Notes from Emily | Why I finally Started an Author Newsletter

I am an elder-millennial with a communication degree.

We basically invented email newsletters.

And if I'm being honest?

(I don't read them either.)

I skim.

I search for the important part–the book release, the event announcement, the link–and then the email either gets deleted or quietly settles into the strange digital afterlife I call inbox purgatory.

So when I started publishing my work and was told newsletters were the best way to reach readers, I resisted creating a mailing list of my own.

Not because I don't understand the value of one. I do. Every author hears the same advice: You need an author newsletter. Build your email list. Own your audience. Don't rely on socials.

And all of that is true.

But I also didn't want to contribute to the endless stream of emails cluttering inboxes everywhere.

I didn't want to manufacture weekly updates just to "stay visible." I didn't want to pretend every passing thought deserved an announcement. And I definitely didn't want to become one of those "Happy Tuesday! Here are three updates and a GIF!" people.

(Respectfully.)

The truth is, I already have spaces for my wandering thoughts and story sparks. That's what my blog and social media are for. Those are the places where I can share observations, fragments of stories, creative process moments, and the strange little things my writer brain notices throughout the day.

What I wanted instead was something simpler.

A way to occasionally say: Hey, I made something worth sharing.

A new novel.

Happy news.

A blog post that matters to me.

A behind-the-scenes glimpse into the books I'm writing.

So I created my author newsletter, Notes from Emily.

The name comes from a middle school music concert I attended for my son, where the students performed a piece called Notes from Emily, inspired by the poetry of Emily Dickinson–my namesake.

Something about that stayed with me.

Not announcements from Emily.

Not marketing from Emily.

Notes.

Small, thoughtful correspondence sent with intention.

That felt right.

So that's what my mailing list will be: occasional letters when there's actually something worth sending.

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