schedules | Mandy Eve-Barnett's Blog for Readers & Writers

Wordsmith’s Collective Thursday – Tips for Newsletters

March 2, 2023
mandyevebarnett

We have all seen, read or subscribed to another author’s newsletter in one form or another. When making the decision to create our own there are a few decisions to make first.

Firstly, why do you want to produce a newsletter?
How often will you publish it?
What content will you share?
And probably most importantly – do you have the time for it?

Stick to a Schedule

Newsletters take time to create and format, so decide on a schedule that works for you and your other commitments, whether that is writing time or your personal life. Don’t make it a too frequent chore – you will quickly discard it altogether. (Or run out of content, which is disastrous). Once you have a workable schedule – stick to it! A newsletter a week is a great deal of work, so I would suggest once a month. Make sure you are not mailing out your newsletter too frequently, or it will become a chore. I send mine monthly (most of the time!) If you have a specific promotion, then you can send ‘special’ newsletters.

Create a Catchy Title and Imagery to Make Your Newsletter Unique

To attract attention, decide on a unique and personalized title. Then create a banner or typeface that will catch your reader’s eye. Once you have it – stay with it. The more often it is seen the more people will realize this is your newsletter and become familiar with it.

Go for Quality

Always proofread and edit
Add relevant images when necessary
Limit links

Make It Easy to Read

Adding subheadings
Using bullet points
Highlight (bold or italicize) vital information
Use short sentences and paragraphs

Offer Incentives

Every now and then, offer a reward to your current and potential subscribers. The prize need not be worth a fortune but relevant to your book’s topic or theme (or somehow related to the story).

What do you put in an author newsletter?

When it came to my author newsletter, I asked my subscribers what they wanted to hear from me. I also looked at other newsletters for ideas. It is a great way to formulate how you want your newsletter to look and to give you ideas on your content and frequency of transmitting it.

Tip: You can pre-write your newsletter and schedule it. I find this gives me the ability to drop content into the draft throughout the month, so I don’t forget something.

My newsletter is Musings from Mandy Eve-Barnett – to distinguish each newsletter I add the month and a sub-title – Sneek Peeks & Glimpses.

Here is a list of possible content you can include: (it is by no means all-inclusive though).

Personal anecdotes and photos of your everyday life. You can include your writing space.
Behind the scenes peeks – what you are currently writing, ideas formulating etc.
Exclusive content like a cover reveal or a sneak peek at your next title
Excerpts from upcoming books and free bonus chapters from past books.
Launch dates of your new book
Events you are attending, whether in person or virtually.
Your writing processes.
Report writing progress on novels.
Request feedback on a current manuscript/project
Interviews you have participated in with links
Spotlights/interviews of guest authors
What you are reading
Your book reviews
Include book research and photos.
Tell what sparked book locations, plots, or characters.
Interview an author in your genre.
Recount your experiences at book events.
Recount personal experiences that appeared in a book in some form.
Include a photo of your writing space.
Share writing milestones: signing an agent, book contracts, book releases, book awards.
Display book trailers.
Hold character interviews
Offer installments of short stories
Create a contest.

Remember the goal of any newsletter is to promote, so make sure to include:

Your author bio
Insert links to blog, website, Amazon and other sales sites and your Goodreads author page, and reviews.

Tip: Even unpublished authors can create an author newsletter. The sooner you start to grow your subscription list, the bigger your platform will be when you have something to sell.

Wordsmith’s Collective Thursday – Schedule Writing Time

November 12, 2020
mandyevebarnett

A lot of us are in the midst of writing new (or completing old) projects for the challenging NaNoWriMo month. Some find it too challenging, others a great way to write to a deadline, while others utilize the month for beginning or finishing a project. No matter why you participate, the structure gives us all a commitment to write at least 1667 words a day.

Obviously, there are other commitments – work, home & family – but making time to write is a bonus. We have the ‘excuse’ that we must write in order to achieve the goal of 50,000 words. Once our family understands your need for this writing time, why not carry it on after November?

With a full month of specified ‘writing time’ becoming the ‘norm’ for those around you, why drop it after November. If the family can accommodate you for one month, why not twelve?

Writing is our passion. We need to write. So make the time to do it. Wake up earlier, go to bed later, write while waiting for children’s activities to finish or write a scene in a small notebook in your purse waiting at appointments. There are always opportunities to allow your Muse to create. You may have to be creative in how we work it out, but it is worth investing in your writing time. It is a writing commitment.

What strange places have you written in?

Do you schedule writing time?

