Newsletters can be a tricky thing. They can be either boring or full of fun facts. I think mine are a bit of both…LOL…so I’m going to share a few things I do.  But you’ll have to be the one to decide what your newsletter will be like.

Which came first…the name or the contents? For me it was the idea of a newsletter then the name.  I currently have two of them for each of my genres.  Debi’s Ditties is for my erotic pen name, Debi Wilder, and Maxine’s Musings is for all the genres I dabble in writing as Maxine Douglas.

Next comes the type of things I want to discuss or share.  Of course there’s the usual “here’s what I’m up to” category, but readers don’t want to hear just about what your next book is about.  Add some things that will cause an interest to read further.

I like to start with an introduction, sort of a “hello” to the reader.  It can be anything from welcoming in the new year to celebrating a new grandbaby.  I try to keep this section short and to the point. Below are a couple of samples from past newsletters:

Sample 1:

Happy 4^th of July everyone!  I hope you enjoy the fireworks, cookouts and will keep you and your family safe.

This month is pretty quiet.  Except of course for the birth of my second granddaughter, Makenna Marie!  She arrived on June 14 @ 7:55 am and has been through a heck of a lot.  She had to have open heart surgery to repair a value on the 22^nd and is recovering with flying colors.  I hear she’s a sassy little thing with a will much like her mother and father’… boy are they in for a ride as this one grows up.  And they are more than thankful for it too.

Sample 2:

It’s the month for Love!  Let’s have a collective SIGH.  February has spawned marriages, engagements and otherwise unusual happenings when it comes to the matters of the heart.  I hope everyone’s Valentine’s Day is filled with warm, love, happiness and a special night with the special someone.  The big party night before Cupid’s Arrow strikes happens at Mardi Gras a/k/a Fat Tuesday on February 5th!  Get your King Cake in time and see who gets the baby this year.

Next I have a table of contents which lets the reader know what I’m talking about that month.  I have a few topics that are constant though.  Here are a few samples from past newsletters:

Sample 1:

In this Issue:

Quote of the Month

Recommended Read of the Month

Interview with Sir Reynold Roddington of Joust in Time

Joust in Time release contest

Valentine Traditions

News/Updates

Upcoming Appearances

Coming next month

Sample 2:

In this Issue:

Quote of the Month

Recommended Read of the Month

Recipe of the Month

Sneak Peek at Destiny’s Love Song

Upcoming Appearances

Coming Next Month

Once I’ve established what I want that issue to consist of I start doing any research that needs to be done.  One December I talked about Christmas trees.

Celebrating Christmas without a richly decorated Christmas Tree would not seem right today.  But why do we have a Christmas Tree, and how did it originate?

Back in the 7th century a monk from Crediton, Devonshire, traveled to Germany to spread the Word of God.  Legend has it that he used the triangular shape of the Fir Tree to describe the Holy Trinity of God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit to the German people. The German people started to revere the Fir Tree as “God’s Tree”. In the next 5 centuries, the tree became a symbol of Christianity, and was being hung upside-down from the ceiling as a sign of Christianity.     http://www.inglewoodcarecentre.com/history/christmastree.htm

When listing your appearances use only the information that the reader will need such as date, time, and location.  You could also have a link to a map that shows the location via either Google Maps or MapQuest.

Sample:

Upcoming Book Signings:

I like to add pictures for flare.

Once I have the newsletter to my liking I now post it to my blog for that pen name, and then share it on my Google, Twitter and Facebook accounts.

Then I start to think about the next month and believe sometimes the random thoughts are the best…or at least in my mind I think they are. Not all newsletters are created equal, yours will be as unique and different as the next one and most likely never the same length once your mind starts processing what it wants to share.  Follow your heart and let the reader into your world.