So you've decided to issue a newsletter, a useful promotional tool available to all writers with the coming of the internet. Now the question to be settled is what type of content to offer your subscribers.
News is a given of course but what else would be of interest to your readers? What do other writers offer in these personal communications? And what about frequency of publication?
A handful of authors writing in the mystery genre have generously provided a range of information on these important matters as varied as the colours of the contents of a box of licorice all sorts. Their responses allow writers of fiction and non-fiction alike who are planning to issue a newsletter to decide on useful content as well as how often they distribute them.
Lois Winston, author of the Anastasia Pollack crafting mysteries, issues a monthly newsletter. Usually it will feature not only information on her latest release but also codes for free copies of her audiobooks, links to instructions for various crafts mentioned in the Anastasia Pollack series and of course news—most recently her 2025 Silver Falchion Award for best comedy for Sorry, Knot Sorry.
David Wagner, author of the Rick Montoya Italian Mystery series, offers an inventive twist on traditional newsletters. A couple of years ago he started a free substack on which he writes about things Italian with numerous references to books in his series, giving him an audience outside his normal group of followers. Every month he sends out an email to his mailing list telling his regulars that a new substack has been posted.
Michael Sears and Stanley Trollip, writing as Michael Stanley, co-author the Detective Kubu series set in Botswana. On average their newsletter is issued once a quarter, depending on whether a new book is on the horizon. They mainly focus on book news although sometimes they include a special offer, usually on their ebooks, and occasionally also feature short pieces about them and their writing.
Tina Whittle pens the Tai Randolph and Trey Seaver mysteries set in Atlanta. In 2024 she polled her newsletter subscribers about the frequency they preferred and which topics they wanted covered. Based on their response her newsletter is monthly. Issues usually include book news, a giveaway (sometimes a short story, a freebie from another author, a BookFunnel promotion, or swag) and an extra item, typically a blog post about research or tarot or another fascinating rabbit hole she's uncovered, a recipe, a guest blog, or a To Be Read Stack recommendation.
Even my short survey provides numerous possibilities to consider for your newsletter content. Other offerings could include links to items of interest on your website including reviews, interviews, characters' backgrounds and histories, Q&A sessions with readers, videos or photographs relating to your creative works, crosswords, puzzles and games, travel diaries, the possibilities are as endless as the internet itself.
Our newsletter Orphan Scrivener first appeared in February 2000 and we've issued them every two months since. Naturally there have been times when there's more letter than news for “Necessary Evil”, the section we devote to blatant self promotion. Well, every issue includes a personal essay from each of us sandwiching “Necessary Evil” so there's still something to read. We've written over 150 of them apiece so far on topics wandering all over the landscape, ranging from childhood quarantine, an attempt to solve a 19th century murder, and fireflies to folk customs, the deaths of Dickens' villains, neckwear, and our cats.
On occasion we've even written about writing.
Our thinking is when we don't have news to impart we hope to provide at least some entertainment for our subscribers, an important consideration in our promotional efforts.
Mary Reed & Eric Mayer
https://reed-mayer-mysteries.blogspot.com
Interested in signing up for the newsletters mentioned? Point your clicker here:
Lois Winston
David Wagner
https://davidpwagnerauthor.substack.com
Michael and Stanley
https://michaelstanleybooks.com/
Tina Whittle
https://www.tinawhittle.com/newsletter-sign-up
Mary & Eric
Email maywrite@earthlink.net
