Newsletter Swaps

Written By Heather E. Andrews

Early in my journey to becoming an author, I was told adamantly: start a newsletter! Independent authors hail newsletters as invaluable marketing tools because they are critical for cultivating a fan base.

The only clinch is finding subscribers.

We have lots of options to building our fanbase. Adding a link to back matter, using Bookfunnel newsletter promos, subscription requirements with contests, and round robins are just a few.

One of the most popular builders is newsletter swaps. A newsletter swap is an agreement between two authors to promote each other’s books or reader magnets in each other's newsletter. You can find these throughout Facebook and even on promotional websites like Bookfunnel (they refer to it as author swaps).

But do they work? Because they’re a time investment and take up valuable newsletter space.

Good news! I did the research for you! And the answer is—sometimes. Sorry, it’s not more definitive. So, when do they work? After extensive research, I have the following information to report:

1.     Targeted authors/audiences. A swap won’t be useful unless it’s targeted at your audience. Seek swaps with authors who write to the same groups of readers. It makes little sense to ask a paranormal author to list your sweet inspirational romance. If you can’t find a round robin or other author seeking to swap, create your own. Create a swap sheet listing your planned newsletter dates and what book or magnet you’re looking to promote. Advertise in Facebook groups that you’re looking for suitable authors to take part.

Note: a round robin style involves an author swapping with every other author in turn over an agreed-upon period.

2.     Match distribution method. Are your readers KU or wide? If a reader finds you on KU, subscribes to your newsletter, and then clicks a book link in that newsletter, they may be disappointed to find they have to pay extra to read it.

3.     Absolutely, one-hundred percent have a reader magnet. This is critical and was the one suggestion mentioned by everyone I spoke to. Free is good. Readers love free books. I have over one-thousand free books on my kindle and I’ve found some amazing authors through free reads. I’ve seen authors promoting the first three chapters of their next novel, or the first novel in a duet—these are designed to entice the reader to buy. It’s important to make sure your reader magnet matches your brand. It wouldn’t help to entice readers to your sports romance brand by gifting them a werewolf romance magnet. In fact, you risk pissing them off.

4.     Send out newsletters consistently and offer content readers are interested in. It doesn’t help to have a newsletter that you only send out to advertise other authors, offering nothing to the reader. Send something out once or twice a month. Remind readers you exist and write books. One of my favorite newsletters is by Edwina Darke. She writes the billionaire romance series Princes of Manhattan, but that’s not even the reason I subscribe. She’s always writing about how her writing is going, what she’s up to, her vacation adventures and she always makes me laugh. I can count on her sending a brief note every two weeks and I always open them, looking to see what shenanigans she’s up to.

Suffice to say, it may be worth your time. I like to think of this business scientifically. Try something, pay attention to the results you get, and adjust accordingly. Doing the same thing over and over, expecting the same results, is the common definition of insanity. And though many of us writers are insane, don’t do business that way.

On that note … you can subscribe to my newsletter at: http://bit.ly/3W55VXk

What do you think? Do swaps work for you? Drop a comment below and tell me about your experience … or just share your newsletter sign up page :D

Heather E. Andrews

My love affair with romance novels began at I was twelve. I was at a discount bookstore in my hometown and saw Julie Garwood’s ‘The Prize’ for 30% off. The cover drew me in; it was colorful and sparkly. The story entranced me. Soon, I’d read her entire backlist. She made me feel, and I craved that.

Characters became my best friends. Alternative worlds became a reliable coping mechanism. In high school, I stayed up all night reading and skipped school the next day, hiding in my bedroom so my parents didn’t know I was truant. Don’t judge me…a little subterfuge is necessary for pursuing a passion!

In college, I fell under the spell of ‘writing is not a career, do something more reliable,’ and pursued psychology. Luckily, there’s no such thing as a wasted education (not that my student loans would agree—eeep!). Throughout this time, I kept feeding my reading obsession. I collected books like the curator of a library. I knew, in the back of my mind, I was supposed to be writing about characters finding each other and overcoming adversity.

When my father died in 2008, my priorities became clear. Life was too short. Damn the consequences (and low paycheck!). Thus started my bumbling path in the pursuit of creating stories.

My obsession with science fiction shows such as Star Trek, Stargate, and Battlestar Galactica inspired stories about space aliens and other worlds. My first novel ‘The Flare’ is about a young alien woman escaping tyranny on her home planet with the help of a sexy earthling.

An obsession with all the sexiness that is Benjamin Burnley (lead singer of Breaking Benjamins) led me to rock star romance.

On a personal note, I am married and a mother to two very naughty pugs and two very sweet guinea pigs. When I’m not reading or writing I am snuggling.

https://www.heather-e-andrews.com
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