Building an email newsletter can seem like an uphill battle. Many find it tough to build a list beyond their first few dozen or hundred subscribers. Often, that’s because your first few dozen subscribers are your friends and family.

Eventually, you have to attract strangers. But how?

How do you convince strangers to join your email list?

We’ve been using a surprisingly effective method for years, yet I have never dedicated an entire podcast to it.

I’m talking about giveaways, specifically hosting your own giveaway.

I recently spoke with Kelly Jo Wilson, who grew her email list to over 7,000 subscribers before her first book came out using this method. She’s a romance author and the host of the Christian Romance Podcast.

How did you start growing your list of romance readers?

Kelly: I wanted to really try to bless my readers, and since I had experience in a prior podcast, I thought it would make sense to start a podcast in my genre, Christian romance.

I started doing a little bit of research to find out what pain points a podcast could remedy for authors and readers.

Romance readers always are looking for what to read next. They love tropes, and many of them want to read new-to-them authors. Authors are always looking for new ways to reach readers. So, I thought, “Let’s do a themed book giveaway every month.”

As I planned my monthly giveaways, I reached out to a few authors with a pitch, and thankfully, the first author I pitched said, “Yes! I’d love to be on your show.”

I chose five physical books around the theme “Patriotic Love” to give away in July, and hers was one of them.

How do you run an author giveaway?

Kelly: I used KingSumo (Affiliate Link) to run and share the giveaway. The app walks you through the entire process, including steps you might not think to include on your own, such as collecting email addresses and adding a strong visual element, such as an eye-catching image.

Once I set it up, I offered five physical books as the prize, which I planned to mail out myself. I love ebook giveaways, but there’s something special about receiving a physical gift in the mail, especially something you won. It feels more personal and exciting, especially for romance readers. I’m a romance reader, so I added extra goodies to the package, like bookmarks and other fun items.

The first giveaway went wonderfully. The winner was so excited. She sent me photos and was just thrilled.

Since that first giveaway in July, I’ve been running a themed giveaway each month. I try to include books by the authors I’ve interviewed that month or in a later month if they fit the theme. I send the giveaway to my email list and have the featured guests share the link.

It’s been an absolutely wonderful experience.

Thomas: One of the great things about KingSumo is that it incentivizes sharing. You enter the giveaway, but you can earn additional entries by getting your friends to sign up too, so it becomes a viral contest.

The more valuable the physical prize feels, the more appealing it is. If your prize is just a free chapter of your book, no one’s going to enter. Even offering a single ebook that’s already on Amazon for $4.99 isn’t all that compelling. But a signed physical copy or a collection of books feels valuable. The more generous the prize, the more people you’ll attract.

But be careful here. It’s tempting to give away something like an iPad or Kindle, but that attracts fans of iPads and Kindles who aren’t necessarily readers of your genre. What you attract people with is what you’re attracting them to.

If you’re trying to reach Christian romance readers, giving away Christian romance books is a perfect prize.

Starting a podcast in your genre to connect with other authors is a powerful and reproducible technique. If you want to get to know authors in your genre, start a podcast and interview them. Use your podcast to help them do the book promotion they need and want to do.

Kelly was nervous about inviting her first guest, but authors, even famous ones, want to promote their books. Sometimes, the same author who might ignore a cold email will suddenly say yes if their PR person tells them to be on your podcast. Promoting their book is part of the job.

Kelly: I reached out to a few authors, and almost everyone said yes. I have a guest application form, and with each author I interviewed, I’d ask if they’d be willing to share it with someone they thought would be a good fit for the show.

The first author I interviewed shared the guest application in an author group she was part of, and I ended up getting a ton of bookings just from that one post. One of those authors then shared the application with her publicity manager.

That connection opened the door to a larger publishing house, which has two imprints, each with its own publicity manager. Now, I’m in regular contact with both of them. They send their authors my Calendly link so they can book a spot whenever they have a new release.

It’s been such a blessing. I love reading their books and talking to them, and it’s genuinely benefiting everyone involved.

Thomas: Another perk of hosting a podcast in your genre is that you get free books in that genre. Be sure to check out our episode on How to Start an Author Podcast.

After you sign up for a free KingSumo account, what’s the next step for creating a giveaway or a contest?

Kelly: KingSumo makes the process incredibly easy. You sign up for an account, and from your dashboard, you just click “Create.” It walks you through setting up your giveaway.

They also offer tutorials and examples, which are helpful when you’re just getting started. It’s really simple to use.

I’ve saved my basic format in a Word doc, so each month, I just tweak the wording a bit and reuse the same structure with the same headings.

When I first started, it took me about 20 to 30 minutes to set up and get comfortable with it, which didn’t include the time to create a graphic. A good visual is important. We’re such a visual culture now, especially online, so you definitely want your giveaway graphic to stand out.

