We are continuing this April series on the few things that actually matter in book marketing—cutting through the noise and focusing on what truly helps you to grow your audience and your impact.

So far, we have talked about clarifying your message and why getting the first 50 Amazon reviews is so important. And today we’re gonna talk about something I truly believe is one of the most important things that you can do as an author, speaker, or coach. And that is starting and using your email list, even if you don’t feel ready.

Starting and Using Your Email List

So let’s start with a mindset shift. Social media is a tool, but it’s not a foundation because at any moment the algorithm can change, your reach can drop, or your account could honestly just disappear. And if all your audience lives there, you don’t actually own that connection. But your email list, that’s something you do own.

 

It’s a direct line to the people who have said, yes, I want to hear from you, and that is truly powerful. Sometimes I hear people say, “Is email still relevant in the answer? Absolutely. In fact, for authors, it’s one of the best tools that we have because email allows you to build a deeper relationship with your readers.

It helps you to share your message in a more powerful way. And it helps to stay connected beyond that first book. And here’s something really important. People may follow you on social media casually, and they may not even see your, uh, um, your posts very often because they think about how often you might come across somebody’s post and think.

I don’t remember the last time I saw that person post, and they’ve probably been posting regularly, but the all algorithm has just not gotten them in your, in your feed la lately, if you’re like me, honestly, especially on Facebook, you see more ads or more feed of people that aren’t exactly, you know, who you want to see, see, um, content from.

I’ve noticed that to be more and more true. So, but here’s the important thing. So they follow you casually on social media, but when they join your email list, they do that intentionally. And that means that there’s more trust there, there is more engagement there, and there’s more opportunity there for you to serve them well.

So let’s talk about what holds people back. It’s this thought. I’ll start my email list when I’m ready. So they might think, okay, I’ll start my email list when I have more followers, when I have a website, when I have a freebie, I know what to send. But the truth is, you don’t get ready, then start. You start, and then you get ready.

So every day you wait is a missed connection, a missed opportunity, a missed relationship? And even if it’s just a few people, those few people matter. So let’s make this really practical. If you don’t have an email list yet, here is the simplest way to begin. You don’t need anything complicated.

Step 1:  Pick a simple email service provider.

I would choose if I were just starting, I would choose MailerLite. You could also use Kit, or you could use, FloDesk is another one, and you just gotta get started. So it doesn’t have to be fancy. Yes, you need to create a freebie, but you don’t even have to do that at first, even though I highly, highly recommend it.

You can start an email list that says, join my email list for encouragement, updates, and resources. I personally would start with a freebie, but if you just want to get started, at least start there. Then you will invite people to that email list. So you would share it on social media, and you would mention it on your podcast, and you would add it to your website.

You don’t need a huge strategy. You just start inviting. So step one, choose an email service provider or platform.

Step 2: Create a simple way for people to join.

Step 3:  Invite people. 

Step 4:  Send some emails, even if they’re simple emails.

And that’s where most people get stuck because they think, I don’t know what to say. But it does not have to be complicated. In an email, you can share a story of encouragement or a short, a short like encouraging word, you can tell them a story. You can expand on something you’ve already posted about. So say that you’ve posted something on social media. You can expand on that in an email.

You can point them to your book. What is more important is consistency rather than perfection. So progress over perfection. You’ve probably heard me say that before. So now let’s bring this back to your book. Your book should not be the end of the journey. It should be the beginning of a deeper connection with your readers.

So inside your book, you can invite people to join your email list. You can offer a simple resource or the next step, and you can continue the conversation with them. Because when someone finishes your book, that’s the perfect moment for them to stay connected to you. So there, here is a simple example. At the end of your book, you might say something like, if this message encouraged you, I’d love to stay connected.

You can join my email list at, and you put in your URL, and then that one small step can turn your reader into a long-term connection. So if you’re feeling behind, you’re not. The best time to start was yesterday. But the second-best time to start is today. And remember, you don’t need a big list to make an impact.

You just need to start with the people that God has placed in front of you. So here is your simple action step for this week. Start your email list or invite five people to join it. Keep it simple, keep it consistent. Next week. I can’t believe we’re almost to the end of this series, but we’re gonna wrap it up.

Talking about visibility that actually leads somewhere, your content isn’t just seen, but it makes an impact. It. So if this episode was encouraging to you, please share it with your friends, review it, and of course, if you would like help setting up your email marketing or creating a simple, sustainable system for your business, reach out to my team and me.