Right now I’m deeeeeep into my Heartland edits but I can’t edit eight hours a day. Well, I could I suppose, but the potty-eyed personality that would result wouldn’t be pretty. My other half (darling man that he is) gets enough of that as it is.

So during breaks from Matt and Callie’s world, I’m exploring what makes a good author newsletter.

If your inbox is anything like mine it’s already overflowing with emails from shops you have loyalty cards with and other junk-type stuff. There’s a lot of competition for our attention and most of us are time poor. I don’t want to produce something that either annoys people or doesn’t provide the information they’re after.

So, dear readers, what information to do you like to see in an author newsletter and, just as importantly, how often would you like to be contacted?

Personally, all I want to know is what my favourite author’s next book is about and when it hits the shelves, with contact made two or three times a year maximum. But I know other people prefer more. Some author newsletters I subscribe to give away bonus short stories or other exclusive content. Others give reports on appearances or awards the author has received. Some have extracts from past or upcoming novels. I’ve even seen some poetry. But what’s your preference? Is there an author newsletter you really love? What’s your pet hate with newsletters and makes you unsubscribe?

Leave a comment and I’ll put you in the draw for a couple of movie passes to see Woody Allen’s new romantic comedy, To Rome With Love, starring Woody (of course), Alec Baldwin, Penelope Cruz, Judy Davis and Roberto Benigni.

Giveaway closes midnight, Sunday 14^th October 2012 AEST. Australian addresses only, sorry.

If you would like to subscribe to my newsletter, there’s a signup on the Connect page of my website. I promise to use your email address only for my newsletter and not to pass it to anyone else.