Starting A Self-Publishing Business? Build an Email List (It’s Your #1 Asset)

Plus, 4 steps to making it work.

Photo by Campaign Creators on Unsplash

If you want to build a long-term, profitable self-publishing business, you need one thing more than anything else: an email list.

Social media platforms come and go. Algorithms change. Ads can get expensive. But your email list? That’s your direct line to readers who already trust you.

Every successful author-entrepreneur knows this: your book introduces readers to your world, but your email list is where the relationship grows. It’s where fans become customers, and customers become repeat buyers.

Here’s how to make it work:

1. Capture leads inside your book using a lead magnet, as we covered in post #2.
2. Use an email service provider (like ConvertKit, MailerLite, or Substack) to manage your list.
3. Send a welcome sequence that introduces new subscribers to you, your book, and your mission.
4. Email consistently — weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly — with tips, stories, updates, or behind-the-scenes insights.

Think of your emails as an extension of your book’s value. What else does your reader need to know? What small wins can you help them achieve this week? Stay helpful, encouraging, and consistent.

Eventually, you’ll introduce them to other offers:

• A mini course
• A group program
• Your next book.
• And because you’ve already built trust, those emails can drive real revenue. Plus, they won’t feel super salesy because you believe in what you are sharing and want to help the people on your list.

Bottom line: if you only focus on selling books, you’re playing a short-term game. But if you build an email list, you’re building an audience that you can serve and sell to for years to come.

In self-publishing, your email list isn’t optional — it’s everything.

My name is J.R. Heimbigner. I’m The Minimalist Author with 20 books to my name (15x #1 Bestseller on Amazon). If you want to learn more about self-publishing, start with my FREE Self-Publishing Author’s Checklist:

Self-Publishing Author’s Checklist

And if you are ready to start writing your book or looking for a group of writers you can learn from and bounce ideas off of, considering joining The Minimalist Author Way: Basic or Pro!

The Minimalist Author Way [Basic]: How to Write and Publish a Bestseller in 90 Days or Less

The Minimalist Author Way [Pro]: How to Write and Publish a Bestseller in 90 Days or Less

Please note: there might be sales links or affiliate links in my posts. If you purchase anything, I appreciate it. If you pick up something that I share, I will get a small cut of the sale.