. Now and then, remove people who haven't opened anything in a long time. A smaller, engaged list tends to land in more inboxes.
Doing this in Authr
Write your reader magnet in Authr like any other book. The Line editor and Beta reader agents can review it before you send it out, and every change they suggest waits for you to accept or reject. On Pro you can have unlimited books, so a novella can sit beside your main book, and export to EPUB and print-ready PDF for readers to download.
Book marketing tactics, straight to your inbox.
Practical ways to get your book read: blurbs, launches, email lists, reviews, categories. Short emails. No spam, unsubscribe any time.
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Questions
How many subscribers do I need before launching a book?
There's no minimum. A small list of readers who chose to hear from you is still the most reliable way to reach anyone on release day. Start now and let it grow.
What's a good reader magnet for a debut novelist?
A short story or novella with the same characters or world as your book. It gives readers a real taste of your writing and attracts the people most likely to buy the novel.
How often should an author email their list?
Often enough that readers remember you. Monthly is a common rhythm. Pick a schedule you can keep for years, not weeks.