YES, SEND TO "JUST" 10 SUBSCRIBERS
Serve the people who signed up
Had a conversation this weekend at Furnace Fest, about waiting to start sending a newsletter to a small list (about 10 people), which reminded me of this story:
Learn from Chris Spencer of Unsane, from an interview with Echoes and Dust:
“We played a show at CBGBs, we got offered a show with Sonic Youth and we got there to find out that we were playing the graveyard shift, which was actually after Sonic Youth … we had to go out and the place cleared out and we went on to like twelve people!”
Got ten people on your list? That’s enough.
Don’t wait for more people - level the room. Impress the people in front of you. Serve the people who signed up.
“Fortunately for us, Gerard Cosmos from Matador Records happened to still be there and offered us a record deal after that, so it actually really worked out.”
You never know who might be reading your newsletter, so don’t hold back.
Why else should you send to a smaller list?
Because you can make your mistakes now, and learn from them, with a much smaller impact.
If you mess up a link to 25 people, fix the link and send it again. Learn to double check that sort of stuff now, before you fuck up with 2,500 people.
P.S. be sure to read ‘40% OF THE BANDS PLAYING FURNACE FEST HAVE AN EMAIL LIST’
OTHER THINGS I WROTE:
If five people sign up, then you’re writing an email for five people this week. Sit down and get to work.
Figure out how to write a newsletter for five people, because you’ve got a lot to learn.
From ‘PUT OUT YOUR BEST WORK EARLY AND OFTEN’
Don’t tell me to sign up for updates.
Tell me what I’m getting up front.
Am I getting stories, behind the scenes photos? Exclusive content? Discounts? Recipes? PDF downloads? Custom videos?
Make your ask so good it’s hard to resist.
From ‘DO YOU WANT FREE DONUTS?’
You are more interesting than what you’re selling.
Coca Cola commercials are more interesting than a 2L bottle of sugar water.
A live show is more interesting than a CD mock up.
Your Twitch stream is more interesting than a shirt.
From ‘MORE THAN PLASTIC’
I’m Seth Werkheiser.
I help artists reach their fans with email newsletters.
Support this work and buy me an album from my Bandcamp wishlist, let's see if we can work together, or become a paid subscriber.
Email: seth@closemondays.com
Web: closemondays.com
Hey rad! Full day of traveling ahead of me, but I’ll check it out soon!
"If five people sign up, then you’re writing an email for five people this week. Sit down and get to work." - YES! thank you for the clarity and motivation, Seth!