Tools and Tidbits for Writers: Autoresponders and Growing Email Lists #toolsandtidbitsforwriters #growyourlist

 

Tools and Tidbits for Writers
#toolsandtidbitsforwriters
by JQ Rose

Hello and welcome! 

Today on Tools and Tidbits for Writers, we're talking about building an email list filled with folks who are interested in you as a writer. But why bother? How do you find people wanting to be on your email list? Once you have the list, how do you send a large number of emails without getting in trouble?

Well, let's dive in. Feel free to ask questions and/or share your experience with email lists in the comments section below.

Why do you need an email list?

I thought having an email list was not necessary until many experts explained that the connections I have on Facebook or Youtube and my free blog could easily be broken because I don't have any real estate on those sites. What if FB or YouTube went out of business? Just this summer, Blogger which is the home of this blog, decided to abandon using RSS feeds to let my subscribers know when a new blog post was published. That hurt. I have installed follow.it hoping subscribers will come back and follow me again.

About 2 years ago, I signed up with mailerlite to be my email responder, also known as an autoresponder. I send my monthly newsletters through mailerlite thanks to a heads-up from my author friend, Juneta. There are so many companies that offer this service with a free membership up to a designated amount of emails. Once the list hits their maximum, such as 1000 emails, they will charge for the service.

Constant Contact, Aweber, Mailchimp, sendinblue and more are some of the most recognized names for emailing, landing page creations, promotions, etc. Autoresponders could be another blog post topic!

Once you decide you do want to offer a monthly or weekly contact with friends, family, readers, you can join the autoresponder company, and they will compile the addresses. This connection is usually in the form of a newsletter. 

The Rose Courier

I suggest you not refer to it as a newsletter. Another newsletter filling up the inbox will erase the idea of subscribing to another one. The title of my surreptitious newsletter is The Rose Courier. Think of something catchy to get their attention and curiosity stirred up, and not a reminder it is actually a newsletter e.g. Jan's Newsletter or Newsletter from Jan.

Newsletters can be fun to put together and an entertaining piece that is fun for readers to enjoy photos, articles, jokes, quizzes, polls. It doesn't have to be a dry old letter shouting "buy my book." 

HOW DO YOU GET READERS' EMAIL ADDRESSES?

I know, it was a puzzle to me too as to how to direct people to join the list. Don't worry about that. The autoresponder directs you through the setup. Then gives you a link so when people click on the link they subscribe to your list. This does take some study and watching tutorials, but I believe having the ability to connect to readers whenever you wish is worth the effort (and even the hair-pulling!)

TIP: You probably have friends' and acquaintances' email addresses. Do not add people to your list without their permission.

HOW DO YOU GROW AN EMAIL LIST?

Once you have your friends and family on the email list, how do you grow that list? That is the question! 

1. Many experts in the field suggest giveaways, also referred to as freebies, lead magnets, reader magnets (or bribes) to connect with readers. A giveaway can be about anything pertaining to your writing, teaching, speaking, business. Just don't make it something you spend hours and days on creating. It can be a checklist, an article, an excerpt or a chapter of an eBook (such as the first in a series of books). When sending the freebie, a note will accompany the gift inviting the person to join your newsletter. So, in exchange for the gift, the person gives up his/her email address.

A lot of testing is needed to discover what giveaway works in getting readers' attention. So, create more than one. You can have several giveaways going at once.

I must admit I have not done this giveaway idea because experts explain that a lot of the email addresses are just there to get a freebie. They will probably not be active, so if you are paying the autoresponder to send an email, you are wasting your money. What is your experience with giveaways?

2. Authors XP offers a paid program for growing email lists. Click here to find out all the ways they can help you build your list.

3. Use a sign-up sheet at events such as author talks, book signings, festivals, any in-person events, but be sure the person knows they are subscribing to your newsletter with the ability to unsubscribe after receiving it.

4. Include the link to the newsletter in your email signature.

5. Spread the word on social media.

6. Make it easy to sign-up on your blog.

7. Be a guest on a blog, podcast and YouTube shows.

8. Swap newsletters with an author who writes in your genre or field.

9. The old-fashioned way of getting the word out--word-of-mouth. Ask friends to tell their friends about your newsletter.

