Like just about every author on the planet, I have a newsletter. If you aren’t on my newsletter list, DO NOT SIGN UP until you read this.

I only send out a newsletter when I have actual news. A new book out. New stories to read. A desperate need for help. My newsletter subscribers were a wonderful resource when I was in need of ideas for a book title. In 2010 I think I sent out one newsletter. Like every other author, I believe my newsletter list is sacred. My subscribers are MINE and I love you all and will protect you.

While I agree authors should have a newsletter, I have to disagree with the idea that more is necessarily better and that anything to get a subscriber is A Good Thing. I no longer believe in sponsoring contests that require a newsletter sign up. And I really don’t think authors should add the email of every person ever to email them. Nowadays I think that last one would run you afoul of the CANN-SPAM act anyway.

Every now and then some author goes nuts and adds every email they have to their newsletter list. Don’t do that. I’ve blacklisted each and every author who’s done this to me. Because it’s a stinky, spammy thing to do. I hate you for it.

I don’t want you on my newsletter list if you’re only there because you think you might win something. And that’s the case even though from time to time I have subscriber-only contests. I don’t think I’ve done that in, gee, ages and ages. Because it’s not efficient.

I want my subscribers to be actual fans of my work. If that means my list is smaller, so be it.

I want my subscribers to be the people who are actually highly likely to buy my books the VERY MINUTE they come out, and who actually DO want my fairly infrequent news.

It’s OK to be someone who just wants news about what I’m up to. (Book bloggers, booksellers and librarians, I love you!!!)

Bad Things Happen

People who sign up only because they think they might win something often do so under multiple email addresses. Please don’t be the person who sent me a really dreadful, mean and nasty email complaining about multiple copies of my newsletter when you signed up under multiple email addresses. DOH. Of course you got a newsletter at each email. That’s how these things work. Obviously, you didn’t really want my news, and I am sorry. I did block your email addresses, by the way. Trust me, that wasn’t fun for either of us.

If you want to win something, I suggest you follow my blog, twitter and facebook. Those are the places where I do contest-y stuff. And fairly often because it’s fun.

Unsubscribes Make me Happy

I’m glad when people unsubscribe. They aren’t the people I want on my list. They’ve moved on. I’m okay with that.

So, please don’t subscribe to my newsletter because you think you’ll win something. That’s pretty unlikely actually. Subscribe because you love my books and/or want news.

Tags: A slight rant, newsletters

This entry was posted on Monday, February 21st, 2011 at 12:56 pm and is filed under Rant Alert, Writing. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.