I usually pull the book images from Amazon because they’re formatted at a good quality. For example, when I did the Winter Hearts giveaway, I used a snowy background with a heart behind it and placed the book covers front and center so they were easy to see and stood out clearly. I’m communicating the theme with the stock photo in the background and then featuring the individual books in the foreground.

Thomas: You don’t need to get the books directly from the publisher or author. There’s nothing stopping you from simply buying physical books on Amazon and giving them away. You can purchase a book and use it as a prize without any special permission.

Of course, some authors may be happy to send you a signed copy, but that’s optional. You can always order a new copy from Amazon and include it in your giveaway.

Kelly: I always tell authors that I’ve bought far more books than I’ve been sent. I see that as a way of blessing the author, so I don’t worry about it at all. Of course, it’s nice when publishers send books because it gives me a bit more flexibility, but it’s not something I depend on.

I don’t spend much on traditional advertising, so if I spend $50 or $60 a month on books, I consider that my advertising budget. I’m buying directly from authors and then giving those books to readers, which helps both sides.

The winners are so excited when they receive their book boxes. Sometimes, I’m a little late because I’m waiting for the books to arrive, but even so, it’s such a rewarding experience for everyone involved.

Thomas: Creating the graphic is probably the most important thing because most people won’t read your title and description. They’ll just skim. So, it is important to include your start and end date for the campaign itself.

How do you pick your winner?

Thomas: You don’t have to print the names and draw them from a hat. KingSumo has a “Pick a winner” button that will randomly select a winner from the entries, which is a really nice friction reducer.

Kelly: I also send the giveaway to my email list, and occasionally, I don’t hear back from the winner. That’s happened a few times, and thankfully, KingSumo allows you to choose another winner if needed. You’re not locked into just one pick.

I always give people plenty of time to respond, and I check my junk folder since sometimes their reply ends there.

What kind of results do authors get from giveaways?

Thomas: The first time I used KingSumo, I was working as the marketing director for a publishing company. I convinced the owner to create a massive ebook bundle featuring all their fantasy and sci-fi titles. The total value was around $500, but since they were all ebooks, it cost us very little to deliver.

That one giveaway doubled the publisher’s email list. It was a powerful lesson in how effective this tactic can be, especially when the prize is highly attractive.

People love to enter giveaways. There’s a reason big brands have used sweepstakes for decades.

That said, there are legal guidelines to keep in mind. For example, people cannot pay to enter. If someone has to buy something for a chance to win, that’s considered gambling, and running a gambling operation across state lines is a serious legal issue in the U.S.

That’s why you always see the phrase “No purchase necessary” in sweepstakes ads. It’s not just a formality; it’s what keeps the giveaway legal and above board.

Authors running giveaways usually don’t need to include the phrase “no purchase necessary” because you’re not asking anyone to buy anything to enter. You typically see that phrase in corporate promotions, like when you buy a box of Cheerios and it says you can win a college scholarship for your toddler. Technically, you don’t have to buy the cereal, but there’s usually a complicated alternative, like mailing in a postcard. Buying the product is just the easier route, and that’s how big brands work around the legal rules.

Once you have your graphic, title, and description, you can list the total value of your giveaway. Just add up the retail prices of the books you’re including. If you’re buying books at a discount, you still count the full retail price when you set a value on your prize bundle.

How do you spread the word about your giveaway?

Thomas: At the very least, you should promote the giveaway to your email list. If you have a podcast, mention it there too. In fact, I’m planning a giveaway of my Author Email Academy course, which is a $500 course on growing your email list. You can enter to win and see exactly how the giveaway works.

Can you advertise a giveaway?

Thomas: Once you’ve shared your giveaway with your list and mentioned it on your podcast, the next level is advertising it to people who don’t know you yet. That’s what we did at Enclave Publishing. We connected a Facebook ad campaign to our KingSumo giveaway and targeted new audiences. People tend to live in “ponds” or small networks where their friends are also friends. If you can reach one excited person in a new pond, they might share the giveaway with all their friends. That one ad click could bring in many new subscribers.

Advertising increases reach as well as costs, so I don’t recommend buying ads for your very first giveaway. But as you get more comfortable, you may find that a small ad budget can go a long way.

Kelly: I definitely plan to spend some money on ads, but right now, I’m trying something new that’s more about coordination. Now that the podcast has been running for about nine months and is gaining traction, I’m working on structuring the giveaways more intentionally.

Going forward, I want most of the books in each giveaway to fit the monthly theme. I enjoy creating themed giveaways and get great feedback from winners who say the themes are fun and engaging. In the past, some of the books I included weren’t by authors I’d interviewed; they just fit the theme. But now I’m trying to incorporate more books from authors who’ve been on the podcast.

I also gather input from a specific Facebook group full of Christian fiction readers. It’s been incredibly helpful. I’ll ask something like, “What are your favorite Christian romance books with patriotic or military themes?” and they give amazing suggestions.

Including authors I’ve interviewed is also strategic. They’re usually very happy to share the giveaway with their email lists. I did that for the March giveaway, and it worked really well. It brought in new people who weren’t already on my list, and I’m excited to see who wins!

