Best email marketing for authors
Short answer: Retailers own your reviews and your rankings. Your email list is the one channel you own. An author needs a signup link for the back of every book, an automated welcome that delivers a free chapter or story, a separate list for your ARC team, and scheduled launch emails. SendFox covers all of it, free up to 1,000 contacts, then $29 once for 5,000.
This guide is for indie and traditionally published authors who want readers to hear about the next book from them, not from an algorithm.
What to send
Launch emails
Cover reveal, preorder link, launch day, and a last-chance note if you run a launch price. Your launch list is the reason to have a list at all.
ARC team emails
Invite advance readers, send the download link, remind them when reviews open, and thank them after launch. Keep ARC readers on their own list.
A reader magnet
A free chapter, a short story or a bonus epilogue, sent automatically to everyone who signs up from your back matter.
Between-book updates
Writing progress, the book you loved this month, a deleted scene. Keep readers warm so the next launch lands.
SendFox features that help
- Smart Pages: A signup page with a short link you can print in your back matter, author bio and social profiles. No website required.
- Welcome automation: When a reader joins, SendFox sends your reader magnet right away, then a follow-up a few days later introducing your other books.
- Lists for your ARC team: Keep ARC readers, newsletter readers and street team on separate lists. Email one group without bothering the others.
- Scheduled launch emails: Write the whole launch sequence ahead and schedule each email for its date. Launch week gets easier.
- Reader referrals: SendFox has a built-in referral program: readers get a link to share, and you choose rewards like a bonus scene.
What to send your first month
- Week 1: Make your Smart Page and add the link to your back matter and bio. Set up a welcome email that delivers your reader magnet.
- Week 2: Send your first update: what you are writing, when it is coming, and one line about why you are excited.
- Week 3: Invite readers to your ARC team. Everyone who says yes goes on a separate ARC list.
- Week 4: Share a book you loved and ask readers to reply with theirs. Replies tell you who your real fans are.
What it costs
| 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 launch list costs $29, once. Above that, Pro starts at $19/month.
See what 13 email tools cost at 5,000 to 100,000 subscribers: email marketing pricing compared.
Keep reading
- How to start a newsletter, step by step
- Email marketing pricing compared
- Best email marketing for podcasters
FAQ
What is the best email marketing platform for authors?
One that lets you deliver a reader magnet automatically, keep ARC readers on a separate list, and schedule launch emails, without a monthly bill before you have a big list. 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?
Create an ARC list and a signup form for it. Email that list the advance copy link, then schedule review reminders around launch day. Your main newsletter 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 do not. Start collecting emails a book before you think you need them.
Can I move my list from Mailchimp or another tool?
Yes. Connect Mailchimp or Kit and import directly, or upload a CSV exported from any other tool.
Start free. Pay once if you grow.
Free for 1,000 contacts. $29 once for 5,000. Import from Mailchimp, Kit or a CSV in minutes.
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