Let’s start with this: I did not write A Mind Beyond Words to get rich. I’m nowhere near that stupid or naive.
On the other hand, the amount I’m prepared and able to pay to promote it is not a bottomless pit. I’ve already spent more on editing, publicity, website maintenance and so forth than I ever expect to get back in sales and royalties. I suspect most unknown authors who write about niche subjects are in a similar position, and I’m okay with that. The book’s important and I want the right people to find and read it.
My publisher advised me to start sending out a monthly newsletter to subscribers. I researched that and asked fellow authors on my Facebook page for suggestions, preferably free ones. One name came up again and again: “Use MailerLite, they’re free, easy to use and are nice people.”
So I did. (Or to be strictly honest, I asked Crysta, my lovely, ever-patient and knowledgeable website designer to sort it for me.)
All seemed to be going relatively smoothly, until I got a series of rather anxious-sounding messages from the company, saying email providers were tightening their spam folders, or something, and I had to jump through some complicated hoops to make sure my newsletter was compliant with new rules.
Once again, lovely Crysta guided me through the whole process.
MailerLite wrote to say that we and they have done all possible to be fully compliant, but a few email providers (notably gmail) are still trying to block the newsletters they send out.
After my February newsletter went out, a very kind subscriber sent a message to warn me that there had been dire warnings from her email provider about opening it.
The one I sent myself as a test was accompanied by a big scary red flash from gmail, telling me it was almost certainly malware and if I opened it, or dared to click on a link (there weren’t any), terrible things would happen.
I opened it.
I’m still here.
My phone and laptop are still working fine and my modest little newsletter appeared just as I’d written it.
So… for anyone who subscribes to my newsletter and has been threatened with dire consequences, please ignore the warnings.
I know the email providers are trying to protect us. I know there are bad, bad people out there trying to do nasty things to your devices, but the Asher Tree Newsletter isn’t one of them. It’s just me trying to spread the word about my book and to share some thoughts from Ash and myself.
If yours didn’t appear on February 1st, it’s probably been incarcerated in your spam folder. Hopefully, if enough people go and dig it out, the email providers might realise that it’s safe.
Oh, and if you’re not a subscriber and are feeling curious or brave enough, you can sign up (I hope!) with the form at the bottom of any page on this website.