Welcome to Tuesday Book Chat.
This is where we encourage book lovers to answer our bookish question of the week. As we are a faith-based group the questions refer mainly to Christian fiction or non-fiction.
Today’s question is:
How do you feel about the welcome sequence for author newsletters?
We look forward to hearing your thoughts. Please join in the conversation by commenting on this post or on the blog post shared in our Australasian Christian Writers Facebook Group. Remember to comment today on Tuesday Book Chat to enter the giveaway.
Let’s chat!
It’s probably not secret I hate it. One author sent the whole sequence in the same day. After the 3rd email in three hours, I unsubscribed from the list. I still got another email because they were so close together. Others have one a day which drives me nuts too. The worst is when they assume you have read the free novella and either ask you to leave a review or say “now you have read the book xxxxx”. I don’t like the assumption I have time to read a free novella the day I am offered it considering I often don’t download it. Also my TBR list is so long I need time if I want to read it.
There are very few newsletters I will stay signed up for who have the welcome sequence. The last one I did stay with did it over a couple weeks. It wasn’t daily and it was only 3 or 4 emails in all. I honestly wonder if the so called marketing gurus have ever actually asked readers for their thoughts. I am much happier with a welcome to my newsletter this is what you can expect and then the next one is the monthly email.
Your turn.
I look forward to reading your comments here or at the FB group.
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I prefer to receive one welcome email and the regular ones monthly, so that’s what I do with mine. I don’t want to annoy people by filling up their inbox unnecessarily.
Receiving a whole sequence in a day seems bizarre, Jenny. Makes me wonder if they made a mistake.
They possibly did. I think it was from one of the contests where you end up signed up to all these newsletters. I now rarely enter contests where I am signed up as a condition of entry. Of course many hide this fact in the fine print not on the contest page but hidden where you have to search to find the info. One other I didn’t last for was each email had not images and was just a short message about different series they had written. I need some images unless its an email from a friend or professional that is just that an email/letter I want some images of some sort. straight writing with nothing else is hard to read.
I think it’s dishonest to hide things like that in fine print. It would make me grumpy too.
I agree about images. I love a good pic :o)
I think ONE welcome email is sufficient, and then a monthly email is great to keep on top of things. I also wont read more than 650-800 words, as it gets too long – that’s what the books are for, right? Hoping I’m succumbing to the 3-second scroller statistics out there, but time is finite. One must choose what to read wisely.
I fully understand I have several I do a quick skim especially when its not about the actual author I subscribe to.
Hi Jenny – I agree with you and the others. One welcome email is enough and then the regular ones. I unsubscribed from one recently that sent three emails in the first 24 hours after I’d subscribed. I think the only exception would be if they had made it clear that you would be getting a series of something useful over three days or something like that (e.g., their writing tips or something you wanted). If it’s just three emails advertising themselves, I’m outa there.
I think the ones who have it set to send in the same day are not as tech savvy or not sure how to set up the sequence. I also agree if they had information that can be put in one email then maybe but most will say you will get a few more email and then all that is in them is what could have gone in the welcome newsletter. I really don’t like the hard sell Yes newsletters keep us upto date and tell us what books they have out but when each one just has links to buy but no real info and nothing different from the website I am likely to unsub. I actually wonder what the statics are for how many unsubscribe before a welcome sequence ends. Some of the authors I would have like to be on the list but just it was the welcome sequence that I couldn’t get past. Mostly because of what was in them.
I should add that I really enjoy it when an author asks for readers’ feedback. It may be about covers they’re considering, or character names or anything really. It’s just nice to feel as a reader that the author cares about what I think, rather than the email being all about them and trying to sell me their book.
I do too. Even if I don’t answer I still like them or a poll or something to comment on knowing they are interested in readers rather than the buy my book, review my book.
I have had so many authors that as soon as I hit subscribe I get several emails right away. Those are usually the ones that I know are going to email every single day. I try to give them a chance if I like their books but eventually I end up unsubscribing because I can’t keep up with all the emails.
I fully understand. I have one author who has a weekly email but also the option for monthly which I think is great. I also have one author who is weekly and would be better to go monthly as there is so little new news. Its a little like the local community paper. It started good now there is so much info most don’t care about and so many are no longer buying but reading at the library. (just last week I had to wait for someone to read it before I could read it and it took about 5 mins max). Readers can see the difference between a newsletter that has had thought put into it but not as often and those who are writing it out of obligation and have nothing to really say.