Advice for Writers: How to Build Personal Rewards into Your Newsletter Writing

Building rewards for yourself into your author newsletter content can be a great way to help you get it written and feel more confident. You might be wondering, " How do I build rewards into something I am just typing up and sending to other people, especially when I’m not comfortable selling my books?” The answer to this question depends on your personality.

Your newsletter is about you. I know that can be stressful, especially if you dislike selling your book. I, too, dislike the sales process. However, I encourage you to take a moment to ask yourself: What do I like to talk about?

If you are just getting started and not comfortable selling your products, pick something you do feel comfortable talking about, such as your most recent craft. Instead of focusing on selling your book right out of the gate, tell your subscribers about your craft. Believe it or not, you can work your book updates into this kind of content. For example, “I love crafts, so when I finished my word count for the day, I made myself this awesome bookmark!” You don’t have to sell your books in every newsletter. Actually, it's better if you don’t. No one likes to get constant newsletters that are only full of things to buy. Sometimes we just want to smile and enjoy reading about what our favorite author likes to do in their space time.

Take a moment to write down three to five topics you love to talk about. It doesn’t have to be crafts. If the idea of talking about these subjects with a lot of other people is challenging, don’t think about that yet. Just start with what you like to talk about with friends and family. What brings you joy? Talking about the things you are passionate about builds rewards into your newsletter because even if you do have to take a detour to sell a book, you can pop in a comment about these other fun topics at the end of your newsletter to give yourself a little reward.

Have fun with it! People want more than just your books—they want to get to know you as a person.