It probably seems like all anyone tells you is what you need to do more of: Facebook, tweet, link people in, create a website, don't neglect that Facebook page! At the risk of adding one more thing to your never-ending list, however . . . it's a really good idea to create an author newsletter.

An author newsletter isn't just one more thing on your list of daily networking to-dos. It's an invaluable tool that lets you selectively market to your audience and provide them with more information than 140 characters will allow. It's also not as daunting of a task as it seems.

1. Choose your newsletter provider.

There are many free options out there that allow you a certain number of sends per month with no charge. When your list grows substantially, you may have to look into a paid version, but a free version will be just fine as you begin. We use Mailchimp for both our own and our client newsletters, and we love it. It's very user-friendly, and you don't have to know a thing about HTML to create gorgeous newsletters.

2. Understand your analytics.

Your newsletter system will provide you with analytics, or information about each newsletter you send. When selecting a provider, be sure to pick one with an analytics dashboard that you find easy to use, because these analytics are critical to your success with a newsletter. Common analytics include open rate (how many people open your newsletter), click-through rate (how many people click on the links in your newsletter, and which links they click on), and bounce rate (how many of your emails are undeliverable).

3. Build your list.

Unfortunately, your author newsletter isn't the Field of Dreams, and if you create it, subscribers won't come on their own. Even if you aren't ready to launch a newsletter this month, you should at least select a provider, create an account, and begin gathering subscriber information. If you have an author website, add a subscription callout and begin gathering e-mail addresses. If you don't, your newsletter provider should provide you with a subscription link. You can share this link with family, friends, and social networks to begin gathering e-mail addresses. Be sure to collect information from everyone you meet with at author events and speaking engagements, too!

4. Figure out who you are.

Now you need to determine what kind of newsletter you want to provide your fans. It's important to be clear about "it would be nice to . . ." versus what you can realistically take on. Don't bill your newsletter as weekly if you really only have time to write monthly. Remember that more isn't always better, too. Unless you have a large, engaged following, a weekly newsletter is probably overkill at this point. Most of our authors send their newsletters on a monthly basis and then increase their frequency as their publication date approaches.

Next, decide what you want to include in your newsletter and consider it as part of your overall outreach strategy (which should also include PR, social networking, and in-person events). There's no need to rehash what you've already placed on your website for the month. Consider this a place to give people a quick recap of what's been going on and share any special announcements about the future. 

5. Make it look good.

The best strategy is to create an HTML newsletter with text backup. This is likely a standard option in your newsletter provider and simply means that you'll be sending a newsletter with images in it, but if people are unable to view images in their e-mail provider, they'll see a simplified text version. The header image of your newsletter should include your name and web address, if you have one. It can even be the same header image you use on your website. Keep the color scheme simple, and don't worry about getting too fancy with the fonts and formatting. Simple is better!

Do you already have an author newsletter? Tell us your biggest challenge in creating it and how you overcame it.

Kristin Bustamante is the Chief Content Officer for SparkPoint Studio.