Email Marketing for Christian Authors: How to Grow Your Readership and Book Sales

Why Email Marketing Matters for Authors (Especially Christian Authors)

In today’s saturated book market, authors face the challenge of standing out while maintaining authenticity. Whether your book is fiction, nonfiction, children’s literature, or a devotional, building an email list helps ensure that you’re not only selling books but also creating lasting relationships with your readers. Relying solely on platforms like Amazon or other online booksellers means giving up one of the most valuable things you could receive: direct access to your reader’s inbox.

When someone buys your book through Amazon, you gain a sale, but not a connection. Email marketing bridges that gap. It helps you build a community, nurture a relationship with your audience, and extend your message beyond the page. Having served several Christian authors and speakers, we’ve found that email marketing is the most effective way to grow your readership and turn your book into a sustainable business (though it’s not the only way). For the sake of this article, we’ll focus on how to build an email list and nurture your readers and not dive into landing pages or other marketing tactics that can be used to drive traffic to your website (check out our article on SEO for more on that)

Key Benefits of Email Marketing for Authors:

• Audience ownership: You control your list, not a third party.
• Deeper engagement: Share behind-the-scenes content, personal reflections, writing updates, or themed messages.
• Ongoing monetization: Promote future books, courses, memberships, or speaking engagements.

Obviously, these key benefits largely depend on what type of book (or books) you have written. If it's in the realm of fiction, then you may not necessarily have a course to be able to funnel readers into (as that is largely relegated to non-fiction work in the realm of self-help, etc.). Careful consideration, however, is essential to maximize your online presence and overall effectiveness of your business endeavor.

Assuming you already have a website, you'll need to ensure it is equipped to handle e-commerce transactions directly. This means being able to securely collect payments, deliver digital or physical products, and manage customer communications all in one place. For authors using platforms like KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing), one workaround to maintain email ownership is to embed the cost of shipping into the book's price and manually send an author copy to the customer who purchased directly from your site. This not only ensures you gain the email address but also allows you to build a personal relationship with your reader.

Different scenarios may call for different approaches. For example, if you're launching a new book and want to offer a bonus or signed copy, fulfilling the order yourself or through a service like BookVault or Lulu can help maintain control over the customer experience. If you're selling eBooks, make sure your site supports instant file delivery through platforms like SendOwl, Payhip, or Gumroad. For bulk orders to churches, ministries, or study groups, consider having a custom bulk-order form or quote request option available.

Ultimately, the goal is to keep the transaction within your ecosystem when possible—this way, you capture the sale and the soul behind it.

When you have this in place, your book sale can be configured to tag the customer, initiate automations, and so forth to start building rapport with them through whatever offerings you may have that could benefit them.

A lead magnet such as a free supplemental resource that can aid them where they're at is a surefire way to help produce additional sales beyond the book.

Capture Emails with a Lead Magnet and Nurture with Purpose

Your lead magnet is the beginning of a relationship. It’s not just about offering something free—it’s about providing something valuable and relevant that draws in your ideal reader. A strong lead magnet offers insight, encouragement, or solutions based on the genre and focus of your book.

Here are some lead magnet ideas for authors, tailored to different genres and created easily using tools like Canva:

Lead Magnet Ideas

Fiction:

• Bonus story or character art
• Sneak peeks or alternate endings

Nonfiction:

• Checklists or workbooks
• Chapter summaries or email series

Children’s Books:

• Coloring pages
• Read-along videos

Devotionals:

• 7-day prayer plans
• Scripture printables

These lead magnets can be quickly designed using Canva , which offers drag-and-drop templates for eBooks, workbooks, checklists, and more. You can also try tools like Beacon or Designrr to format them into beautiful downloadable PDFs.

Once a reader opts in, nurture them with a thoughtful email sequence. Share your author journey, why you wrote the book, and what readers can look forward to from your emails. This builds trust and anticipation.

