Just Monkeying Around: Newsletters So Easy ANY Monkey Can Do It!

Okay, here's the deal.

I love visualizing what my newsletter will look like.

I love having done a newsletter.

But mostly I don't like creating a newsletter. That's because it takes a lot of work to make it pretty and eye-catching. And deciding what to put in a newsletter is a pain. No wait...deciding what to leave OUT is the hard part.

Personally, a newsletter needs the following five things to catch my attention.

1) It needs to reflect the personal style or the brand of the sender
2) It needs to point people to the product (i.e. our books)
3) It needs to be short and simple
4) It needs to be visually appealing
5) It needs to be easy

The first three items on the list (personal style, product and short) are easy enough to achieve. And for some of us, if you like longer newsletters, that's okay. But people are busy, and I don't want to bore them with too much in a newsletter.

Way back before newsletter software like ConstantContact, MailChimp, and SendBlaster, I attempted to send newsletters via email. It was really hard to design something attractive quickly and easily and dump it into an email program and it would come out on the other end looking like a newsletter. It generally looked like what it was ... an email.

So, when I made the jump to MailChimp (newsletter software providor) last year, I thought all my problems were solved. I thought I'd have a gorgeous newsletter with great photos and content, and it would meet my most pressing needs: visually appealing and easy to create.

Even though MailChimp seemed to have all the bells and whistles I needed, the results felt bland...cookie cutter...and I felt like I was coloring within the lines. And it still took hours to create something that even when I was done, I just wasn't satisfied with how my newsletter looked.

After studying a couple of my favorite newsletters, I had an aha moment, and my latest newsletter was fairly quick and easy compared to previous ones. And I loved how it turned out.

The Key....

All the prep work was done BEFORE I opened my newsletter software. Yes, that's right. Instead of dumping a few pictures and book covers into MailChimp and writing content in the newsletter software around the pictures, I created my entire newsletter in PicMonkey in FOUR images (or sections), then uploaded the images to MailChimp. I linked the images to wherever I wanted each to go, and after checking things for accuracy, I was done with my newsletter.

Quickly, for those who might not know what it is, PicMonkey is a free online graphics design program. There are other more advanced programs, but PicMonkey does the job for me. I've blogged about PicMonkey before so for a quick tutorial on how to use PicMonkey to your advantage, check out Memes, Monkeys, and Me. The learning curve is not that steep and for me, I can visualize what I want a lot quicker than in MailChimp, and I have a lot more control over my layout, backgrounds, fonts, and style.

Now, here comes the fun part, some photos and instructions to explain all this. :)

I wanted the top of my newsletter to look like a 2:1 column, and I will probably stick with the same basic layout for a while. So, visualizing that, I started with my website header at the top and some cute borders and boxes for my content. Here's a template I created in PicMonkey. By saving the template, I'm already ahead of the game for the next newsletter. Or, I can create another template if I want to change things up. But I still need to stay on brand by using this color scheme, especially my header.

See the texture in the background templates in the empty text boxes? I worked up that parchment look in PicMonkey about a year ago and I've used it over and over again. That's not a background look I could get if I tried to design this directly in MailChimp.

Part A: Newsletter Template for Header Section
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Now, this next part is what takes my newsletter from blah to wow. Or at least wow to me! :)

Think about any newsletter software you've ever worked with. Anything and everything in any given column or "block" is SEPARATE and contained, correct? In addition, the above layout isn't really even an option in MailChimp that I know of. You can do 1 column, 2 column, 2:1, 1:2, 3 column, etc, but not a combination like I've done above. That's because even though the layout above looks like three parts, it's not. It's one photo/jpg/image.

Below, you see the result of Part A of my December newsletter using the template above. Again, I wanted simple but gorgeous, with just a bit of content for the readers. I didn't want to bombard them with too much information, especially during Christmas. So, ignore the prettiness :) for a moment, and let's look at the content of this section...

Part A: Final Newsletter Header for December 2014 Newsletter
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My newsletter header matches the header on my website, so that keeps my brand consistent. I incorporated a cute picture from my own Christmas decorations (didn't hurt that the colors were very complimentary!) and a short Christmas message. Then on the right, I gave thumbnail sketches of what I would be doing in December, January, and February.