And yes, reaching out to people to sign up for your newsletter is similar to marketing a book. Use all the resources you have.

Thank you for stopping in. 

I just happen to have the link to sign up for the Rose Courier below. I'd appreciate a chance to deliver it to your inbox once a month. In fact, this Friday is delivery day. You can unsubscribe if it is not for you.  Thank you for your consideration.

The Rose Courier

Click here to sign up to receive 

updates, articles, freebies, photos and fun in the Rose Courier. 

UPDATE:

Girls Succeed! Stories Behind the Careers of Successful Women
by J.Q. Rose

UPDATE: Girls Succeed! The paperback edition is now available in COLOR!  And it is gorgeous. 

Thank you, Amazon, for offering authors the opportunity to easily publish paperbacks and hardcovers in color. 

The inspiring book is for middle-school girls. I know they will appreciate the colorful photos of the amazing women within the pages.

The paperback is available in black and white or in color. Click here to order a copy this Christmas for the girl in your life. 

Enjoyed this post? 

Click here so you never miss out on future Focused on Story blog posts.

Thank you.

IWSG Blog Hop: Defining My Success as a Writer

 

Insecure Writer's Blog Hop

Always on the first Wednesday of the month.

#IWSGbloghop

Happy IWSG Blog Hop Day!

What is the Insecure Writer's Support Group?

Founded by author Alex J. Cavanaugh, the Insecure Writer’s Support Group offers support for writers and authors alike. It provides an online database, articles and tips, a monthly blog posting, a Facebook and Instagram group, Twitter, and a monthly newsletter. To find out more, click this link:  Insecure Writer’s Support Group

The purpose of the group is 

* to share and encourage. 

* Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. 

* Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. 

*It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds! 

You're invited to become a member of this supportive group. Click here to sign-up.

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Thanks to our awesome co-hosts for the September 1 posting of the IWSG   Blog Hope: Rebecca Douglass, T. Powell Coltrin @Journaling Woman, Natalie Aguirre, Karen Lynn, and C. Lee McKenzie!

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Question mark
Photo courtesy of geralt / 23304 images at Pixabay

September 1 question - How do you define success as a writer? Is it holding your book in your hand? Having a short story published? Making a certain amount of income from your writing?

I have to admit I felt the exhilaration of pride and accomplishment when I held my paperback book in my hand. I mean, opening the box of books from amazon was akin to the excitement of opening Christmas gifts when I was a kid. I feel that way with every one of my published books. Check out the video at the bottom of the page. I am opening the amazon package containing the paperback copies of my memoir, Arranging a Dream. A certified emotional moment for me.

When I started writing, my publisher only pubbed eBooks at a time when hardly anyone had heard of eBooks, let alone read them. I was thrilled to have the published eBooks and felt successful in having them accessible to readers online. But instead of promoting my eBooks at book signings (however, you cannot sign eBooks), I spent more time teaching visitors to my table how to order them and explain how to read them on a reading device. 

I did a happy dance when my publisher decided to sell my books in paperback. Afterall, the dictionary definition of a book is "a written or printed work consisting of pages glued or sewn together along one side and bound in covers." 

I still consider eBooks as books worthy of being read. They just don't have actual book covers and pages to turn. I enjoy a story no matter if I click or turn the pages. How about you? Please leave a comment or question below. As a writer, is having an eBook published equivalent to the feeling of success as having a paperback or hardcover book?

Click here to visit more bloggers participating in the IWSG Blog Hop.

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The Rose Courier

Click here to sign up to receive 

updates, articles, freebies, photos and fun in the Rose Courier. 

Once a month delivery to your inbox!

Enjoyed this post? 

Click here so you never miss out on future Focused on Story blog posts.

Thank you.

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Tools and Tidbits for Writers: A Baker's Dozen of Websites for Writers

 

Tools and Tidbits for Writers

Hello and welcome to the Focused on Story Blog.

