Email Campaigns
Send emails to your subscribers announcing new releases, sales, and updates. Connect with readers directly in their inbox.
What is an Email Campaign?
An email campaign is a message you send to a group of subscribers. Unlike social media, email goes directly to people who asked to hear from you.
Common email campaigns for authors:
- New release announcements — Your book is out!
- Sale alerts — Price drops and promotions
- Newsletter updates — Personal updates and content
- Cover reveals — Show off new covers
- Free book offers — Reader magnets
Tip
Email is the most valuable marketing channel for authors. Unlike social media followers, you own your email list. It cannot be taken away by algorithm changes.
Before You Start
To send email campaigns, you need:
- FluentCRM connected — Set up in Settings → Integrations
- Subscribers — People who opted in to your list
- A verified sending domain — Configured in FluentCRM
Note
StorytellerOS does not send emails directly. It connects to your FluentCRM installation, which handles actual email delivery.
Creating a Campaign
- Go to Marketing Studio → Campaigns
- Click + New Campaign
- Enter a campaign name (for your reference)
- Select the email type
- Choose your recipients
- Write your email content
- Preview and send
Campaign Settings
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Campaign Name | Internal name (subscribers do not see this) |
| Subject Line | What appears in the inbox |
| Preview Text | Snippet shown after subject line |
| From Name | Who the email appears to be from |
| Reply-To | Where replies go |
Choosing Recipients
Select who receives your email:
- All subscribers — Everyone on your list
- By tag — Only people with specific tags
- By list — A specific subscriber list
- By segment — Custom-defined groups
Excluding Recipients
You can also exclude certain groups:
- People who already purchased
- People who clicked a previous campaign
- People with certain tags
Tip
Segment your list by interest. Romance readers might not care about your thriller release. Send targeted emails for better engagement.
Writing Your Email
Subject Lines
Your subject line determines if people open your email:
- Keep it short (under 50 characters)
- Create curiosity or urgency
- Be clear about the content
- Avoid spam trigger words (FREE!!!, Act Now)
- Test different styles
Email Body
The editor supports:
- Rich text formatting (bold, italic, links)
- Images (book covers, author photos)
- Buttons (buy links, website links)
- Personalization (Dear {first_name})
Best Practices for Email Content
- Keep it scannable — Use short paragraphs and bullet points
- One clear call to action — What should they do?
- Personal tone — Write like you are talking to a friend
- Include book links — Make it easy to buy
- Add your personality — Readers subscribed to hear from you
Preview and Test
Before sending to your list:
- Click Preview to see how it looks
- Send a Test Email to yourself
- Check it on mobile (most people read email on phones)
- Click all links to make sure they work
- Proofread one more time
Always Test
Once you send a campaign, you cannot unsend it. Always send a test email first and check every link.
Sending Options
Choose when to send:
- Send now — Immediately
- Schedule — Pick a specific date and time
- Optimal time — Let the system choose (if supported)
Best Times to Send
General guidelines (test what works for your audience):
- Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday typically perform best
- Morning (9-10am) or early afternoon (1-2pm)
- Avoid weekends and holidays
- Consider your readers' time zones
Campaign Results
After sending, track how your campaign performed:
| Metric | What It Means |
|---|---|
| Delivered | Emails that reached inboxes |
| Open Rate | Percentage who opened the email |
| Click Rate | Percentage who clicked a link |
| Bounced | Emails that failed to deliver |
| Unsubscribed | People who opted out |
Note
Open rates are estimates due to privacy features in some email clients. Focus more on click rates as a measure of engagement.
Email Templates
Save time with reusable templates:
- New release template — Cover, blurb, buy links
- Newsletter template — Personal update format
- Sale announcement — Price, duration, links
Create templates from successful campaigns to reuse the structure.
Your List, Your Rules
Your email list is your direct connection to readers. Treat them well, send valuable content, and they will be your most loyal fans.
Best Practices
- Be consistent — Send regularly so readers expect you
- Provide value — Not every email should be "buy my book"
- Respect unsubscribes — Make it easy to opt out
- Segment your list — Send relevant content to relevant people
- Test and learn — Try different subject lines and content