Best email marketing for authors
Put a signup link in the back of every book. Give away the first chapter or a short story. Keep ARC readers on their own list. Email readers every two weeks so they remember you on launch day. SendFox is free up to 1,000 contacts, then $29 once for 5,000.
Free up to 1,000 contacts. No card.
Amazon knows who bought your book. You don't. Your email list is the only way to tell those readers the sequel exists, and it's the one channel no algorithm can take away.
Below is the setup for a made-up cozy mystery author, Hollis Grey, who has a new book out in November. Hollis isn't real. The emails, the screenshots and the schedule are real and you can copy them.
The reader magnet: chapter one plus something exclusive
A free chapter works because it's a taste of the thing they already want. Hollis adds a short story nobody can get anywhere else, which is the part that actually gets people to type their email.
Put the signup link on the last page of every book, right after "The End", while they still care. Add it to your author bio and the front matter too. A link on the last page will bring you more readers than your Instagram bio.
What the form asks for
- Fields: First name and email. Every extra field costs signups.
- Button: "Send me chapter one"
- What they get: Chapter one of Murder at the Marmalade Fair, plus "The Scone Incident", a short story you can't get anywhere else.
- Where signups go: the Readers list, which starts the welcome automation.
Use it as a hosted link (your bio, a QR code, the back of a book) or paste one line of code to put it on your site.
First automation: deliver the chapter
This runs every time someone joins the Readers list. The third email is how the ARC team fills up without Hollis ever asking twice.
- Right away"Chapter one of Marmalade Fair (as promised)"Delivers the chapter and the bonus short story with a friendly hello.
- 3 days later"Where the series starts (and the cheapest way in)"Lists the books in order and links the first one.
- 7 days later"Want to read my next book before anyone else?"Invites the reader to join the ARC team, which is a separate list.
Free includes 1 automation, and this is the one to spend it on.
The lists and tags to set up
Create these on day one, with these exact names, so every email has an obvious place to go.
ReaderslistEveryone who signs up from your back matter. The welcome automation runs off it.
ARC teamlistAdvance readers only. Launch logistics go here and nowhere else.
preorderedtagTag readers who reply "preordered" so you can send them the bonus epilogue.
Running an ARC team without a spreadsheet nightmare
- Make a separate list called "ARC team". The welcome email's third message links to a form for it.
- Four weeks out: email the ARC team the download link and the review date.
- Launch day: one email with the store links. Keep it short. They know what to do.
- One week after: thank them, and ask the people who haven't reviewed yet. Once.
Keep ARC emails off your main list. Your 900 readers don't need to see "reminder: reviews due Friday".
The cover reveal email
Cover reveals get opened more than almost anything else an author sends. This one is 120 words and does one job: get preorders at the lower price.
The reply ask at the end is doing real work. Replies tell you who your superfans are, and they're who you invite to the ARC team next time.
Copy the text of this email
Hi there,
Here it is. The cover for Murder at the Marmalade Fair.
Yes, that's a goat. No, I won't say why. You'll find out on page 41.
The book comes out Tuesday, November 17. Until then the ebook is $2.99 on preorder. On launch day it goes to $4.99, so if you want it, now is cheaper.
[Button: Preorder for $2.99]
One favor. If you preorder, hit reply and tell me. I'm keeping a list of everyone who does, and I'm sending those readers a bonus epilogue after launch.
Back to the edits,
Hollis
Your reader magnet should be something only your readers get. A chapter they can already read in the store preview isn't much of a gift.
From the SendFox teamSay you have 900 readers. If 50% open the cover reveal, 450 people see the preorder link.
If 5% of the whole list preorder, that's 45 preorders before launch day, all from one email.
Rough math, not a promise. Round numbers for illustration; they aren't SendFox data, and your list will do its own thing.
Launch month, with dates
- Tue Oct 13
Cover reveal (the email above) with the $2.99 preorder link.
- Tue Oct 20
ARC team only: download link and review date.
- Tue Oct 27
A deleted scene. No ask. Just a good read.