Sometimes we need a break from writing to re-charge and think. Today I listed a baker's dozen of websites to inspire you, teach you, and to make you think about your writing. They are in no particular order and I didn't explain each one because I want you to go and find out what they have to offer. Curious? I hope so.

Click on each site and group to discover what they offer. Have fun! Let me know which ones you found helpful.

A Baker's Dozen of Helpful Websites for Writers by J.Q. Rose

The Creative Penn

Joel Friedlander's The Book Designer Sadly, Joel passed away in May 2021. He left writers a treasure of knowledge in his articles available on his site.

Women on Writing  

K.M.Weiland- Helping Writers Become Authors 

Insecure Writers Support Group (IWSG) 

WritersDigest 

Joan Y. Edwards 

Funds forWriters-- for freelance writers

Carolyn Howard Johnson’s Sharing with Writers 

Crime Scene Writer 

Long and Short Reviews 

Marketing for Romance Writers 

Keith Wheeler Books--Produce, Publish and Profit  Youtube

What are some of your go-to websites for inspiration or knowledge on writing? Please leave a comment below. Thank you.

30% Off at Smashwords' Spring into Summer Sale

My books, released by BWL Publishing, are 30% off with the code RK43L during the Spring into Summer Smashwords event during the entire month of June!! 

Click here to download them now!

The Rose Courier

Click here to sign up to receive the updates, articles, freebies, photos and fun in the Rose Courier. The June edition of the Courier will arrive in your inbox this Friday morning. It's not too late to sign up now. Thanks.

Bernie and My May Birthday

Memoirs and More, the fourth Wednesday of the month

Hello and welcome to the kick-off of the new series, Memoirs and More. 

When spring arrived and COVID seemed to be waning on the horizon, I wanted to shake off the darkness and sadness I felt during the shutdown caused by the pandemic. 

I was ready for something new in my writing world, so I transformed my blog with a new layout and new plans. One of the changes is to offer a monthly schedule of posts. Below is the monthly schedule I plan to follow through the summer, then re-evaluate this fall.

I am lining up guest memoirists and planning articles on memoir writing and book reviews and....wait for it...giveaways on the fourth Wednesday of the month. 

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My Birthday Cake!
Image by Clker-Free-Vector-Images from Pixabay 

The image of the birthday cake is probably all of a birthday cake I'll receive this week. My birthday week began with GT taking me out for breakfast at the Overboard Inn in Twin Lake, Michigan. I love their 8" cake-pan-sized, delicious cinnamon rolls, but I was good and shared mine with him. The only thing missing was a birthday candle on top of the cinnamon roll. One candle is sufficient. There is no cake with space enough to accomodate all the candles representing my age! I hate to be cliche about it, but I live by the old adage "you're only as old as you feel." I am thankful that I have had the joy of growing old enough to see my 5 grandbabies grow up. They range in age from 12 to 20.  

Enough about my birthday 2021. Today I am being very bold and reading an excerpt from Arranging a Dream: A Memoir about my 30th birthday. Of all the "milestone" birthdays #30 was the hardest for me. And let me tell you, I've had many birthdays to compare with this one. 

My friend, mentor and colleague, Bernie, tried to ease me into accepting my 30th birthday, but instead, she shocked me into it. Take a peek.

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YOUTUBE VIDEO: Bernie and My Birthday--excerpt from near the end of Chapter 24

Bernie and My May Birthday

Click here to find more readings from this memoir on my Youtube channel.

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The Rose Courier from JQ Rose

One of the best gifts you can give me, besides leaving a review for my books, is to sign up for the Rose Courier. The Courier will be delivered to your inbox once a month filled with articles, updates, freebies and fun. 

Click here to sign up for the June 2021 edition. Thank you.

Arranging a Dream: A Memoir is available at major online booksellers.
Paperback available at Amazon and Barnes and Noble

Twenty-fifth Year of National Poetry Month, #Nationalpoetrymonth, #Earthday

 

Happy Earth Day!!
Photo courtesy of canva.com

Even the smallest act of picking up trash, turning off the light in a room when noone is there

and/or recycling helps our world. The Earth thanks you.