What do you do for the people who didn’t win?

Thomas: Once you select a winner, you email them with a message like, “Hey, you’ve won! Please send me your mailing address.” You wait a few days, and if they don’t respond, you simply pick the next person.

Now, you’re left with a big list of people who entered but didn’t win, and that’s a great opportunity. You can export that list as a CSV file from KingSumo and import it into your email platform. Tag those contacts so you know who they are.

I like to offer a consolation prize to everyone who didn’t win. I might say, “Sorry you didn’t win, but here’s a short story I wrote.”

This helps plug them into your world. Now, they’re reading your fiction, getting introduced to your voice and style, and that’s a great first step in building a long-term reader relationship.

Kelly: That’s a great idea. I give everyone a free reader magnet, which is a novella I wrote set in the same story world as my upcoming novel. But now that you mention it, I wonder if I should reframe how I present it. Instead of just sending it, maybe I should position it more as a “thank you for entering” gift. That could make it feel more intentional and appreciated.

Thomas: Reframing it as a consolation prize goes a long way. It feels more valuable because they won it as a prize.

Do you ask the winner to share a photo?

Thomas: Do you ask the winners to take a photo of them with the books to get people excited for the next month’s giveaway?

Kelly: I don’t ask them to, but they have asked for my Instagram handle so they can tag me there. It is fun, and I love for them to be able to celebrate because it’s not every day that we win something so different and unique.

Thomas: It may also be a credibility builder. You could send the Instagram post to your email list so they know somebody did win.

I’d always wondered about corporate contests, especially contests like McDonald’s runs. They’ll print a million Boardwalk stickers for their Monopoly promotion but only release a few Park Place stickers nationwide. If the people who get the rare Park Place piece don’t realize its value or never redeem it, McDonald’s never has to pay out the prize.

Most people don’t know that. They enter anyway, but it shows how corporate contests can be designed to avoid big payouts.

That’s why it’s helpful to share photos of real winners. It builds trust and gives people confidence to enter your next giveaway.

You’re talking about the giveaway on your podcast, promoting it to your email list, and having authors share it with their lists, so you’re already reaching a solid audience. That kind of promotion is significant.

How many signups are you getting per contest right now?

Kelly: On average, I get about 140 signups per giveaway. My Christmas giveaway included 10 books, which brought in nearly 250 entries. So, while 140 is the current average, it’s slowly increasing each month. Some months hit around 200, and others are a bit lower.

It’s also great feedback on which themes resonate. Maybe a theme like Winter Hearts doesn’t appeal to everyone, but an international love theme might grab more interest. The response helps me fine-tune future giveaways.

What advice would you give to an author considering running their first giveaway?

Kelly: Think of your author journey as a collaborative effort. The other authors you know, whether they’re friends, colleagues, or mentors, aren’t your competition. Every author I’ve met has been incredibly willing to help and collaborate, especially when you approach with a heart to serve.

As Thomas says, if you focus on serving your “Timothy,” and connect with others who are doing the same, you’ll be amazed at how generous and collaborative people can be. Don’t be afraid to take the first step and say, “Let’s work together.” It might feel a little awkward at first, but you’ll likely be surprised by how many people say yes.

And if you ever have questions or just need someone cheering you on, feel free to reach out to me. I’ve been genuinely humbled by the people I’ve met and the support I’ve received through this journey.

Thomas: Your competition isn’t other authors; it’s Netflix, Candy Crush, YouTube, or anything else people might choose to spend their time on. The more people discover books they enjoy, the more they want to read.

Unfortunately, many people had bad experiences with reading in school. They were forced to read books they didn’t connect with, like The Great Gatsby, and so they never developed a love for reading. They’re not against books; they’re just looking for a good time, and books haven’t delivered that for them.

When you help create positive reading experiences, you’re not just gaining a reader, you’re boosting reading as a whole. A rising tide lifts all ships. If you’re moving forward with a group of like-minded authors supporting each other, you’ll go farther and faster than if you try to do it alone.

Don’t view other authors as competition. In fact, the more similar they are to you, the more valuable they are as allies. They help build passion and visibility for your genre.

If you’re the only person writing Babylonian-era romance, it’s hard to gain traction. But if a group of authors is writing in that space, you’re creating a collective movement. The more popular your niche becomes, the more readers it will attract.

Collaboration grows the pie, and working together truly makes a difference.

Connect With Kelly Jo Wilson

You’ll find Kelly Jo Wilson and other authors who may be open to partnerships on AuthorMedia.social. In fact, we have a dedicated board called Collaborations specifically for organizing things like joint giveaways.

To sign up for Kelly Jo Wilson’s email newsletter or see one of her giveaways in action, visit KellyJoWilson.com.

The Christian Romance Podcast is available on all major podcast platforms.

Enter Kelly Jo’s April Giveaway to see how it works!

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