The Reality: Amazon Can Ban You Tomorrow
Amazon can terminate your account. Facebook can shut down your ads. Your email list is yours forever.
The Math:
- • Amazon controls your customer data
- • You can't email readers who bought your books
- • If Amazon bans you, you lose everything
- Your email list = your insurance policy
The Engineering Problem
No one joins a "newsletter." They join to get free stuff.
This guide treats email list building as an exchange system: you give value (free book, checklist, bonus chapter), they give you their email.
By Ameen A. Mohiyuddin - My email list has saved me twice when Amazon changed their algorithms. It's the only marketing channel I truly control.
The Reader Magnet: What to Give Away
Fiction Authors
Free Prequel Novella
Give away Book 0.5 to hook readers before Book 1
Bonus Chapter
Deleted scene, alternate POV, or epilogue
Character Guide
PDF with character bios, maps, timelines
Non-Fiction Authors
Checklist/Cheat Sheet
One-page PDF summarizing your book's framework
Templates/Worksheets
Fillable PDFs readers can use immediately
Free Chapter
Give away Chapter 1 to prove value
The Auto-Responder: 3-Email Sequence
Email 1: Deliver the Freebie (Immediately)
Subject: Here's your free book!
"Thanks for joining! Click here to download your free prequel novella. Enjoy!"
Goal: Deliver value immediately. Build trust.
Email 2: The Soft Sell (3 Days Later)
Subject: Did you like it?
"If you enjoyed the prequel, you'll love Book 1. It's on sale this week for $0.99. Click here to grab it."
Goal: Convert warm readers into buyers.
Email 3: Behind the Scenes (7 Days Later)
Subject: How I wrote this series
"Here's the story behind the story. Plus, a sneak peek at Book 2 (coming next month)."
Goal: Build relationship. Keep readers engaged.
Email Service Providers: Which One to Choose
MailerLite
Best For: New authors starting out
ConvertKit
Best For: Serious authors with budget
MailChimp
Best For: Authors familiar with MailChimp
Conversion Strategies: Where to Promote Your List
Back of Your Books
Add a CTA at the end of every book: "Get a free prequel at [yourwebsite.com]"
Conversion Rate: 5-10% of readers who finish your book
Author Website
Pop-up or banner: "Get a free book when you join my newsletter"
Conversion Rate: 20-40% of website visitors
Social Media Bio
Link in bio: "Free book → [link]"
Conversion Rate: 1-5% of profile visitors
5 Email List Mistakes
❌ No Reader Magnet
"Join my newsletter" gets 0 signups. Offer a free book or bonus content.
❌ Emailing Too Often
Daily emails = unsubscribes. Email weekly or when you have news (new release, sale).
❌ All Sales, No Value
Every email is "Buy my book!" Give value: behind-the-scenes, writing tips, free content.
❌ No Automation
Manually emailing each subscriber doesn't scale. Set up an auto-responder sequence.
❌ Ignoring List Hygiene
Remove inactive subscribers every 6 months. Dead emails hurt deliverability.
Email List Building Checklist
Your List is Your Insurance Policy
Amazon controls your sales. You control your email list. Build it now.