US authors earn less than ever, EMS platforms are ranked, and children’s books come to life.
Weekly Write-Up: 16th January 2019
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SPF-026: ConvertKit: A Mailing List Service Designed Especially for Authors – with Nathan Barry
ConvertKit is an example of a niche focused business.
And the focus is authors and bloggers. Nathan Barry was (and still is) running a very successful self publishing business of his own and found that the majority of his sales came through promotions he made to his mailing list. But he began to have problems. There were not enough options in his email software to segment people according to purchase history, interest levels, and more. The frustrations became so great that he decided to create his own solution, and ConvertKit was born. On this episode you’ll hear how Nathan came up with the idea, what ConvertKit can do that other email providers can’t, and why it’s the ideal choice for authors and bloggers.
I already purchased your book. Why do you keep asking me to buy it?
That’s an example of just one of the complaints Nathan was getting from his mailing list that forced him to create an email solution of his own. Tremendous success selling his books enabled him to be in touch with many of his customers – but his email software at the time didn’t have a way of excluding people who had already bought his books from receiving a second or third email encouraging them to buy. Nathan gives a quick walk through of the features of his software and highlights why it’s the perfect solution for authors.
ConvertKit is created by authors and bloggers, for authors and bloggers.
And that really matters. As an author you have some unique needs about interacting with the fans who have opted in to your mailing list. You want to be able to address them uniquely, according to purchase history, interests, needs, and more. Nathan and his team have created a customized solution for authors and bloggers and its growth has truly been phenomenal. You’ll find out what all the fuss is about on this episode of The Self Publishing Formula podcast.
How Does ConvertKit compare to MailChimp?
Many self published authors start out building an email list with MailChimp’s free plan. It enables them to get the basic features of an email list up to a certain number of subscribers. It’s a great way to get started from scratch that Nathan says is the way to go for most authors. But when you have a thousand or more subscribers to your mailing list and need to begin interacting with them in specific ways, you need something more – which is why Nathan created ConvertKit. Convertkit doesn’t have a free plan but offers so much more that fits your needs as an author. You can hear Nathan’s description of the software and learn more about how you can see videos and more of the software in action.
The transition from MailChimp or Aweber to ConvertKit could be a “done for you” proposition.
For authors who have already built a significant following and have 500 or more subscribers on their list at present, Nathan and his team provide a concierge conversion from any other email service provider to ConvertKit. All you have to do is ask.
Outline of this great episode
- [0:23] Mark and James introduce today’s episode and guest.
- [1:20] A new course in the works from the Self Publishing Formula team.
- [3:10] James’ book and process will be the demo for the course.
- [7:09] How the formatting stage will work within the course.
- [8:48] Chatting with Nathan Barry, owner of ConvertKit.
- [10:53] Why a mailing list and the benefit good software can be.
- [13:31] How and why Nathan created ConvertKit.
- [16:07] How ConvertKit works.
- [23:13] How Nathan’s team does direct sales for ConvertKit.
- [26:06] ConvertKit pricing and comparison to other services.
- [28:45] The user interface and features of ConvertKit.
- [25:20] How you can find out more about ConvertKit.
Resources & Links mentioned in this episode
SPF-011: Everything you always wanted to know about Mailing Lists (but were afraid to ask)
When Mark Dawson first started seeing success as a self published author he was a bit late to the game when it came to interacting with those who were showing interest in his books. The best they could do was to buy his book, read it, then search Amazon for any other books he might have written. It wasn’t a very reader centric approach and not what Mark wanted. That’s when he started investigating the various ways he could interact with his readers via email lists. In this episode you’ll get to hear the story of how Mark first approached the issue, the mistakes he made, and the many helpful things he’s learned about truly engaging with readers that make them happy to hear from you and even eager to help you promote your writing to others.
How NOT to create an email list.
At first Mark knew that he had to have some kind of email list but didn’t really know how to start. His first step was to include his private email address in the back of each of his books. It was better than nothing, but became very cumbersome since he was adding each person to a spreadsheet and then bulk emailing everyone from his private email account each time he had something to communicate. He quickly learned that the time it took him to do all of that work could be mitigated through using a free service like MailChimp. Mark talks through how he made the switch and the huge benefits he’s seen from using an email provider of this type.
But isn’t email being used less and less these days?
James asks Mark whether he thinks email is still useful in the modern day. Studies and articles frequently report that people are turning to text and instant messaging platforms rather than email. But Mark’s convinced that email is still the very best way to communicate with fans and makes his case for why that’s so in this conversation. You’ll learn a lot about why email is powerfully important to your brand and future book sales as well as how to go about reaching out to your audience in a way that is natural and effective.
What sort of tone should you write with in your emails?
Mark believes that everyone can effectively write email sequences and truly connect with their readers. They know how to be themselves. If you keep in mind the fact that anyone who signs up for your email list is doing so because they are interested in you and your writing, you’ll realize that the thing they are wanting to get to know is you. So be you. Take the time to put some of yourself into your emails in a natural, unapologetic way. You’ll be giving your readers what they want from their interaction with you and also provide a way for them to feel like they are on the “inside track” when it comes to your books and your brand.
The nuts and bolts of email software and services.
What you’re probably the most interested in learning is how to set up an email service to begin creating your email list. James and Mark walk through the basics of how Mark did it, what services he considered and the one he finally went with, why he made that choice, how he uses his email list on a regular basis to drive interaction and book sales, and the benefits he’s derived from having an active, engaged readership that communicates with him via his email list.
Outline of this great episode
- [0:21] The introduction today’s topic: Mailing lists for Authors.
- [1:27] A special announcement (it’s exciting!).
- [3:20] The importance of a mailing list cannot be underestimated.
- [4:20] The difference a mailing list has made to Mark’s career.
- [5:40] Why Mark is convinced email is still the best way to communicate with fans.
- [8:10] The different types of emails that you can send out and how they work.
- [9:41] Using your email list to solicit help from readers to launch your books.
- [12:45] The importance of “tone” in your emails.
- [15:48] How Mark started his first email list.
- [19:27] James’ tips for MailChimp beginners.
- [21:59] What is a double opt-in?
- [24:10] How do you create different lists and why?
- [26:15] How to use the information from your emails to refine the process.
- [29:00] Great ideas for getting more subscribers from your readership.
- [31:50] The personal touch you can have through your email list.
- [33:47] Tips and tricks about mailing list strategies.
- [36:16] Using advanced email service providers.
- [40:29] Get Mark’s April income report.