Here’s what you can do with your growing list:

• Announce upcoming book launches and pre-orders
• Offer exclusive early bird discounts
• Host virtual launch parties or Q&A sessions
• Promote signed copies or bundles only available via email
• Provide updates, sneak peeks, or beta reader invitations

With the right lead magnet and nurturing strategy, your email list becomes your most powerful book marketing tool.

Choosing the Right Email Platform

Not all email platforms are created equal. Here are a few worth considering:

1. Go High Level ($97/month)

• Pros: All-in-one marketing platform (emails, funnels, courses, SMS, CRM, and more)
• Best for: Christian authors looking to scale their ministry or message into a course, coaching program, or community.

2. MailerLite (Free for under 1,000 subscribers)

• Pros:Easy setup and automation
• Great for beginners

3. ConvertKit

• Built for creators
• Excellent automation and tagging

4. WordPress + plugins like FluentCRM or MailPoet

• Full ecosystem control, but can be overwhelming for beginners

Steps to Start Your Email Marketing

1. Choose and set up your email platform
2. Create your lead magnet with Canva (or any other platform of choice). Make it downloadable and visible on your homepage or blog posts. Use tools like Canva to design your lead magnet quickly and professionally—whether it’s a PDF guide, checklist, or bonus chapter. Canva offers templates that are perfect for authors who want polished visuals without needing graphic design experience. You can also explore platforms like Beacon or Designrr for additional formatting options.
3. Design a visually appealing opt-in form
4. Write a welcome sequence sharing your story
5. Stay consistent: email at least twice per month

What to Send in Your Author Emails

Your email list is a direct line to your readers. Whether you're launching your first novel or managing an established nonfiction brand, providing value and consistency in your emails keeps your audience engaged.

Here are a few content ideas you can send:

Ideas for content:

• Progress updates
• Behind-the-scenes content
• Blog posts or interviews
• Polls and Q&A
• Promotions and discounts
• Sneak peeks and trailers
• Event invites
• Downloadables and bonuses

You can also plan seasonal campaigns such as:

• Holiday-themed newsletters with gift bundles or limited-edition signed copies
• Back-to-school promotions for children's or educational books
• Faith-based seasonal reflections for devotionals (e.g., Easter, Advent, Thanksgiving)
• New Year writing challenges or goal-setting tools for your readers

Don’t forget launch-specific campaigns that include countdown emails, live Q&A sessions, launch team invites, and thank-you bonuses for early buyers. These strategies keep your readers excited and invested in your journey.

Turn Your Book Into a Business Opportunity

Email marketing isn’t just about selling books—it’s about expanding your impact and opening doors to new ventures. As an author, especially if you're self-published, you can repurpose your content and expertise into:

• An online course that complements your book’s subject
• A community or membership site for readers or learners
• Paid speaking engagements, school visits, or workshops
• Merchandise or companion products

Tools like Go High Level can support these efforts by combining email marketing, course hosting, and CRM features in one platform, allowing you to streamline and scale your growth.Platforms like Kajabi, Kartra, or LearnDash (via WordPress) can help. Just ensure your platform fits your budget and business plan.

Final Thoughts: Own Your Audience, Expand Your Impact

As an author, your journey is bigger than a single book. Your email list is the most powerful asset you can build to ensure long-term success and meaningful reader connections.

Don't let third-party retailers control your customer relationships. Build your own platform. Use email marketing to stay in touch, grow your readership, and turn your work into a sustainable creative business.

---

Start your email list today and grow more than just your book sales—build a lasting reader community.

---

Here at Arising Co, we not only build you a solid website to showcase your books and collect leads, but we also empower Christian business owners—including authors—to grow their impact online. From setting up email marketing systems and lead magnets to integrating online courses and e-commerce, we help you create a professional online presence that captures attention and nurtures connection.

Connect with us below to learn how we can help you grow your author platform, turn readers into loyal subscribers, and build a business around your book.