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Jae’s Tips for Authors: Why you need a newsletter even if you are on social media

Jae's Tips for Authors GraphicHappy Wednesday!

Today we’re thrilled to share a Writerly Wednesday post by the fantabulous Jae. Not that we have to introduce Jae, but it seems rude not to. She’s not only a successful writer and editor but she also organizes amazing promotions for authors that readers really love and she’s an amazing ambassador for the community. We’re thrilled Jae has agreed to share her wisdom by contributing articles to help all authors. We’ve learned so much from Jae over the years, and we highly recommend you sign up for her author newsletter.

Why you need a newsletter even if you are on social media

When I run cross-promotions with fellow authors, I often notice that many of them don’t have a newsletter but instead rely on social media to promote their books and connect with their readers.

Here are the two reasons why I think that’s a bad idea:

First and most importantly, relying on social media means building your castle in someone else’s sandbox.

You have no control over these platforms. They change their algorithm all the time, limiting how many people you can reach, and they can even take away your account.

Recently, Bold Strokes Books author Aurora Rey blogged about Facebook permanently disabling her profile.

Strictly speaking, the Facebook terms of service require people to sign up with their real name when creating a Facebook profile. If you want to use a pen name on Facebook, you are supposed to create a Facebook page instead, as I did, even though that comes with several disadvantages (e.g., it’s harder to get a good reach & engagement with a Facebook page than a profile).

Facebook doesn’t always enforce that rule, but they could disable your account at any time.

Second, social media doesn’t sell books.

Social media is great for bonding with your existing readers, and I’m not saying you can’t create any sales via social media, but Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and co are called social media for a reason—they’re great for interacting with readers, not to sell tons of books.

Whenever I run a cross-promotion with trackable links, the authors who have a newsletter get at least five times—and often 10+ times—more clicks than authors who rely on social media to promote their books.

That’s why I advise authors to not solely rely on social media. If you are serious about your writing, you need a newsletter, and you need to work on growing your email list so you can reach readers directly.

For tips on how to use BookFunnel to grow your newsletter, check out my author newsletter, which includes a series of easy-to-follow videos.

More about the author:

Jae's PhotoSandra Gerth is a writer and an editor who divides her time between writing her own books and helping other writers revise and polish theirs.

She holds a degree in psychology and worked as a psychologist for eight years before transitioning into a career as a full-time novelist—the best job in the world as far as she’s concerned.

She earned a certificate in editing from the Academy of German Book Trade and is now the senior editor of Ylva Publishing, a small press that publishes women’s fiction.

Under her pen name, Jae, she has published sixteen novels and about two dozen short stories. Her books have won numerous awards and have been #1 best-sellers on Amazon on various occasions.

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