Your backstage pass to the world’s most prolific authors

JD Barker
Christine Daigle
Kevin Tumlinson
Jena Brown

What does it take to succeed as a writer? Join hosts J.D. Barker, Christine Daigle, Kevin Tumlinson and Jena Brown as they pull back the curtain and gain rare insight from the household names found on bookshelves worldwide.

Want to ask your favorite author a question? Click here!

Why You Need a Mailing List

In this episode, J, J.D., and Zach talk about why every author needs a mailing list and how to build one from scratch, maintain expectations, and continuously acquire new readers.

Whether you’re traditionally published or indie, writing a good book is only the first step in becoming a successful author. The days of just turning a manuscript into your editor and walking away are gone. If you want to succeed in today’s publishing world, you need to understand every aspect of the business – editing, formatting, marketing, contracts. It all starts with a good book, then the real work begins.

Join international bestselling author J.D. Barker and indie powerhouses, J. Thorn and Zach Bohannon, as they gain unique insight and valuable advice from the most prolific and accomplished authors in the business.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

  • JD’s new ghost project
  • Methods to build your list
  • Why to set up expectations for your list
  • The differences between fiction and non-fiction lists
  • Why to limit CTAs when acquiring new readers

Links:

Google Play Books Announcement 

Google Play Books has redesigned our promotional pricing tool, which allows publishers to change the list price of their book for a specified date range.

Publishers are no longer required to upload a spreadsheet to activate a promotional price.  Instead, publishers can easily create a new campaign in their Promotions tab by selecting the promotion’s date range, titles, and prices. For a step-by-step guide to promotional pricing, visit g.co/play/promopricing.

When a publisher discounts their book on Google Play Books, the book becomes eligible for additional in-store merchandising and customer notifications. This doesn’t mean that every book will receive every promotion, but this discount significantly increases the book’s likelihood of receiving more promotion in the storefront. 

These discount promotions are driven by our algorithm and can include:

Appearance in a collection highlighting discounted titles, including relevant genre collections

Targeted in-app notifications and emails to customers that have wishlisted or sampled that title

As a reminder, Google Play Books recently launched another marketing tool for publishers: promo code campaigns. Promo code campaigns can be used to offer select customers a discounted book without lowering the book’s list price.  After creating a promo code campaign, publishers can easily share the deal via a link to the Play Store, where customers can redeem the discounted book offer.

Both promotional pricing and promo code campaigns can be used to offer discounts to customers in 75+ countries. To get started, publishers can visit the Partner Center and go to the Promotions tab.

Tell J.D. your ghost story – https://jdbarker.com/haunted/ 

J. D. Barker – http://jdbarker.com/

J. Thorn – https://theauthorlife.com/

Zach Bohannon – https://zachbohannon.com/

Story Rubric – http://storyrubric.com  

Nonfict Rubric – http://nonficrubric.com  

The Career Author Summit 2021 – https://thecareerauthor.com/summit2021/ 

Proudly sponsored by Kobo Writing Life – https://kobowritinglife.com/

Music by Nicorus – https://cctrax.com/nicorus/dust-to-dust-ep 

Voice Over by Rick Ganley – http://www.nhpr.com and recorded at Mill Pond Studio – http://www.millpondstudio.com

Contact – https://writersinkpodcast.com/dev/contact/ 

*Full disclosure: Some of the links are affiliate links.

3 Comments

  1. Christopher Wills

    4 years ago  

    Interesting show as email-list is one thing I have not ventured into; probably because I have been flitting around writing in different genres.
    My current odyssey towards the Gothic will be a good time to start an email list as I can write a broad spectre of best-selling novels under that umbrella. One has to be an optimist in this game. 🙂 However I am not a lottery optimist as I’m practicing and learning my writing skills, and I’m targeting a genre which suits me, to increase the odds.
    I’d love to tell J. D. a ghost story but I don’t have one. I do have a collection of non-fiction ghost books as I started buying them whenever I go on holiday. I have a couple from AOT, one about ghosts in New Orleans and one about ghosts in Louisiana plantations. I now try and buy a book about local ghosts wherever I visit so I have one from every nearby town or city. They are fun to read.
    Great show.

    1. J. Thorn

      4 years ago  

      Never too late! Start that list today 😉

  2. Alan W

    1 year ago  

    I particularly appreciate about this article is its emphasis on nurturing relationships with subscribers. It underscores the significance of providing valuable and relevant content to your audience, which fosters trust and loyalty. The article also highlights the potential for monetization through a mailing list, showcasing how it can be a valuable asset for authors, bloggers, and businesses alike.

    Overall, the article “Why You Need a Mailing List” is a refreshing and comprehensive resource that emphasizes the benefits of this often overlooked marketing strategy. Its unique blend of practical advice, insightful examples, and a positive tone make it an enjoyable and informative read for anyone looking to harness the power of a mailing list.

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