Of Newsletters and Blogs

You readers are dear to me, but time is also important. In fact, I’m taking a break from some intense developmental edits to bring you this message. NEWSLETTERI’ll still be keeping this blog but focusing more on my monthly newsletters. Sign up here: https://jenniferjchow.com/newsletter *Side note: Since MailChimp has upped the pricing of their services, I’m currently trying out Flodesk. Let me know what you think of it! If you enjoy the new format, you can also do a trial run and … [Read more...]

Hello Again, Newsletter!

Will newsletters trend again? Last week, I posted about checking out Hive Social. Little did I know they'd soon shut down their servers to deal with fortifying their security. (No data was leaked. It's a preventative effort, but it does put a damper on my usage.) Don't get me wrong. Hive is still a pretty place to play around in, and I like connecting with authorly types there. But there is a learning curve, and the "Discover" page for me doesn't populate with posts that I'm truly interested in. … [Read more...]

Of Newsletters & Newspapers

There’s something physically satisfying about newsletters and newspapers. I like the sheer joy of unfurling sheets or flipping pages to catch up on the news. JOURNALISM CLUB In high school, I participated in journalism club, where I ran around campus trying to capture school activities and sporting events. My favorite pieces, though, were the feel-good articles. I loved getting the scoop on cheerful things. Eventually, I became the co-editor of the school paper. I remember the rush of … [Read more...]

How to Write a Press Release

As a pig fears getting fat, so a man fears renown.  Pigs eat anything that's put into their trough. (In fact, when I worked in my family restaurant, we used to donate the scraps to farmers.) Like our pot-bellied friends, authors crave media attention. One of the best ways to get coverage is through the traditional press release. Here are my top five tips for creating an enticing press release: 1. Focus on the smaller outlets first. Often, local media successes will lead to bigger … [Read more...]

Should I Create a Newsletter?

The cunning hare has three burrows. August 1st, the release date for my forthcoming novel, is fast approaching. As I plan for its arrival, I'm contemplating setting up a mailing list. I've read that newsletters are informative and fun ways to keep readers up to speed on your work. As a bonus, some mail management sites, like MailChimp and Constant Contact, offer free services if the number of subscribers is under a certain amount. A newsletter sounded like a great idea until I found the … [Read more...]