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Sending newsletters

Who gets your newsletter

Every reader who subscribed to your newsletter: on your book or author page, by ticking “subscribe me” when they tipped, sent fan mail or signed up for an ARC or beta read, or by being in a list you imported. Each issue goes to all of them.

Sending newsletters is part of Quilltips Plus, and is in early access: open Newsletter and choose Request early access. Collecting signups works on every plan (see reader signups).

Write an issue

On Newsletter, choose New issue and start from a template (new release, monthly update, cover reveal) or a blank page. Drafts save as you type. Add blocks from the bar above the page, or type /:

  • Book: the cover, title and description from your book page, with a button to it (“Preorder now” for pre-sale books).
  • Story: one of your short stories, as an excerpt with a “Keep reading” button or the whole story.
  • Signup: a button that opens your ARC or beta reader form.
  • Image, Quilltips page button, buttons, lists, quotes, dividers and columns.

Book and story blocks always use what's on your pages when the issue is sent, so a title or cover you update shows up correctly.

Preview, test and send

  • Preview shows the email exactly as readers get it, on desktop and phone.
  • Send test to me emails a copy to your account email (up to 10 a day).
  • Send… sends now or at a time you pick. You can unschedule a scheduled issue and edit it again until it starts sending.

Some issues get a quick look from the Quilltips team before they go out: your first issue during early access, a first issue to a large imported list, and issues with things that often appear in scams (shortened links, links whose text names a different site, requests for passwords or payment). They're usually approved within a few hours. If we ask for a change, you'll see our note above the draft.

What readers see

  • The email comes from your author name, from a Quilltips newsletter address.
  • When a reader replies, it goes to your Quilltips account email.
  • Every issue starts with your name and photo and ends with a link to your Quilltips page, why the reader is getting it, an unsubscribe link and the Quilltips mailing address. These are required by email law and inbox providers, so they can't be removed.

Unsubscribes, bounces and spam reports

Readers who unsubscribe, addresses that bounce (they don't exist) and readers who mark an issue as spam come off your list automatically. If an issue gets an unusually high number of bounces or spam reports, sending pauses and the Newsletter page explains why. You can resume yourself; a second pause within 30 days holds sending until our team reviews it.

Limits

  • Up to 500 subscribers on Plus. If your list grows past that, you can keep sending to everyone for 30 days.
  • Up to 2 issues a week and 6 a month.

Bring your list, or take it with you

Import and export live on Data, next to all your readers.

  • Import a CSV exported from MailerLite, Kit, Mailchimp, Substack or a spreadsheet. Only import people who asked to get your emails, never bought, rented or scraped lists. We skip invalid and shared addresses (info@, support@), throwaway email services, misspelled domains and readers who unsubscribed before.
  • Export your subscribers laid out for MailerLite, Kit, Mailchimp or Substack, or every reader contact as a spreadsheet. In the full export, only rows marked newsletter_opt_in = yes agreed to your newsletter.