- Tue Nov 10
"One week left at $2.99."
- Tue Nov 17
Launch day. Store links, nothing else.
Between books, email every two weeks. Readers forget you in about a month, and then launch day is you introducing yourself to strangers.
Three subject lines Hollis would use
The SendFox features an author uses
Smart Page
The back-matter signup page. No website required.
Free: 1 · Lifetime & Pro: unlimitedWelcome automation
Chapter one goes out the second someone signs up.
Free: 1 · Lifetime & Pro: unlimitedSeparate lists
Readers and ARC team never get each other's emails.
Free: 3 lists · Lifetime & Pro: unlimitedScheduling
Line up the whole launch sequence in one sitting.
Every planReader referrals
Each reader gets a share link. You pick the reward, like a bonus scene.
Every planImport
Bring your list from Mailchimp, Kit or a CSV.
Every planSettings for an author list
| Setting | What to set | Why |
|---|---|---|
| From name | Hollis Grey | Readers follow the author, not the imprint. |
| From email | An address you actually read | Replies go to your from address. Replies are the best signal you'll get. |
| Send time | Tuesday, 9am | New books traditionally come out on Tuesdays, so readers get used to hearing from you that day. Campaigns schedule in your time zone. |
| Double opt-in | Leave it on to start | Confirmed subscribers mean fewer typos and fake signups. Single opt-in is available on Pro, or on Lifetime after a one-time domain setup. |
| Lists and tags | Readers, ARC team, preordered | So each email goes only to the people it's for. What each one is for is spelled out in the lists and tags section. |
| Engaged only | On for promos, off for must-read news | It sends only to people who opened in the last 90 days or joined recently. |
| Footer | Nothing to add | SendFox adds your mailing address and an unsubscribe link to every campaign. You'll need to enter your address before your first send. |
What it costs an author
Free
1,000 contacts, 3,000 sends a month. 1 Smart Page, 1 form, 1 automation.
Lifetime
5,000 contacts and 300,000 total sends. Unlimited automations, Smart Pages and forms.
Pro
From 5,000 contacts and 100,000 sends a month. Paid newsletters, teammates, no SendFox branding.
| Plan | Price | Contacts | Sends | Smart Pages, forms, automations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 1,000 | 3,000 / month | 1 of each |
| Lifetime | $29, once | 5,000 | 300,000 total | Unlimited |
| Pro | From $19 / month | 5,000 to 250,000 | From 100,000 / month | Unlimited |
Free and Lifetime emails carry a small SendFox footer; Pro removes it. Pro also adds paid newsletters on your own Stripe account, MCP access and teammates. Current plans: sendfox.com/pricing.
A 5,000-reader list costs $29, once. That's one preorder campaign paying for your email for years. Above that, Pro starts at $19/month. Moving from Mailchimp or Kit? Connect it and import directly, or upload a CSV from anywhere else.
How that compares to 12 other tools at 5,000 to 100,000 subscribers: email marketing pricing compared.
FAQ
What is the best email marketing platform for authors?
One that sends your reader magnet automatically, keeps ARC readers on a separate list, and lets you schedule a launch, without a monthly bill before your list is big. SendFox does that. It is free for 1,000 contacts, then $29 once for 5,000.
How do I run an ARC team with SendFox?
Make an ARC list with its own signup form. Email that list the advance copy link, then schedule review reminders around launch day. Your main list never sees those emails.
How big should my list be before a launch?
There is no magic number. A few hundred readers who open your emails will do more for a launch than thousands who don't. Start collecting emails a book before you think you need to.
Can I move my list from Mailchimp or Kit?
Yes. Connect Mailchimp or Kit and import directly, or upload a CSV exported from any other tool.
Copy this setup this afternoon
Free for 1,000 contacts. $29 once for 5,000. Import from Mailchimp, Kit or a CSV.
Free up to 1,000 contacts. No card.
Keep reading
The example senders on this page are made up. The screenshots are from a SendFox demo account set up to match them, before any emails were sent.