Email is the only audience an author owns. Social reach is rented and can change with an algorithm; a list of readers who asked to hear from you keeps working for a decade. The difference between a list that sells and one that goes quiet is a sequence that gives before it asks.
What you receive
- A welcome sequence of three to four emails: the free story, the introduction, the recommendation and the invitation.
- A launch sequence covering announcement, excerpt, reminder, live-now and last-chance across seven days.
- A post-purchase follow-up that asks for a review without begging, and links to the next book.
- Subject lines in three styles per email, so opens can be tested rather than hoped for.
- Setup notes for the automation, including timing, segment and the opt-in language that keeps you compliant.
How the sequence is built
- Define the promise. What a subscriber gets that a follower does not — a free story, early access, a deleted scene.
- Write in the author’s voice from samples of their existing writing, not in marketing register.
- Structure each email around one action, with the link placed where it will be seen on a phone.
- Set the automation and test the whole path from sign-up to delivery before launch.
Why the welcome email outranks everything
The first email after sign-up is opened more than any other you will ever send. Most authors waste it on “thanks for subscribing” and a link to a page. It should deliver the promised thing immediately, then make a single recommendation and set the expectation of what arrives next. A subscriber who gets value in the first two minutes stays for years; one who gets a thank-you and a delay often never opens another email.
Selling without exhausting the list
A list can be sold to roughly once in four or five emails without losing subscribers. The rest of the time it should be useful: a scene, a recommendation, a note about the writing, a cover reveal. That ratio is why the sequence is designed as a rhythm rather than a campaign — the launch emails work because the intervening emails earned the right to ask.
Deliverability, briefly
Authentication, a consistent sending address, a clean list and no purchased addresses are the basics. Beyond that, engagement decides: a list where most subscribers open keeps landing in the inbox, and a list that ignores everything gradually stops arriving. That is the practical argument for writing fewer, better emails rather than sending more.
Segments that pay for themselves
Not every subscriber wants the same thing. Readers who bought book one should not receive the announcement for book one, and readers who opened every email for a year deserve the early-access offer before the rest of the list. Two simple segments — purchasers and engaged non-purchasers — turn a single broadcast into two relevant messages, and the open rates usually double. It is a small piece of setup with the largest effect on revenue per email.
Pricing
| Tier | Scope | Price | Was | You save |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | 1 sequence | $60 | $65 | |
| Professional | 3 sequences | $160 | $175 | |
| Bulk / Authority | 5 sequences | $250 | $250 |
Frequent questions
Which email platform do you write for?
The copy is platform-neutral. Setup notes are provided for Mailchimp, MailerLite, ConvertKit and BookFunnel-style flows.
Can you write the free reader magnet?
Yes — a short story or sample chapter is a separate writing job and pairs naturally with the sequence.
How often should I email?
Once or twice a month outside a launch, more during it. Consistency matters more than volume.
Build my email sequence — send your list size, platform and the free offer.