Next, notice my name and the gold/tan swirls? Since this is all ONE image, I can "tie" what looks like three blocks of images/text together because I'm creating it all in my design software as one image. I originally planned to use a Christmas wreath, but ended up with the signature and the garnish. Finally, when I uploaded the above image to MailChimp, I linked it to my website. So, when subscribers received this newsletter, they could click anywhere on the above image to go directly to my website.

Again, remember I wanted to keep the newsletter simple, so now that I've wished my readers a Merry Christmas and told them what I'll be up to in the next couple of months, I wanted to tell them about my current release. Well, I could use the same 2:1 column layout, or I could use a square, but instead, I thought a banner style block would catch the eye more...

Part B: Announcement of Current Release
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I used the same color scheme for this section to keep the flow, but as a long, narrow banner. I used the gold and tan background image, flipped it on its edge in PicMonkey, added The Evergreen Bride cover, and worked a bit of magic with the snow globe :) and this was the result. Notice how the cover bleeds out of the square just a bit, and the snow beneath the snow globe falls out of the image? Those were my attempts to give the newsletter more personality and less of a cookie-cutter feel. Since The Evergreen Bride was an ebook only, the link for this banner ad sent readers to Amazon. On various newsletter campaigns, I'll rotate links to CBD, B&N, Lifeway, etc. to spread the love just a bit.

Next, I wanted to give readers a sneak peak at what's coming up in 2015, but I wanted the visual to be different, so I chose a 2 column layout with two pictures side-by-side. But what else to put with the 2015 releases? I had blogged about my family's Burlap and Bows Country Christmas last year, so I decided that would be perfect for the Christmas newsletter. And I already had a postcard-sized image with the covers for 2015, all I had to do was resize it and pop it in.

Part C: December 2014 Newsletter
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Part D: December 2014 Newsletter
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Now, I could have combined Parts B, C, and D into one huge image, but I needed them to be separate so that I could add the links that I wanted. Because you can only add one link to an image/jpg.

So, to recap. I ended up with FOUR jpgs (images) in my newsletter. The entire newsletter was made up of images, not text. I linked each image to a specific spot on the web.

Part A linked to my home page on my website.

Part B linked to The Evergreen Bride on Amazon.

Part C linked to the Burlap and Bows Country Christmas. (the most clicked on link, btw)

Part D linked to my Books page on my website.

For those who are interested, I included the pixels in the captions above on each picture. You'll notice that the width across of both A & B are 990 px. That was about the right length to fit well with MailChimp.

As always, there are pros and cons to anything. Pros for doing a newsletter on this format is that you have more control of the visual appeal of your newsletter. Maybe that's not that important to my readers, but I personally like a pretty newsletter. I hope my readers do, too. And from the open and click-through rate, I think I'm on the right track. :)

One con is that you can only link ONCE to each image you upload. But, even though I didn't add any simple text in MailChimp, I could have, and I could have had links all over the text if needed. Another con would be that since you're typing your text directly onto your pictures and saving them, if you make a mistake, then you'll have to go back to your graphics design software to fix your jpg, then re-upload your graphics.

Here's a small screenshot of the finished product, but to see the REAL thing with the links, click here to see Pam Hillman's December 2014 newsletter. And, I'd love for you to Subscribe to Pam's Newsletter in order to receive future newsletters. Who knows what tricks I'll have up my monkey-sleeve next month? :)

Screenshot of Pam's December 2014 Newsletter

A couple of things I didn't mention before. I intentionally left a small white border around my graphics for extra eye-appeal, and then added the deep red background in MailChimp along with the narrow tool lines separating the sections.

So, there you have it. Newsletters so easy this monkey can do it! I hope today's post jumpstarts your creativity and ideas for a newsletter that reflects your personality and the image you want to present to your readers. Feel free to ask questions and I'll do my best to explain or clarify.

God bless and Merry Christmas!! :)

What makes an Author Newsletter?

Good morning, everyone. Audra here. Help yourself to waffles and fruit salad, and I’ve got coffee and tea for this morning with lemonade and iced tea cooling for this afternoon. I want everyone comfy and fed as we attack my topic of the day:

The author newsletter.

If you’re anything like me, I’m excited to receive newsletters from authors I enjoy. I look forward to the announcement in my email box every few months notifying me that there’s news from the important authors I follow—many are reading this post right now!!!!! As I conducted my research on writing newsletters, Julie Lessman directed me to a couple of great posts on author newsletters right here in Seekerville.

