How to Create a Compelling Author Newsletter That Actually Gets Read

Let’s be real—everyone and their book-loving grandma has an author newsletter these days. It’s the cool thing for writers to do to build that all-important mailing list. But here’s the harsh truth – the majority of author newsletters out there are pretty darn boring. They’re basically the email equivalent of watching plaid paint dry.

I get tons of them in my inbox every week. Most go straight to the trash (or spam) folder unread. Only a handful manage to catch my attention and get opened, because they’re genuinely compelling and interesting reads. If you want people to actually look forward to your author newsletter instead of seeing it as annoying inbox clutter, you’ve got to put in the work to make it irresistible.

I’m here to help you do exactly that. I’ll take you step-by-step through creating an author newsletter that grabs attention, keeps readers hooked, and maybe even goes a little viral thanks to all the forwards and social sharing. Ready to master the fine art of the email bulletin? Let’s dive in!

Finding Your Unique Narrative Voice

Think about your favorite author’s books or blog posts for a second. What draws you in and keeps you hooked until the very last line? It’s likely their unique narrative voice and writing style. The same thing applies to crafting an engaging author newsletter that people want to read.

You’ve got to give your email bulletins a clear, consistent, and compelling narrative voice. It should be an extension of your personality as a writer and reflect the overall vibe of your books. So if your novels are dark and brooding psychological thrillers, you’ll want an edgier voice in your newsletters. If you pen light-hearted rom-coms, go for upbeat and conversational.

Here’s the kicker though – your voice can’t be monotonous or read like a book report you struggled to finish by the 11:59 pm deadline in 8th grade. It needs to jump off the screen and grab your subscribers, whether through humor, vivid storytelling, or brash honesty. Don’t be afraid to put your personality out there and get a little unorthodox!

I absolutely adore the pithy, honest, and laugh-out-loud funny newsletters from the authors. One recent installment had me cracking up over lines like:

Irresistibly funny, right? Her narrative voice totally shines through and makes you actually pumped to see what she has to say next. And that’s the goal when creating a compelling author newsletter.

Giving Subscribers a Reason to Open

Imagine this scenario – you wake up, grab your morning coffee, boot up your laptop, and BAM! Your inbox has 317 new emails. Talk about overwhelming, right? Chances are pretty good that unless you’ve got x-ray vision and can spot unmissable subject lines, you’ll probably ignore most of those emails and only open the ones you absolutely have to read.

Which means if you want any hope of your author newsletter getting opened by subscribers, the subject line has got to stop them in their tracks and make them think “OMG, I need to know what that’s about!” That’s a big part of what makes an email bulletin compelling.

So how do you write an irresistible subject line that grabs attention? For starters, keep it short and punchy – you’re aiming for around 5–9 words max. Then, try tactics like:

• Asking an intriguing question they can’t wait to see the answer to (“Do writers really need editors?”)
• Creating a huge knowledge gap that piques curiosity (“The disturbing truth about editing other authors despise”)
• Using attention-grabbing numbers and data points (“5 ways AI could replace authors by 2030”)
• Teasing exclusive content or offers (“First look at my jaw-dropping next book cover”)
• Getting personal and vulnerable (“For my eyes only—about my nervous breakdown”)

And seriously, don’t be afraid to get a little provocative or off-the-wall with the subject line! It’ll command attention. Just avoid clickbait that’s all hype and no substance once they actually open the newsletter.

Along those same lines, the preview text that often appears next to the subject line in inboxes is also critical these days. So make sure to optimize it with the same irresistible tactics you’d use for subject lines. Punchy one-liners or posing a thought-provoking rhetorical question can work wonders for boosting open rates.

Giving Them an Offer They Can’t Refuse

Okay, so your unique narrative voice and subject lines have gotten people to finally open your author newsletter. But if you want them to hungrily eat up every last word (and keep coming back for more), you’ve got to give them real value and rewards for their precious time and inbox space.

In other words, don’t just ramble on about how great your dog is at fart noises or the price of eggs these days. Actually give your loyal subscribers something special and exclusive – after all, these are your most engaged fans! They deserve to be treated like insiders, not outsiders.

Think about goodies you can provide, like:

• Exclusive previews of your next book’s cover or opening chapters
• Sneak peeks of your writing process and first drafts with juicy commentary
• Hilarious and authentic behind-the-scenes stories from your writing journey
• Signed book giveaways just for newsletter subscribers
• Live video writing workshops or author Q&As
• Deep-dive interviews with authors or industry pros you admire
• Coupon codes or sales on your books not promoted anywhere else
• Hot takes, unpopular opinions, or controversial thoughts on the literary world
• Personal life updates about your family, travels, hobbies, or inspirations

The key is creating newsletters that resemble highly-entertaining letters or diary entries from a friend, not dry press releases. Let your readers feel like they’re getting an intimate look behind the veil at your creative life that fans on social media don’t get to witness.

