Ep 152: Building Your Author Email List in 2026

If you’re an author, you’ve surely been told you need an email list but perhaps gotten very little explanation and/or a lot of exaggerated promises. Here’s the grounded truth: Email lists matter (a lot), but only when you understand why you’re building one and how to keep it simple.

Put simply, an email list is one of the only platforms you actually own. Social media reach changes constantly. Algorithms shift. Platforms disappear. (Remember Vine? Or Periscope? Or...Clubhouse?)

Your email list allows you to communicate directly with readers who choose to hear from you. You don’t need thousands of subscribers for it to be effective, but you do need the right ones. 

If you’ve seen claims like “sell thousands of books from one email,” you’re not wrong to feel skeptical.

Those results often come with years of backlist, ad spend, or an existing audience. Email marketing for authors isn’t a shortcut. It’s a long-term tool that supports sustainable growth over time.

To start an author email list, you only need three things:

• An email service provider (MailerLite, ConvertKit, Mailchimp, etc.)

• A simple sign-up form

• A clear reason to join (sample chapter, resource, or ongoing value)

That’s it.

You don’t need complicated funnels or daily emails. Just pick one email platform and commit to it for at least a year. The magic isn't in the newest platform; it's in how consistently you communicate with and provide value to your list.

What to Send (and How Often)

You don’t need to be clever or constantly selling. Most effective author emails include:

• Writing or book updates

• Behind-the-scenes notes

• Lessons learned

• Occasional offers

Consistency matters more than frequency. And email templates that have proven to work well specifically for authors can help reduce decision fatigue and make this whole endeavor much easier! 

Check out These Great Author Resources

📚 Author Visibility Bundle: 200+ customizable email and social media templates just for authors

Grab the free nonfiction or memoir kickstart that's helped hundreds of authors get out of their heads and into the flow: GRAB IT HERE

You've Been Thinking About This Book Forever. So let's start writing (for real this time). Grab it here!