Vote On Next Week's Picture Prompt

Which picture prompt should I use for my next 100 word flash fiction story in my newsletter?

Cast your vote in the comments below.

 

 

 

Not yet subscribed to my email list? Click HERE to subscribe.

 

Building A Relationship With Your Readers

There are so many ways to build a relationship with your readers, but one of the best ways is through your newsletter.

 

Unlike social media that controls who sees your posts and how often, newsletters give you direct access to your subscriber's inbox. They have given you permission to email them. They want to hear from you.

 

That permission, however, comes with great responsibility. The last thing you want to do is spam your readers with email after email that says BUY MY BOOK!

 

So what should you be sending to your readers?

 

When asking this question, the best thing to do is think about what you like to get from brands you love. Do you want them to notify you of a new item? A sale? What about a giveaway they might be having? Of course you do, but those options are only the tip of the ice burg.

As an author, you put a little piece of yourself in every book you write and readers, for the most part, are curious as to the person behind the vale. A newsletter is your opportunity to give them a peak of your life, of who you are. It's a way to form a connection with your readers.

 

You can also share about what you're working on. Talk about the book you're currently writing, your progress, and any research you're doing for the story. This week I shared with my subscribers how I spent a half hour watching a a tutorial on wax play for the BDSM romance I'm writing. It not only gets them excited about your story, but it also shows the dedication you have to making your story the best it can be.

 

Another way you can show your subscribers they are important to you is by providing them exclusive content. We see this a lot through newsletter magnets written with the express purpose of having readers sign up to join your list, but it doesn't have to stop there.

 

In this week's episode of the Bound by Books Podcast, my co-host, Danielle Bannister, shared how she writes a short story for her newsletter every month. Her open rates have increased as readers want to read their free story.

I've recently begun doing something similar. Each week I'm writing a short, 100 word snap shot based on a picture and sharing it in my newsletter.

 

But it doesn't have to be writing. It can be anything you want. Some more unique things I've seen have been puzzles, downloadable bookmarks, maps of fictional cities, and character family trees. All of these are great ideas for how to bring more value to your readers and to show them how much you appreciate them.

 

Vote On Next Week's Flash Fiction Picture Prompt

Which picture prompt will I use for my next 100 word flash fiction story in my newsletter?

Cast your vote in the comments below.

 

 

 

Not yet subscribed to my email list? Click HERE to subscribe.

 

Do I Need A Newsletter - Bound By Books Podcast Episode 47

 

 

 

This week I'm talking with Danielle Bannister about newsletters. We're discussing why it's important for authors to have a newsletter and some of the things we do to bring value to our readers.

 

    ...

 

The Hosts 

 

Amazon

 

Amazon

Should You Write Under A Pen Name?

Pseudonyms, or pen names, have been around for a long time. Woman used to use them to hide their sex from readers back when it was uncommon for women to write and publish books. 

 

Today, pen names are still used to hide the author's sex. If a female author is writing in a genre that is predominately male, such as thriller or science fiction, they may choose to use a pen name to mask their sex. Some authors decide to use initials and their last name so the reader doesn't know which sex the writer is. Yet others, choose a different name altogether.

 

But writers aren't only using pen names to hide their sex. They could be using a pen name to differentiate between different genres of books.

 

For example, Nora Roberts is famous for her romance novels. However, when she branched out into futuristic mystery stories, she decided to publish under the pen name of J.D. Robb.

 

Why would she do this? The short answer is marketing.

 

When Nora Roberts decided to publish her first futuristic mystery, she was already well established in the romance world. Her readers knew what they could expect from her stories. But writing romance and writing a mystery set in the future require different story elements. Readers of those genres expect different things.

 

There's also the algorithms to consider. Computers are funny. They like things to be direct and straightforward. So when an author that has written dozens of romance books puts out a new book, the computer is going to want to show that new book to the readers who've previously enjoyed that author's stories.

 

Not every romance reader who's loved Nora Roberts's romance novels is going to enjoy her mysteries. It's a totally different genre. But the computer gets confused. The author is the same. Surely the same readers would want to read this new book, too.

 

In steps the pen name.

 

These days, many authors are open about using pen names. It isn't a secret as it has been in times past. This way the readers that want to follow the author to their new genre of books can, but the new name makes it very clear which type of story the reader will be getting. And it makes the algorithms happy, too.

 

So the question becomes, when should you use a pen name?

 

1) When you want to mask your sex. If you're a woman writing a thriller or a man writing a romance, you may choose to make it less obvious which sex you are. I know a few male romance authors who write under pseudonyms.

 

2) You write in multiple genres. This is perhaps the most common reason I encounter these days. I know several authors who write in different genres who use a different pen name for each genre so they don't confuse readers or the algorithms. 

 

When it comes down to it, using a pen name is all about marketing. You want to present yourself in the best way in order to find your right readers and sometimes that means using a pen name.

 

To Pen Name Or Not - Bound by Books Podcast

 

 

 

Danielle Bannister and Marianne Morea are talking all about pen names on this week's episode of the Bound by Books Podcast. They both have experience with pen names and they are sharing their wisdom with listeners.

 

    ...

 

The Hosts 

 

Amazon

 

Amazon

Vote On Next Week's Flash Fiction Picture Prompt

Which picture prompt will I use for my next 100 word flash fiction story in my newsletter?

Cast your vote in the comments below.

Not yet subscribed to my email list? Click HERE to subscribe.