If you ask hard-core marketers, they will tell you that your email list is just about the most important part of a marketing effort. In this section, we will take a look at lists and why you, as an author, need one.

A list needs somewhere to live. While a collection of 30 super fans can probably live in your address book on whatever email program you use, a good list will outgrow that quickly (not to mention create a host of legal and technical problems for you). What you want is a system separate from your personal email address that exists only to accept signups, send emails, and remove people if they change their mind.

Some example third-party services include:

• Mailchimp
• TinyLetter
• Campaign Monitor

Free list options exist, too. The most famous free email list manager is PHPList.

PHPList

If you don’t mind a little technical stuff, PHPList might be for you. It is a free and open source email list program. I use it for my list.

If technical things are not for you (which is fair), some web hosting companies, like 20i, which I use, offer one-click installers for programs like PHPList. I would strongly recommend 20i for setting up your central author platform headquarters (your website and other essentials).

Create one or more landing pages

As you learn more about building a list, you will discover a lot of talk about landing pages. A landing page is simply the page you would like potential list sign-ups to land on. The job of a good landing page is to turn potential signups into actual signups.

As such, there should be little else to do on a landing page other than the one call to action you present – join your list.

Customise your signup form

Once you have somewhere for your list to live, you will want to create a sign-up form. I host my list at hi.lordmatt.co.uk, that is so I control the website and no third party can snatch it away from me. The reason I do this is so that my signup form looks and feels like a part of the rest of my website, because I want my list joiners to feel confident they are in the right place.

List building is hard and slow

A good list can be the backbone of your author platform. It is a collection of interested persons who will be delighted to hear from you. For example, when your new book launches or you make a public appearance (say, a book signing).

List building rarely happens overnight. Instead, you will likely find yourself building it one relationship at a time.