Celebrate the 25th Anniversary of National Poetry Month

Hello and welcome to the Focused on Story blog!

According to the poets.org website, "Launched by the Academy of American Poets in April 1996, National Poetry Month reminds the public that poets have an integral role to play in our culture and that poetry matters."

The month has inspired me to get back to writing poetry. At least scribbling my deep, inner thoughts on paper or maybe a journal. How about you? 

Just for fun, I made up this image-A Poem from my Mom

A Spring Poem--by my mother every spring!

"Spring has sprung.

This grass is riz.

I wonder where the flowers iz."

Okay, granted it's kinda corny and fun, but I delight in remembering her with her blue eyes sparkling as she recited it.

Let me introduce you to a real poet, my friend Sue Werner.

Sue has released a series of poetry books accompanied by beautiful images. She describes her poems as "A journey in verse to discover the presence of God in our lives by seeing the ordinary as extraordinary." She began by writing her own poems every day and then felt the call to record them in these beautiful eBooks and print book. Celebrate Poetry month with Sue Werner's inspirational poems.

Click here to download the eBook or order the print book.

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PLEASE NOTE: As I understand it, Blogger will no longer be sending emails from bloggers to their subscribers to notify them when a new blog article has been posted. I post every Wednesday on this blog, so if you don't get a notification from me, it's not because I have not posted. Check-in on Wednesdays. I will also use Instagram and Facebook to announce new posts. (If I can figure out IG soon!!!) 

You can keep up to date with me when you subscribe to my once-a-month newsletter. It will arrive in your inbox automatically if you sign-up below. Thank you for your continuing support.

Click here to download your copy of Girls Succeed! Stories Behind the Careers of Successful Women now during the special 99 cent sale during Launch Week! Thursday, April 22 is the last day for the sale. Time is running out!!

Click here to sign up to receive the articles, freebies, photos and fun in the Rose Courier.

THANK YOU for your kind words, reviews and shouting about the 2, yes 2, new releases this year! You are the best!!

 

Both books are available for download at major online booksellers. 

Arranging a Dream is available in print at amazon and bn.com. 

 

Sue has released a series of poetry books accompanied by beautiful images. She describes her poems as "A journey in verse to discover the presence of God in our lives by seeing the ordinary as extraordinary."

She began by writing her own poems every day and then felt the call to record them in these beautiful eBooks and print book.

Celebrate Poetry month with Sue Werner's inspirational poems.

Open Up Your Heart, Happy Easter, Joyous Passover

 

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Hello and Welcome to the Focused on Story Blog!

This is the season of Lent for Christians and Passover for the Jewish people.

You may not belong to a group of spiritual people, but you may have a feeling or a sense that there is something greater than yourself when you stand on a sandy shore overlooking a peaceful lake, gaze in awe at the sight of a mighty mountain, find hope when a newborn baby curls her tiny hand around your finger. The dictionary defines spirituality as "an opening of the heart."

Can you recall a time when your heart opened? Perhaps you can find a quiet time to reflect and record a few words about your spiritual life this week.

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Spring and the Beautyof the Earth

Signs of spring are around us everywhere, although Mother Nature can be pretty cantankerous this season of the year. One day snow and the next a warm gentle breeze ruffles our hair. The sun seems to show off how bright and beautiful it truly is. Then we are walloped by more frigid, dark days. But Rachel Carson in the quote above assures us spring will come after winter. Much like living during a pandemic, I am sure this dark time will pass away.

Wishing you a week of peace and love as we celebrate these meaningful holidays and re-discover hope in the future.

"Only in the darkness can you see the stars." --Martin Luther King, Jr.

Thank you for joining me today. 

Happy Easter, Joyous Passover!
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JQ Rose at the Church of the Resurrection, Leawood, KS.

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Click here to stay-up-to-date with JQ Rose. The Rose Courier will be delivered once a month to your inbox filled with articles, news, giveaways and more!!

The Rose Courier

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SPRING BREAK: Paradise Just 20 Minutes Away by JQ Rose

Paradise just 20 minutes away.

Hello and welcome to the Focused on Story Blog!

