Hello Reader!
Well, once again a month has flown by hasn't it? Spring is starting to think about getting serious here: flowers starting to bloom, leaves starting to leaf, allergies in full swing. Not sure when the temperatures will decide to join the spring party—it actually snowed here a few days ago—but I'm sure that will happen. Of course, this time of year means NHL playoffs in my family. We all support different teams for the most part, which occasionally means we're a house divided come game time. A few of my teams are still hanging in there, and all of the teams are playing great hockey, so things are staying exciting.
I've just finished up a manuscript evaluation on a historical fiction, which means at the moment I've got some free time. So my butlers and revising my own book get to move back to the front of my attention for a little while. I've found while I'm working on other people's books I do better researching for my own book than writing, when I'm in pure coaching mode it's easier for me to do my own writing. I'll have to figure out how to work on balancing that better to get more writing done. At least in the early stages I'm in now.
Speaking of suggestions, I need some help! With the exception of the two books you'll see in my recommendations below, I've been in an unusual reading slump. Anyone have any good book recs to help me break out of it? Preferably light and fun at the moment. Click "reply" to this email and let me know!
If email marketing is something you find daunting, make sure to check out this month's interview! Angie Isaacs is the owner of Bookend Creative Studio, and here to talk to us about all things email marketing. (Also, my reading slump and her last recommendation are pure coincidence FYI!)
Editing Insights Club
Welcome to the Editing Insights Club! Here I'll introduce you to editors and other professionals from all over the publishing world. You'll see we're all here as part of the community that supports writers in their journey to success.
Meet: Angie Isaacs
Web Design Agency Owner & Marketing Professional
​https://bookendstudio.com/​
When should you start building your email list?
As soon as possible.
Your email list is the most reliable way to stay connected with readers and tell them about new books. Starting early gives you time to build relationships before you're in the middle of a launch.
It also gives you time to get comfortable with the tools and rhythm of sending newsletters, so marketing doesn't feel overwhelming when your book comes out.
What tips do you recommend to build an email list?
One of the most effective tools is an email magnet—a small digital freebie readers receive when they join your list.
The key is to think about who your ideal readers are and what would genuinely interest them. That might be a bonus short story, a reading guide, behind-the-scenes content, or something connected to the themes of your work.
When your email magnet is designed for the right readers, it becomes much easier to grow your list in a meaningful way. That's actually why I created a free Book Marketing Roadmap—it helps you think through who you want to reach, where to find those readers, and how pieces like your website, email list, and visibility work together to support your books so you know where to focus your marketing efforts.
What are the benefits of an email list, especially compared to social media?
Social media is often where readers discover you. Your email list is where you build a relationship with them.
On social media, algorithms decide who sees your posts. Even if you have thousands of follows, only a fraction of them see any given update. When you send an email, it goes directly to every subscriber.
That's why a strong strategy is to use social media for visibility, and then invite people to join your email list through an email magnet. Over time, your email list becomes the place where readers hear about new books, events, and other projects first.
What's a good way for an author to start an email list?
Start simple.
Choose an email marketing platform and begin sending newsletters. I recommend MailerLite because it's easy to use and the free plan works well when you're just starting out.
Then focus on consistency. A short email once a month—something like 150-200 words— is enough to begin building the habit.
Over time you can grow your list by inviting readers through your website, social media, and an email magnet. Your website is often the main place readers decide whether to explore your work further, so it helps if your email signup is clearly integrated there.
Some authors enjoy setting all of this up themselves, but if the technical side feels overwhelming, I also offer newsletter setup services where I help authors get their email platform, signup forms, and welcome emails in place so everything works smoothly from the start.
The goal isn't perfection. It's creating a simple system that helps readers stay connected to your work.
Why is email marketing important for authors today?
Email marketing is important because it gives you direct access to your readers.
Platforms change. Algorithms change. But when someone joins your email list, you have a reliable way to stay in touch with them over time.
I often encourage authors to think of email as the center of their marketing ecosystem. Your website, social media, and events help readers discover you—but your email list is where you build the ongoing relationship that leads people to buy books and follow your work long-term.
What tricks (if any) are there that get people to engage with your newsletter once they sign up?
The biggest "trick" is to focus on connection rather than sales.
Most of your emails should feel like a note to the reader, not an announcement. Short, conversational email tend to get the best response—sharing something about your writing process, for example.
One of the best things you can do is occasionally ask readers to hit reply and tell you something. I once asked my subscribers for book recommendations when I was in a reading slump—after all, I know they have fantastic taste in books. That kind of interaction helps turn subscribers into real readers and fans.
You can also find Angie on her social media accounts!
Tips for Writing Deep POV
Depending on the kind of book you're writing, you want your readers to be immersed in the experience in different levels. A nonfiction book—like the one I'm writing—certainly wants to keep the reader's attention, but I don't necessarily need my reader to feel the edge-of-your-seat emotional experience as, say, a thriller author would want their reader to experience. A lot of that can come down to distance. How distant do you want to keep your reader from the story or the characters? Are they just observing? Or do you want them to feel as if they are the characters? Then you want to think about some tricks to pull your reader into a deeper point of view with your writing.
- Filter Words: Maybe you've heard this one before, but it's true: removing filter words brings the reader closer to your characters. When you're in your editing phase, look for words like "thought", "felt", "heard". Especially if the book is in first-person POV you can pull the reader in by removing these words. Go from "I walked down the hall. I could hear boards creak beneath my feet." to "Walking down the hall, boards creaked beneath my feet." After all, everyone understands you're the one hearing things. You don't need to say it—that creates reader distance.
- Use Your Senses: What brings us closer to the experiences of others than using our senses? By describing tastes, smells, textures, you are creating a four-dimensional experience for your readers to immerse themselves in. The only thing to watch out for here is to make sure not to overdo the descriptions. Remember that every single scene doesn't need a checklist of all five sense!
- Avoid Head-Hopping: Changing character POV in different chapters, or after a scene break, is normal. But if you change character POV from one paragraph to another, that's head-hopping and can pull the reader out of the flow of the story. Read everything out loud, or have the computer read it out loud, to make sure to catch these jumps.
My Reading Shelf
The newest cozy fantasy to have me raving has to be Amy Coombe's Stay for a Spell. A delightfully overstuffed bookshop (with magical cat), the princess accidentally cursed to stay there until she finds her heart's desire (oh no, what's a book lover to do?), a goth teenage dragon helper, a set of ridiculous princes sure they can save the day, and a cursed (not accidentally) pirate who insists on hanging out with them. It's charming, delightful, romantic, and all the things you want a cozy fantasy to be. With books.
Evelyn Clarke (actually V.C. Schwab and Cat Clarke writing together for the first time) takes a stab at the publishing industry with The Ending Writes Itself. When a famous mystery author dies without writing the final chapter of his last book, the agent & editor hide the news & bring together a group of struggling authors for a contest: whoever can write the best ending wins a contract & their career is pretty much assured. 6 authors. 1 island. 72 hours to write the most important chapter of their lives. What could possibly go wrong?
Yes, you know what will go wrong, but can you figure out who, how, & why? The ultimate example of what happens when writers start asking "what if?". Fun & atmospheric!
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