Tuesday, March 18, 2025
Authors Success with eMail and Insfructrature Strategies
Okay, I’m on one of my soapboxes for author success—mine and yours. What’s in your Infrastructure wallet? How about your eMail list wallet? Do you even have one? Do you review it at least annually? Do you throw out the old and find the new? Are you willing to dump the so-so?
For your author infrastructure …
You start with your website and your branding. Next—and it’s a CLOSE NEXT—start building your social media profiles that incorporate your visual and verbal branding. Think imaging and key words and phrases. Note … the word EXPERT is one of the most searched words—use it in your profiles.
For authors, you need an effective email management tool like Mailchimp.com, Mailerlite.co, Brevo.com or SaneBox.com to organize, automate, and prioritize emails, build email lists, and send newsletters, all while fostering strong reader relationships.
You need a social media planner management tool like Later.com, Publer.com, Planoly.com, Hootsuite.com—something that works for you to push out to all, or at least the majority of your social media platforms at one time. And to schedule forward so you don’t have to do it daily. These are not freebies—check out pricing—usually you want the option that “is in the middle”—the upgrade from the lowest price option.
Email Marketing Platforms…
popular platform for building mailing lists, creating newsletters, and sending email campaigns.
Another option for email marketing, with features for contact management, segmentation, and automation.
A user-friendly email marketing platform specifically designed for small businesses and creators.
Consider platforms like ConvertKit, ActiveCampaign, Constant Contact, depending on your specific needs and budget.
Email Marketing Management tools …
SaneBox: An AI-powered tool that helps prioritize and categorize emails, reducing inbox clutter.
Help Scout: A team email management solution with features for collaboration, shared inboxes, and internal notes.
Missive: A tool that helps manage multiple email addresses and automate workflows.
Superhuman: An email client designed for speed and efficiency, with features like keyboard shortcuts and AI-powered suggestions.
Clean Email: An email management tool designed to help users organize, declutter, and automate their inbox workflows.
Your Best Practices in 2025 for Authors include …
Build your Email List … please do this from this day forward
It’s your gold mine—you own it; your control it; only YOU can shut it down—not Facebook, LinkedIn or a TikTok. This should be an ongoing “build” throughout the year. Encourage your readers to subscribe to your email list to stay connected and receive updates about new releases, exclusive content, and more. And communicate with them.
Send Regular Newsletters …
Keep your audience engaged by sending out regular newsletters with updates, behind-the-scenes content, and exclusive offers. Every Wednesday, I send out a newsletter. It has regular components to it: current news of what I’m doing; tips and tools for authors; announcements of any upcoming events; a list of the monthly podcast topics; info on AuthorYOU Salons; answers to questions AND a SMILE—a fun idea I’ve found or a short video that’s a laugh, ooh/aah, or a piece of music that is worth a few minutes just to listen to for a wrap up.
Promote Your New Releases and/or a Shout Out …
That’s a huge yes—use email marketing to announce new books and other projects. Your objective is to drive traffic to your website, your books, an event … and to create book sales.
Segment Your Audience …
Divide your email list into segments based on interests, demographics, or engagement levels to personalize your messages.
Automate Email Campaigns …
Do you have the bandwidth … the time … to do push out emails one by one? NO, YOU DON’T. Set up automated email sequences to nurture leads, welcome new subscribers, and promote your books.
Use Filters and Labels: Organize your inbox by creating filters and labels to categorize emails and quickly find important messages.
Schedule Emails: Plan your email sending schedule in advance to ensure consistent communication with your audience.
Use Professional Email Address: Create a professional email signature for every email you send out—you may need several if you “wear many hats”—that reflects your brand and makes a good first impression.
Clean Email: Regularly archive or delete old emails to keep your inbox organized and efficient.
It’s a lot—I know. But getting your act together in the beginning of your author journey will fuel you going forward versus dabbling in this and that.
For those of you who are already in your authoring and marketing path … this is the WAKE-UP reminder to review what your are doing and revamp where necessary.
The path to author success is all about persistence and perseverance … and I’ll throw in patience.
My two bits … truly, here’s to your success!
Dr. Judith Briles is a book publishing expert and coach. Often, she must roll up her writing sleeves and become a Book Doctor, juicing up storylines and author words. She empowers authors and works directly with authors who want to be seriously successful and has been writing about and conducting workshops on publishing since the ’80s. Judith is the author of 48 books and 60 book awards including Author YOU: Creating and Building Your Author and Book Platforms, Snappy Sassy Salty: Success for Authors and Writers, and How to Create a Million Dollar Speech. Her personal memoir When God Says NO-Revealing the YES When Adversity and Loss Are Present is a #1 bestseller on Amazon and her historical fiction debut The Secret Journey and The Secret Hamlet. The Secret Rise, book 3 and her first cookbook, Cooking with Judith will be published in 2025. Collectively, her books have earned over 50 book awards. Judith speaks throughout the year at publishing conferences.
©2025 Judith Briles – The Book Shepherd All Rights Reserved.