Upcoming Writing Events- Add Yours for your Location…

March 27, 2017
mandyevebarnett

events

This week most of my time will be dealing with the planning of future events, for instance I have a meeting with the local transit director tonight. This is to discuss shuttle buses to the Heritage Day event hosted by the Arts & Culture Council of Strathcona County in June. I also have to create a schedule for performances for the event too. One of the disadvantages of all this pre-planning is how quickly the year goes by! With an AGM and conference in April, a writing retreat in May, the Heritage Day in June and the upcoming Words in the Park event, which is part of Alberta Culture Days in September – poof the year has almost gone!

I have to take a step back sometimes and look at what month I am actually in. The years pass quickly enough as it is.

How about you? Do the seasons come and go at an alarming rate?

time-flies

Other local events:

March 30, 2017 7:00 pm Whitemud Crossing Library (Whitemud Crossing Shopping Centre, 4211 – 106 Street)

The WGA and EPL present an evening of new work from six multicultural, multilingual writers in celebration of the completion of the 2016 Borderlines Writers Circle. Join Nermeen Youssef, Tazeen Hasan, Mohamed Abdi, Kate Rittner-Werkman, Asma Sayed, and Aksam Alyousef for poetry, short story, historical fiction, memoir and nonfiction.

To learn more about the writers and the Borderlines Writers Circle, please visit writersguild.ca/programs-services/borderlines-writers-circle/

Refreshments will be served.

LitFest NewWest celebrates readers, writers, and community March 31–April 2 in New Westminster, BC.

Please feel free to add your events in the comments for your area.

How Do You Cope With Being Overwhemed..?

March 17, 2014
mandyevebarnett

As writers we frequently become overwhelmed with expections, some are self imposed, while others are derived from external sources. We are told we need to have a social media presence, ensure our manuscripts are edited, revised and polished, submit to magazines, publishers, clients, promote our books…the list goes on and on! However, these are only the tip of the iceberg, as many of us also have full time jobs and a family life to squeeze into our daily 24 hours.

How can we cope when we are being fragmented in so many directions? We are advised to maintain a work/life balance but as this article shows it is sometimes more a ‘blending’ than balancing. http://www.forbes.com/sites/ronashkenas/2012/10/19/forget-work-life-balance-its-time-for-work-life-blend/

My question is should we not ‘switch off’ at some point? Have ‘down’ time? Refresh the creative juices as well as restore our emotional needs?

What is your coping mechanism?

Here is a link detailing how some writers cope. http://www.writersdigest.com/whats-new/5-ways-to-balance-writing-and-life

Presently, my ‘work load’ looks something like this: I am helping organize a writers conference, volunteering for my writers foundation as secretary at events, deciding on illustrations for my children’s chapter book, revising my cowgirl romance, working full time, spending time with family, household chores, being taxi for kid, promoting my books, advertising for a writing retreat, maintaining my social media presence, and transcribing my Mother’s journal. I’m sure I have forgotten some things but you get the picture.

How do I cope? Admittedly, I do ‘drop the ball’ sometimes but I try not to beat myself up about it. I realized a while ago that whatever ‘moment’ you are involved in is the one you should be experiencing. It may not be on your schedule but rules are made to be broken after all. I have a weekly schedule but it is flexible. Why not accept an invitation for dinner or a movie? After all there may be inspiration in those experiences, you would miss otherwise. My mantra is New Opportunities – grab them when they present themselves with both hands.

For instance, we are dog sitting at the moment so I did not have time for my morning ritual of reading through my emails. Instead, I enjoyed an early morning walk under the bright glow of a full moon. It was spectacular and if I had kept to my schedule I would have missed it entirely. So let the unexpected intrusions come and enjoy them.

My week is full time work during the day, with writing related meetings every Tuesday evening, aquasize every Wednesday, assisting at my publishers every Thursday, but these are open to change. Such as an author reading to a Brownie troop last Wednesday evening. The evening was extremely enjoyable and the questions raised were insightful and fun. I gained new perspectives on my narratives and the Brownies learnt how books are published and writers come up with their ideas. As always there will always be someone busier than you!

None of us can ‘do it all’ – enjoy what you can do – that is more than enough.

These tips may, or may not, help you decide on your own balancing act: http://www.webmd.com/health-insurance/protect-health-13/balance-life?page=1 Full descriptions on link.

March 30, 2017 7:00 pm Whitemud Crossing Library (Whitemud Crossing Shopping Centre, 4211 – 106 Street)

To learn more about the writers and the Borderlines Writers Circle, please visit writersguild.ca/programs-services/borderlines-writers-circle/

Refreshments will be served.

1. Build downtime into your schedule.

3. Rethink your errands.

4. Get moving.

5. Remember that a little relaxation goes a long way.