© 2018 Tracy Crump

The Write Life (TWL) turns ten this month. Marylane and I started with just nine subscribers who attended our first workshop on writing for Chicken Soup for the Soul®. Our newsletter now reaches more than 800 writers—maybe not the impressive tens of thousands we’d like, but we love our subscribers. Many of you have been around since the beginning and correspond with us often.

So how can you leverage a newsletter as an important part of your platform?

Start Now and Build
We built our list one subscriber at a time. Every time we hold a workshop or speak at writers conferences, we pass around a sign-up sheet or make one available on our book table. We post a link to each month’s issue across social media and remind people how to subscribe. Our websites and Facebook pages include a sign-up link. Utilize every opportunity available.

Offer Quality Content
The first year, Marylane and I wrote all the articles ourselves, but later, we solicited articles from industry professionals to provide more variety. Going with the premise that “all they can do is say no,” I’ve asked writing greats such as Liz Curtis Higgs, Angela Hunt, Brandilynn Collins, and Cecil Murphey to contribute articles. Consequently, our readers stay with us because they get quality content.

Deliver Something Extra
TWL was founded on our enjoyment of and expertise in writing for anthologies. As a bonus, we send our subscribers story callouts for Chicken Soup for the Soul and other anthologies and include a Chicken Soup writing tip each month. We’ve also offered subscriber discounts on our workshops and webinars, which encourages writers to sign up for the newsletter. Look for carrots you can dangle. Everyone loves getting something extra.

Engage Your Readers
A few years ago, we started publishing a Subscriber Spotlight. This section highlights one of our readers and his/her work and includes a link and photo. Subscribers get free marketing and often share that issue with their social media groups. You might use surveys, contests, or other tools to keep readers engaged.

Though I’m pleased with 800 subscribers, I didn’t consider it impressive until I spoke with an agent last year. He said, “That’s fantastic! You have more on your list than 90 percent of the people who approach me.” It was nice to hear.

You, too, can leverage a newsletter to help build your platform. Begin today!
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Tracy Crump has published numerous articles and devotions and more than two dozen anthology stories. As co-director of Write Life Workshops, she conducts workshops and webinars to help others “Write Better, Write Now!” Tracy’s “How to Write for Chicken Soup for the Soul” is one of Serious Writer Academy’s top-selling courses, and her love of teaching takes her to conferences where she helps writers hone their craft. Visit Tracy on her website, Facebook, Twitter, or Write Life Workshops.