An email list is a great sales funnel if you know how to do it right and maintain it. There are a number of creative ways to build an email list. Here are 5 common ways:

1. The most common way is to put up a giveaway.
2. If you have a website, put out a sign-up form. You can put the form in the sidebar, after every blog post or as a pop-up when your audience leaves the website.
3. Create a free course and ask for sign-ups.
4. Include an invite in your email signature.
5. Use social media to build your email list. Make it visible in your bio or tweet and share the sign-up form link.

Have you ever experienced signing up to someone else’s email list because you find them compelling? Then, when you receive and read their newsletter you don’t feel that same magic you first felt on their blog? So you end up unsubscribing to the newsletter? Don’t let that happen to your readers.

Writing in a distinct and unique brand voice makes a successful author platform. How do you differentiate yourself from the many authors and professional business writers that are out there? Inject your unique personality to your writing and your social shares.

Newsletters written in your authentic voice and personality makes readers want to read more. You will be seen as someone who is real and relatable. Your work will be seen as carefully thought out, with value and not something as a published work for vanity sake.

After you have done all the writing, editing, layout and pricing, putting yourself and your work out there is next. It can be scary but planning and organizing ahead of time can make the experience easy.

Painters stare at the canvas while waiting for inspiration. Writers stare at the computer screen or writing pad. This happens quite often for writers. Running out of ideas to write about? Tired of staring at the computer for too long? Athletes practice their sport while writers flex their writing muscles by practicing writing various topics.

Writing prompts provide simple guide and inspiration to get writers started. Writing prompts are great for beginner writers, who ask themselves “Where to begin?” and “What to write?” Personally, writing prompts are also great for experienced writers. It keeps their mind active, imaginative and words free flowing.

Here are a few writing prompts if you want to write children’s books:

Family Life:

• Dig into your family tradition for story ideas. Compare them with other family tradition, specifically family from a different culture. 
• Write about how kids differ in celebrating their different traditions. 

Games and Toys:

• Write about outdoor games kids play and indoor games kids play. 
• Write about kids playing outdoor traditional games versus kids who play electronic games.

Diversity:

• Write about a school that supports diversity. Describe your ideal diverse children’s school. 
• Write about kids differences in their physical attributes, their gender, social background and kids having special abilities or disabilities. 

Food:

• Write about kids who are specific in their food choices. For example, a kid who chose to be a vegetarian at an early age 
• Write about a kid who eats specific foods because of health condition.

Hobby:

• Write about a kid who loves sports versus a kid who loves to read, write and draw. 
• Write about a kid who loves to play dress up and play acting versus a kid who loves to be in the kitchen baking. 

Nature:

• Write about kids activities at the park and the adventures they can get into. 
• Write about kids activities while out camping and the exciting discovery they could make while outside.

Imagination:

• Write about fantasy or mythological characters and incorporate them into an everyday situation that kids love. For example, Unicorns and Mermaids. 
• Write about a made up problem that you faced as a kid and write about how you got out of it with magic.

A good writing exercise is to visit a location: go to a children’s playground, visit your relatives' children’s school or day care center. Eavesdropping and observing kids play and interact with other kids is a great source of inspiration to write stories about kids. The next time you visit your friends with children at their houses, don’t be annoyed by their children’s antics. Write it down.

You must be in social media already. If not, it’s not too late. Afraid of getting it wrong? Ask someone to help you out. It is impossible to succeed if you are not on social media.

Traditional media, like print and TV interviews, can only do so much. Embrace traditional media, yes. It is a must to incorporate new media, too.

How do you build credibility on social media as an author? Share what you know, your passion, and personal story.

Share with authority and confidence in an idea. Share tips that worked for you. Share what makes you happy and excited. Share a personal story that your reader can learn from or amuse. But never overshare. Be active, engage, reach out and respond. Most importantly, share often and be consistent.

Your public persona should be a representation of a real person because you are real. Your social media should be alive because you are alive being. Social media is made on the idea that people can connect to one another even if they are far apart.

If you are a blogger, share your blogging journey. What makes you want to blog? What inspires you to blog? Share with your followers what you are up to, a line or two or a quote from your blog.

Credibility is based on your trustworthiness.

Are what you say and share on your website and social media true, authentic and reliable? Are what you share add value or provide a solution to a problem? Are you an expert of an idea that you are writing or sharing about? Can you back it up with stories or proof?

Whether you are blogging, writing a newsletter or sharing on social media, keep these questions in mind and always share good quality work.

Building credibility as an author includes publicizing what you do and your work. First, put up an author platform. It is your directory page, personal space and where your readers can find you on the internet.


A successful author platform includes are:

1. About You Page- include a short bio and your profile picture
2. Books Page - book cover images of your published books, description, and links where to buy them
3. Excerpt Page - a page containing a short excerpt of your latest book, include advance testimonials and a video teaser if there’s any
4. Blog Page - creating content to promote your work or what you are up to keeps your readers interested and in the loop
5. Contact Us Page - containing information or form where the media, the fans or publishing agents can reach you
6. Email List Sign Up Form - this can be found anywhere on your platform. It can be on the website's sidebar, on every page, or after every blog post.