Valerie Comer compiled some wonderful advice in her post:  http://seekerville.blogspot.com/2013/01/guest-blogger-valerie-comer-where.html

Myra Johnson gave us tips on the construction of a newsletter in her post:  http://seekerville.blogspot.com/2012/07/author-e-newsletters-for-dummies.html

Pop over and check out their posts…I’ll wait…and come back and finish our visit!!

So, like I was saying, I’m writing a newsletter. I really didn’t think this was going to be tough. One of the responsibilities at my day job is compiling a monthly newsletter to send out to our 4-H families. The average length of one of my newsletters is about 20 pages. How difficult could a single page update on my writing career be??  As I stared at my blank screen, I realized I hadn’t a clue what to include and how to be brief about it. Others made it look so easy. I’ve received newsletters from authors with great content that kept me informed of books and events and other special “extras” they offered, all wrapped up in an artsy newsletter layout. Their newsletters looked GREAT. But, how did they do it? How did they know what to include?

It’s not about me. It’s about the reader.

Number One thing to keep in mind when compiling a newsletter is it’s all about the reader. What do your subscribers want to read about in your newsletter?  They want to get to know YOU and they want it personal. A newsletter’s first and foremost purpose is to get the reader involved with your brand. Make sure you include any or all of the following:

§  Announcements for the release of your latest book

§  Promotions you’re offering and special deals on your book

§  Are you running a special contest? Get the word out!

§  Special awards and “warm your cockles” reviews you’ve received

§  What’s coming up next?

§  Events you’ll be attending; blog appearances; special interviews

§  Direct folks to book trailers and other cool marketing ideas you’ve developed

Remember, it’s all for THEM.

Make YOU memorable in your newsletter.

I know you’ve heard it before, but in all ways of marketing, stay true to your brand. Are you a suspense writer? Then you probably don’t want to include clipart of cute magnolia blossoms or a comforting cup of tea. Ideally, you’d like your newsletter to reflect the theme of your website to build author recognition. If possible, use your website header on your newsletter. Readers need to associate you with all your branding elements. Missy Tippens offers an excellent example of branding as she projects the warm Southern manner of her website onto her newsletter.  

Platform building…one board at a time.

I write about “cowboys who haven't a clue about relationships rescued by ladies who think they have all the answers.” I love all things farm, ranch and cowboy… and I hope my readers do, too! My platform includes information about the agriculture industry, and the intrigue of the lifestyle of the West…and maybe… the occasional recipe. I want people to know that the honor of the American cowboy is still alive and doing well on the ranches of Colorado.

Keep in mind some do’s and don’t’s:

§  DO write your newsletter in the first person. There’s nothing more personal than letting your readers know you are sharing directly with them.

§  DO include a variety of content in your newsletter. You can touch on many areas of interest and include link for your readers to click through to get more information.

§  DO include your book cover (and a link to buy the book) in the newsletter. After all, that is our primary reason for creating a newsletter, right? To let our followers know we have a book and there are more to come!

§  DON’T put long, wordy pieces in a newsletter. Give your readers blurbs of your content, not entire novels (save that for the bookshelves!).

§  DON’T make your newsletter static. Give your fans the opportunity to take action, like enter a contest, friend you on Facebook or buy your book.

Of course, I asked the Seekers if they had any tips to share:

Myra Johnson:

I attended a webinar recently that highly promoted auto-responder to communicate with new subscribers and let them know what's happening between now and the next newsletter, which I also try HARD to do quarterly, plus the rare special announcement.

I've also read that you should put signup links everywhere you can, including email sig lines, to make it as easy as possible. 

My newsletters include something personal (travel, family news generic enough to share, etc.), recent novels I've read, latest release info, and other book news, plus upcoming appearances in person or on blogs. 

Don’t miss Myra Johnson’s newsletter. It’s always packed with great info.

Missy Tippens:

I aim for quarterly [newsletters] but sometimes wait until I have a new cover to share or some news. I've been building my list since my first book signing. I have a signup form on my websites and blog that is double opt-in so I know people won't consider me spam. I usually have a short personal greeting, then a section of book news. I sometimes share a recipe or photo. And I've also shared upcoming Seeker releases with links.

