Lancet - action/psychological SF

[donrmontgomery]

Question: How do you entice people to join your mailing list? I've struggled with this for a year and don't really know what I'm doing.

 

[Toby Frost]

I think the standard thing is to give away something - usually short stories linked to your main work - for free if they join up. Then you advertise it in the back of your books. I'm not sure how effective it is, though.

 

[Danny McG]

. I have seen a lot of writers price the first book as free or perhaps 99¢, then the next book costs a few dollars, the next even more, and then further books at about the same price as the third book, depending on length

That's when the writers start doing that sh*t thing of suddenly stopping a story arc at midpoint (cliffhanger!) to entice readers into buying the next. You end up with a series of like 44 plus (very samey) books.
It's a pet hate of mine, I've dug my stubborn heels in before now and never bought by that writer again.
I much prefer it when they finish out one story and I can then buy the next for "further adventures" if I want more by that writer.

 

[Toby Frost]

"He gives the kids free samples, because he knows full well
That today's young smiling faces, are tomorrow's clientele..."

Tom Lehrer, "The Old Dope Peddler"