The Huge Mistake You're Making With Your Email Newsletter
First Point of Business…I Messed Up!
Last week, I wrote a piece called Instagram, Meta, and the One Platform concept. That piece was not meant to go out as an email but to exist on The Hungry Artist as a blog post that I could link back to in the normal Friday email. I forgot to remove the checkmark that says “send to the app and to email,” and it went into your inbox. Whoops!
Since that ended up being the 2nd email I sent last week, I decided not to bludgeon you again on Friday—but hey, here we are on Wednesday and back where we left off (except now I need to find something else to write about).
Speaking of two-times-per-week emails, I have a question for you…
You’re Doing It Wrong
As platforms continue to twist the screws on their algorithms to benefit those that spend money and only make the type of content the algorithm favors, email has become a safe harbor for anyone trying to promote their business in an organic way to an engaged audience.
I’ve seen more artists doubling down on their newsletters lately, but many are getting it wrong for two main reasons.
They publish inconsistently.
They only talk about themselves.
Instead, if you’re writing to your audience through a newsletter, it’s a good plan to look at what you’re publishing from the view of your readers and then ask yourself if you would pay attention to what you wrote.
Personally, I think I’m hilarious when I read back my own emails, but then I have the sense of humor of a 12-year-old computer geek with no friends (see, I just laughed at that… and that too).
KDP Books Just Got More Expensive
Effective June 20, 2023, Amazon KDP is raising their fixed pricing for printed books across all products and all markets (Info and new price index here). Like everything lately, the cost of paper has risen significantly in the last few years, and KDP was feeling the pinch.
Most of the price increases are small, averaging around $.15 U.S. in the fixed pricing of any printed book. For instance, a 100-page book with black ink sold within the U.S. market currently costs $2.15 with no per-page cost. Starting on June 20th, regular book sizes (anything up to 6x9”) will be $2.30, and all larger book sizes will be $2.85.
The most significant change is in the larger book sizes (6x9” and above). Before, these sizes were not set apart, but now they have increased to just over 30% for books under 108 pages and 40% in per-page costs for books 110 pages and above.
The matrix of data is tricky because of all the different types of books they have available and all the separate markets, so if you’re a KDP user, I recommend giving it a once-over and perhaps reconsidering how you’re pricing your books.
If you go to your KDP dashboard, there should be an announcement at the top where they allow you a chance to do a one-time bulk pricing update to take effect on June 20th, making it easy for you to increase across the board.
Tasty (AOTD): Stacey MacNevin
A true creative spirit, Stacey MacNevin is bold and kind, driven and generous, bringing art into all aspects of her life and the lives of others. Through ups and downs, Stacey continues to share her artistic soul, whether it’s through large, vibrant abstracts, noir self-portrait photography, or her connection to others (namely her Frenchie, Pablo).
I’ve known Stacey for years and consider her part of my extended family, and I’ve never met anyone who keeps one foot firmly planted while still reaching for the stars quite like her.
Let’s Pay the Check*
Namecheap is my go-to for buying domains, and right now, you can get a .com domain for less than $6 for the first year. I used their free business name generator tool for fun, and I’m thinking about buying Croctopus.com just because it’s so cheap.
They truly are my favorite domain registrar, but there’s so much more to Namecheap than that. Emails, web hosting, and AI social media tools, to name a few. If you’ve been thinking about starting a new website, head over to Namecheap and take advantage of the smoking .com deal.
Small Bites
If you’ve ever thought about creating an online course, Skillshare gives a life hack by telling you exactly what its customers want to learn.
It turns out burning in effigy isn’t the only way to get rid of old art that’s taking up too much space in your studio.
After you’ve set fire to everything, now you can redecorate.
Art and craft show season is quickly approaching. Maybe it’s time to reevaluate your strategy.
Ok, what’s with Dali and the melting clocks?
Illustrator Freya offers free Procreate assets via Design Cuts for a limited time—the offer expires on May 31st.
ICYMI: Episode 2 of the Hungry Artist
podcastbroadcastMakercast dropped this week. If you don’t want to miss episode 3, upgrade today.
Dessert
If you enjoyed this edition, make sure to tell your friends.