Check out Missy Tippens’s website and sign up for her newsletter.

Pam Hillman:

I put out 4 very simple, short newsletters a year: Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter during the months of March, June, Sept, and Dec. I try to just give them 2-3 bullet points for what's on my agenda for the upcoming months. In each section, I try to include a writing update and a personal update. At the bottom of all of them, I include a photo of something that makes me smile: old barns, puppies, calves, wildflowers, etc. I'll be sending my June newsletter out soon, and I'll give an update on what all I'll be doing this summer in June/July/August.

If you haven’t signed up for Pam’s newsletter, go to www.pamhillman.com

Mary Connealy:

I try and do what I'm calling eblasts. A straightforward email as each book releases using the Yahoo group I've created.

Contact Mary Connealy and become a member of her Yahoo group!

There’s so much more to creating newsletters than we’ve discussed here such as distribution, building a mailing list, etc. What I wanted to share today was the actual content of the newsletter since my very first one will launch the middle of this month!!!! Have you signed up for my newsletter? I’d be honored if you did. And I look forward to receiving comments through my website www.audraharders.com on what you thought of it. What would you like to see in future issues? I’m a lump of clay in the newsletter world and I’d love for you to help shape me : ) My promotion this Summer Issue (June) is a $25 Amazon Gift Card for just subscribing, the winner will be announced in the newsletter. Click here and sign up for my newsletter!!

AND, those leaving comments today will be in a drawing for one of two copies of Second Chance Ranch – one Kindle copy and one paperback. If you have a preference, please leave that in your comment. Winners will be announced in the Weekend Edition.

Until next time, blessings to you!!!!!!!!

Once high school sweethearts, Jennifer and Zac have wounded each other, and the scars run deep. Jennifer is forced to reveal a secret she’s protected for twelve years. Will past mistakes jeopardize the future of both of their dreams or give them a second chance?

Author e-Newsletters for Dummies

... (or, "Where's a book by that title when I need one???")

Myra here. Nearly five years after the publication of my first novel, I finally felt ready to attempt an author newsletter. I decided a quarterly publication schedule would work best for me and sent the first issue out in March. The summer issue went out last weekend.

Since I’m still fairly new and inexperienced when it comes to author newsletters, today let’s talk about what works, what doesn’t, and why anyone would subscribe to an author newsletter in the first place!

As I recently discovered, there are tons of online resources for e-newsletters in general and a few specifically for authors. (Maybe I should have done this research several months ago before launching my own!) Here’s what I’ve learned so far.

Basically there are four primary aspects for creating and delivering an effective e-newsletter:

1. A subscriber base (friends, family, fans).
2. Interesting content.
3. Attractive, easy-to-read layout.
4. Dependable e-newsletter mailing service that suits both your skills and your budget.

Subscribers. With the intention of eventually launching an e-newsletter someday, I started collecting names and e-mail addresses a few years ago using sign-up sheets at book signings. So when I was ready to publish my first issue, I already had 40 or 50 victims . . . er, subscribers. (Close family members were added by default. That’s the price they pay for being related to me.)

In addition, I created a subscription page on my website and posted links on both my Facebook profile and author page. I also announced the upcoming newsletter launch on Twitter and Facebook and gained several new subscribers prior to the newsletter release date.

Content. The number-one piece of advice you’ll find anywhere is to offer subscribers something of value. One source recommends tailoring content so that at least 75% focuses on benefiting the subscriber, leaving only 25% dedicated to promoting yourself or your product.

Obviously, faithful readers want to know about your life as an author, and of course they’re interested in your latest book releases. If you’re speaking or signing at a special event, that’s important news. Anything unique or especially interesting about research for your latest novel is also a great topic.

Readers enjoy more personal glimpses into the lives their favorite authors, but be cautious about what and how much you share about your family or private life. Newsletters can get forwarded who-knows-where, so, as with the Internet in general, use common sense.

Favorite recipes are fun, as are contests, Q&A sections, interesting statistics, and expert advice about something your readers care about.

Layout. Think white space and bullet points! Don’t overwhelm your readers with dense blocks of text. Choose an easy-to-read font, no smaller than 10- or 12-point. Anything sans serif, like Helvetica, Arial, or Trebuchet, works great.

