What to put in your author newsletter (and how often to send it)

Most authors put real effort into getting subscribers and into the first few welcome emails. Then comes the awkward part: what do you actually send next? Without a plan, newsletters go out in bursts when there's a new book and nothing for months in between, and the readers you worked to win forget who you are.

This guide gives you a simple structure you can reuse every time, content ideas for when you have nothing to announce, a sensible sending rhythm, and the mistakes that cost authors subscribers. It picks up where our welcome email sequence guide leaves off.

Why a regular newsletter matters

Your mailing list is the one audience you own, but it only works if the people on it still recognise your name. A reader who hears from you now and then, in a voice they enjoy, is far more likely to buy your next book, tell a friend or reply. A reader who hears nothing for a year and then gets a sales email is more likely to unsubscribe, or to mark it as spam.

A newsletter doesn't need to be long, clever or polished. It needs to turn up, sound like you and be worth opening.

How often should you send?

There's no correct answer, and anyone who gives you a single number is guessing. A few honest rules of thumb:

• Consistency beats frequency. A short email once a month that you can keep up is better than a weekly one that stops after three weeks.
• Once a month is a good starting point. It's often enough to be remembered and rare enough to be manageable alongside writing.
• Tell people what to expect. If your welcome email says "one email a month", keep to it. Surprises lead to unsubscribes.
• Pick a rhythm and keep it. The same weekend each month is easier to stick to than "whenever".

If you find you have more to say, you can send more often later. It's much harder to go the other way.

A simple structure you can reuse

A newsletter that follows the same shape each time is quicker to write and easier to read. Here's a layout that works for most authors:

1. A personal opening (two or three sentences). What you've been doing, reading, cooking or struggling with. This is what makes it feel like a letter and not a bulletin.
2. One thing worth the reader's time. A short piece of writing, a behind-the-scenes look at the current book, a recommendation, a picture of your desk. Just one, so it doesn't feel like a chore.
3. One clear ask or announcement. A new book, a sale, a review request, a question. Only one, and put it where it's easy to find.
4. A sign-off with an invitation to reply. "Hit reply and tell me..." Replies help your emails reach inboxes, and they tell you what readers care about.

Many authors follow roughly an 80/20 rule: mostly something enjoyable or useful, and only occasionally a plain sales message. It's a guide rather than a law, but it keeps the list from feeling like a shop window.

Content ideas by situation

When you have a new book coming

• A cover reveal or the first page.
• The story behind the idea, or what you cut.
• A short extract, or an early look for subscribers before anyone else sees it.
• A request for early reviews, with a clear, easy way to do it.

When your book is out and you're on to the next

• Progress updates with word counts, setbacks and small wins.
• A deleted scene or alternate chapter.
• A poll to let readers choose something small, such as a character name.
• Answers to questions readers have sent you.

When you have nothing to announce

• Books, films or shows you've enjoyed, and why.
• A day in your writing life, honestly told.
• Research oddities from your genre: a place you visited, a fact that surprised you.
• Tips or tools that helped you, if you write nonfiction.
• A short story or flash fiction piece written just for the list.

If you write nonfiction

• One practical tip or worked example from your field.
• A reader question and your answer.
• A short case study or lesson learned.

Not sure what your readers want? Ask them. A single question in a welcome email, such as "what are you hoping to hear from me?", gives you months of ideas.

Writing it without it taking all week

• Keep a running note. When something happens that you'd tell a friend, jot it down. At the end of the month you have your opening paragraph.
• Write like you talk. Short sentences, plain words and a few contractions read as warm.
• Aim for short. Two or three minutes of reading is plenty. People rarely complain that an email was too short.
• Write a subject line that's honest and specific. "The cover for book three is here" beats "Newsletter, October".
• Send yourself a test first. Check links and how it looks on a phone, where most people will read it.

What to avoid

• Only selling. If every email says "buy my book", readers learn to ignore them.
• Long silences. Disappearing for a year and then returning with a promotion is the quickest way to lose goodwill.
• Surprise topics. If people joined for a free cosy mystery, don't suddenly send political essays or someone else's promotion without warning.
• Hiding the unsubscribe link. Keep it visible. Letting people leave easily protects your reputation, and the readers who stay are the ones who want to.
• Adding people who didn't ask. Only email people who agreed to hear from you. Our guides to consent and proving it explain how.

Check that it's working

After a few months, look at your email platform's figures: how many people open, click and reply, and how many unsubscribe. Don't chase a perfect number. Look for trends. If opens fall steadily, try a different subject line or send time. If a certain kind of email gets replies, send more of it. Our guide to checking whether your reader magnet is working covers the numbers before the newsletter, so you can see where readers drop off.

It's also fine to remove readers who haven't opened anything in a long time. A smaller list of readers who care is worth more than a large one that doesn't open your emails.

Frequently asked questions