We've been cooped up for a year, and I am ready to get out of the house and see some sites. How about you?

Come with me to an amazing place just 20 minutes from us; I forgot I was near my neighborhood!

My dear brother-in-law, Terry, discovered this accommodation while biking last week, so he had to share this unique spot on the Gulf of Mexico with his friends, GT and me. What a gem! Not only did the actual place lift my spirits, but the owner of the Captain's House, Yann, was a delight to meet. 

First, we enjoyed a delicious dinner in the garden at his restaurant, the Silver Dolphin. Then Terry took us on a three-minute drive to see the Captain's House. After we rounded the curve, the large house, located in a quiet location, loomed into view.

Greetings from the Captain's House

We parked the cars in the small parking area and began moving toward the house. Yann spotted us through the eye of the security camera and walked out to join us. This hale and hardy gentleman was quite dapper in his captain's hat, floral shirt and shorts. A white VanDyk beard outlined his smiling mouth. Terry explained he was bringing us over to see the magnificent works of art adorning the small beach next to the channel.

Yann is an interesting fellow. He came to the USA when he was 11 years old from Morocco. He has made a contribution to this country through his energy and vision. Yann has been in the hospitality business for a long time in various locations. When he and his wife settled in Hernando Beach, Florida, a couple of years ago, he opened his 13th restaurant! He also purchased an existing motel, Hernando Beach Motel, and then renovated the house into a magnificent hotel on the channel that leads to the gulf. 

A mermaid bathing in the sunshine

The winged horse

Our host led us past the "beach" overlooking the channel. We oohed and awed at the amazing sculptures and artwork along the way. A large seating area on a deck, a gorgeous boat for guests' tours and a surprising boat-shaped swimming pool included the playground for guests.

The back of the house impressed with the wide steps sweeping up toward the beautifully designed structure, originally a home built in 1993 for the county judge.

The gracious back door of the Captain's House

We entered the house through the kitchen door adjacent to a lovely outdoor dining area. Many of the guests prepare their meals in the kitchen. It's a great way to enjoy camaraderie with the other guests and make new friends.

The reclaimed sea horse

This adorable sea horse was found 23 miles out in the gulf. Its tail was missing; you can imagine the shape it was in. This restored piece of art was originally created in the mid-1800s. A local artist repaired and brought it back to life to the delight of those preparing meals in the roomy kitchen.

Just me with my pal, Einstein

The writer in me could not resist having my picture taken next to Einstein and his stack of books in the "exercise" room 

Sunset over the Gulf of Mexico

What a perfect way to end the tour, watching the sun set over the gulf.

Click here to visit the Captain's House website. (No, I am not affiliated with this business.)

Note: Hernando Beach does not have a beach. As the legend goes, when the developer in the 60s wanted to attract property buyers from up north, he used clever names for his planned developments to grab their attention. Of course, a beach to those dealing with snow, ice and gray skies sounded pretty good, so northerners made the trek south to the blue skies and warm sunshine. Even if there is no true beach in Hernando Beach, the visitors were thrilled with the gulf and the opportunities to fish and participate in water sports in winter.

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Arranging a Dream: a Memoir by J.Q. Rose

Click here to discover more books by JQ Rose 

on her author page at BWL Publishing 

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About JQ   

Author JQ Rose

Whether the story is fiction or non-fiction, J.Q. Rose is “focused on story.”  She offers readers chills, giggles and quirky characters woven within the pages of her romantic suspense novels. Her published mysteries are Deadly Undertaking, Terror on Sunshine Boulevard and Dangerous Sanctuary released by Books We Love Publishing. Using her storytelling skills, she provides entertainment and information with articles featured in books, magazines, newspapers, and online magazines. 

 Blogging, photography, Pegs and Jokers board games and travel are the things that keep JQ out of trouble. She and her husband spend winters in Florida and summers up north with their two daughters, two sons-in-law,  four grandsons, one granddaughter, two grand dogs, four grand cats, and one great-grand bearded dragon.

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Click Here to receive updates from J.Q. Rose, articles, 

newsworthy events, giveaways in the Rose Courier. 

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Thank you!!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!