If you choose to use multiple text columns, consider how much scrolling up and down you’ll be asking your reader to do. For a two-column newsletter, I prefer one wider column for the longer articles, with the second, narrower column reserved for short items like table of contents, calendar of events, news tidbits, social networking links, etc.

Photos and graphics add visual interest. Again, though it’s nice to give readers a glimpse into your family life, vacations, leisure time, etc., use discretion.

Newsletter mailing service. A good service will assist you in almost all the areas mentioned above, including maintaining a subscriber database, creating subscription forms you can use on your website or blog, and providing a variety of layout templates to choose from along with other design aids. (Sorry, you have to provide your own content.)

These services usually offer tracking so that you know how many recipients actually opened your newsletter, which addresses bounced, and how many readers clicked on links. The services can also help you avoid breaking any spam rules by making it easy for subscribers to opt in or opt out.

The most popular e-newsletter services include Vertical Response, Constant Contact, Mail Chimp, and Mad Mimi. Pricing plans vary, so do your research and decide which one best meets your needs.

And now, a few words of advice from Seekers with e-newsletters.

Julie Lessman usually publishes her newsletter two or three times a year and uses the services of AROD Web Design.

Julie says, “I think a newsletter needs to be fun and bold and give a reader more insight and secrets to both you and your books than they can get anywhere else. It should almost be like a personal letter giving favorite friends a glimpse into who you are and connecting with them on a personal level. I always include pix of my reader friends, a new contest, excerpts, pictures of movie stars I envision for my characters, final book covers and sometimes the evolution of a cover from first draft to final.”

Subscribe to Julie’s newsletter here.

Mary Connealy doesn’t have a set schedule but sends out a newsletter with the release of each new novel. Her subscription service is actually a Yahoo Group.

Mary says, “A newsletter should reflect your voice and writing style. I try to make mine fast paced and funny. I have as my goal to be able to do it myself. I've tried a few paid newsletters because they are so much prettier and classier than a Yahoo group but I haven't been able to figure out how to lay them out and I've quit every time I've tried in frustration. I KNOW I could do it, but I just keep QUITTING.”

Subscribe to Mary’s newsletter here.

Cara Lynn James issues her newsletter twice a year. Her newsletters are composed using a template from a Mac program called Pages (part of iWork).

Cara says, “I include a lot of pictures, especially ones that relate to the setting of my newest book. Since I write historicals I like to write something about the setting or era I'm writing about.”

Cara doesn’t use a newsletter hosting service, but you can subscribe at her website here.

Missy Tippens sends out quarterly newsletters with the occasional “special news” edition. She uses Vertical Response as her newsletter service and adds, “I love it!”

Missy says, “Be personal (I love how funny Mary's newsletters are!). Include links to your website, blogs, and your books. Make it short and sweet. Include photos of events or book covers.”

Missy’s subscription info is on her homepage.

As I mentioned, I’ve opted for quarterly issues but would likely send out brief special editions for late-breaking important news. I also use Vertical Response, and you can subscribe to my newsletters here.  Archived versions are also available on this page.

Your turn. How many author newsletters do you subscribe to? What type of content do you most look forward to reading? What turns you off? How often do you prefer to receive mailings from your favorite authors? Any standout newsletters you’d recommend?

If you’re an author with an e-newsletter, what additional advice would you offer? Feel free to include  subscription info in your comment!

Join the conversation today to be entered in a drawing for a copy of my latest release, A Horseman’s Gift, the second novel in my Horsemen of Cross Roads Farm series.

Filipa Beltran is tired . . . sick and tired of living out her parents’ dreams. After years of guitar lessons and the seemingly endless string of part-time jobs to pay for them, Filipa makes a drastic decision to leave New York and the hope of becoming a professional musician behind and return to her hometown, to move forward with her life--on her terms.

 The past year has been nothing short of crazy for Nathan Cross. Once set on becoming a big business mogul, Nathan’s plans derail following his father’s untimely death and his mother’s whirlwind remarriage. Now he’s headed back home to carry on his father’s legacy running an equine therapy program . . . and trusting God to sort out his future.

 When Nathan discovers childhood friend Filipa is also back in town--to stay--he finds it hard to swallow. Maybe she wasn’t the girl he thought, or else she wouldn’t sacrifice everything her parents dreamed of for her. Can Nathan and Filipa find contentment in their God-given gifts?