As writers, we spend so much time searching for the magic word needed for a piece of writing. But lately I've been wondering about the magic number -- the marketing number. In my prior life in marketing, I talked to plenty of business owners about the Rule of Seven. The Rule of Seven is a theory that the average customer has to have seven contacts with a message before they take action. For writers, the message might be "Buy my book" or "Hire me for my writing services" or "Take my class". On the surface it sounds simple, but how much contact is too much?
Like most of you my inbox is filled with communications from other writers - Substack, Instagram, blogs, email blasts, newsletters. Recently I signed up for the newsletter of a new writer who seemed interesting. I received a "newsletter" that was basically all her book covers and a synopsis of her newest release. OK, that's fine. I don't know much about her and this introduced me to the different series she writes. Then I received another "newsletter" that featured a different title...and another...and another. I was being contacted every other day. My inbox was jam-packed and much of it was a result of her marketing plan. Why so many emails? Perhaps she was hedging her bets, thinking I wouldn't open every email so if she sent quite a few I would open at least one or two. Sadly, it didn't work out the way this author hoped. First, I stopped opening the emails. Then I unsubscribed. She didn't win me over. She just annoyed me.
I follow other authors that send me something once a week or once a month. Yes, I hear from them less frequently but I ALWAYS open and read their emails. True, they tout their books but it's a soft sell. They also give me something more: personal stories, what they're reading, photos, recipes. When I see their email in my inbox I'm happy! It's like a little gift I can't wait to open. They've managed to communicate in a way that makes them feel like a friend. I remember their names and when I'm in a bookstore I seek out their books to buy, read, review.
I understand that this type of communication takes a lot more time and effort but, at least in my case, it's paid off for these writers. I bought their books. I told friends about them. I recommended their newsletters. And I'm writing about them now (Julia Kelly, Claire Cook and Katie Clapham).
All writers need to touch base with their audience. Share your thoughts...
How frequently should an author contact you?
What's your favorite thing to see in an author's newsletter?
Have you ever unsubscribed from an author's newsletter because it came too frequently or contained stale content?
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Jodi M. Webb writes from her home in the Pennsylvania mountains about everything from DIY projects to tea to butterflies. She's also a blog tour manager for WOW-Women on Writing. Get to know her in her at blog Words by Webb. If you follow her, she promises not to send you something every other day!
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