MSI Press Blog

  Every few months, an author somewhere asks the same question with a mix of hope and exasperation: Do I really need a mailing list? Isn’t that what my publisher is for? It’s a fair question. After all, publishers have marketing departments, publicity teams, catalog distribution, sales reps, and industry reach that most authors could never replicate on their own. So why should writers—already juggling drafts, revisions, deadlines, and life—take on yet another responsibility? The short answer: yes, you need a mailing list. The longer answer: you need it because your publisher cannot do what only you can do. Let’s unpack that. 1. Publishers market books. Mailing lists build careers. A publisher’s job is to promote a book —usually for a short window around launch. Their focus is seasonal, catalog-driven, and tied to sales cycles. Once your book moves out of its season, the spotlight shifts to the next wave of titles. Your mailing list, however, is not seasonal. It’s cumulative. It ...

  It is Tuesday. Monday's madness is over, and Wednesday will take us over the hump, so Tuesday it is--for some serious discussion with authors. Tuesday talks mean to address authors in waiting and self-published authors who would like to go a more traditional route or who would at least like to take their steps with a publisher by their side. Today's topic is about mailing lists. Wait! You mean that authors need mailing lists? You bet they do! Nowadays, a great many readers expect direct interaction with authors -- not with publishers. And the best way for an author to establish and maintain this relationship is through a newsletter and through targeted mailings, one of the best ways to promote and sell your back. Those require mailing lists, which are a  must for all serious authors.  So, where can you get mailing lists?  Build your own. This is the best way – most economical, most effective, longest-lasting. ·         If you have...