Author mailing lists and consent: a plain-English guide

Growing a mailing list is only worth it if the people on it actually want your emails, and if you can show they agreed to receive them. That is what consent is about. This is a plain-English guide, not legal advice, so check the specifics for your situation.

What consent means here

Consent means a reader has clearly and freely agreed to join your mailing list. In practice that usually means a checkbox they tick themselves (not pre-ticked) with wording that says what they are signing up for. Giving away a book is fine; quietly adding everyone who downloads it to a marketing list without a clear opt-in is not.

Why it protects you, not just your readers

• People who chose to join are far more likely to open and enjoy your emails.
• A clean, consented list keeps your deliverability healthy, so your emails reach inboxes.
• If anyone ever questions how someone got on your list, you have a record.

How to collect it properly

Show clear consent wording at signup, let the reader tick it themselves, and record the exact wording they agreed to along with when they did it. Storyfinch does this for every signup: it stores the consent wording, the time, and the request details as an immutable record you can export at any time. You can also choose whether joining the list is required or optional for each book.

Create a free account and collect consent the right way from your first reader.