So for example, when Oprah Winfrey picks her next Book Club pick, you could give a juicy behind-the-scenes look at getting to chat with her team. Or share adorable pics and vids of your cat batting away early drafts, as you wrote. That kind of fun, insider access will keep loyal readers hanging on every word and eagerly awaiting your future newsletters.

Weave a Consistent Narrative Thread

Ever had the frustrating experience of feeling like a popular TV show just completely changed its tone and direction midway through, ditching the compelling longer-form narrative arc you invested in? That’s exactly the kind of jarring experience you DON’T want to give your newsletter subscribers.

While mixing up the content formats and types is totally okay and encouraged, craft each newsletter to weave a cohesive narrative thread that hooks readers from the first line until the last. You want them constantly wondering, “what’s next?” and eager to soak up every morsel until they’ve devoured each word.

A good way to do this is by opening your newsletters with a teaser for the juiciest content, or a mini-cliffhanger hinting at an exciting announcement or glimpse into your writing life. Like this:

That opens up an irresistible mystery box that readers will be dying to see unpacked every step of the way. And then as the newsletter unfolds, release little nuggets of information one-by-one, building anticipation until you deliver the climactic goods at the very end. It’s narrative withholding at its finest!

Another trick is to split a longer story or theme across multiple newsletters, almost like delicious serialized chapters. That way readers stay hooked and eager for the next installment. Just make sure each individual newsletter still offers something satisfying on its own – you don’t want big let-downs.

And of course, don’t forget to periodically run little narrative threads teasing bonus content, exclusives, giveaways, and other incentives just for subscribers. The anticipation and excitement you build around those teasers will keep folks on the edges of their seats.

The Cardinal Sins of Boring Author Newsletters

We’ve gone over plenty of tips and tactics for crafting a fun, exciting, and uber-compelling newsletter that your fans will genuinely look forward to and devour from inbox to signature. But to drive these lessons home, let’s quickly discuss a few cardinal sins of terrible author newsletters that you’ll want to avoid at all costs:

The Used Car Salesman Schtick: Nobody likes being constantly shouted at and guilted into buying stuff. Even if you’re announcing a new book launch or promotion, avoid over-the-top “BUY NOW!” hype at all costs. Subtle is better.

The Bland, Blah Wall of Text: For the love of all things holy, please break up your longer newsletter sections into short, punchy paragraphs separated by compelling subheaders. Big walls of text are a guaranteed snoozefest!

The Path to Inbox Deletion: I get it, you’re proud of all the awesome bookish accolades and events on your docket. But devoting an entire newsletter to nothing but humble-bragging event listings and reviews guarantees an instant delete.

The Spam Tango: When someone trusts you enough to give you their email, don’t abuse that privilege by constantly pushing other author’s promos and affiliate marketing downloads. It’s the fast track to the spam folder.

The Soul-Sucking Sad Sack: Look, we all struggle with self-doubt, writer’s block, and other creativity demons. But you don’t have to dwell on every gory struggle in your newsletters unless it’s to offer helpful advice or self-deprecating humor. Nobody likes an Eeyore rant-fest!

If you can steer clear of those cringeworthy blunders and embrace the compelling strategies we’ve discussed, your newsletter skills are gonna be unstoppable.

The Keys to Cracking the Newsletter Code

Here’s a quick review of the biggest tips for creating an author newsletter that isn’t a total snoozefest:

• Find your unique narrative voice and writing style that leaps off the page
• Write irresistible subject lines and preview text that create enormous curiosity
• Bundle exclusive peeks, giveaways, and other insider perks just for subscribers
• Weave a cohesive narrative thread throughout to hook people until the end
• Avoid rookie newsletter sins like overt selling, bland text, and endless complaining

Oh, and one more crucial element – consistency! While you want each newsletter to tantalize and surprise, stick to a relatively reliable publishing schedule so fans know when to expect your latest insights. Very sporadic bursts of newsletters are a big no-no.

I’d recommend publishing every 2-4 weeks as a good benchmark, but adapt to whatever schedule your audience seems to vibe with best. Just don’t leave big, unexplained gaps or radio silence for months at a time.

Put these lessons into practice, and I’m certain you can transform your author newsletter into a delightful little package that entices new readers to your work and keeps loyal fans perpetually pumped for more. It’s not easy, but crack the code and you’ll gain a reliable direct line to your biggest supporters. That kind of compelling author newsletter is worth its weight in gold.