A successful newsletter goes beyond generating a massive mailing list—although that is the tacit tenant that drives us all. Smart authors strive to create content that not only compels subscribers to read and share but also urges them to act in a manner that generates sales. This goes beyond the basic, and frankly overused, taglines such as “I have a gift for you,” or “Buy my book for a free gift.” This type of marketing push is vague and lacks the creativity you possess as a writer, so here are five stress-free ways to give your newsletter that coveted edge.

1 – Use the subject line to offer a specific value.

Since newsletters by definition are promotional tools, avoid leading with the obvious sales pitch. Instead, give your audience something other authors can’t. If you write cozies, promote your book with a subject line like “Detective Dolly’s Ten Tips on How to Hide Anything” or “Six Lasagna Recipes from Detective Dolly.” Offer value that shows you know your audience, and place those items at the end of the email (so the reader scrolls through the entirety of your content).

2 – Lead with your most important information.

Pre-sales, book signings, product launches—put whatever is most important to you at the top. Think like a newspaper writer. Lead with the headline. Everything above the fold of the newspaper (or in this case the vertical scroll of your device’s screen) equals the information the audience is most likely to see and digest.

3 – Design graphics that tell the tale at a glance.

People are busy and don’t always have time to read thoroughly. Use graphics to convey your message quickly. Ensure the content is shareable and eye-catching. Consider creating infographics that outline the flow of your series or the love quadrangles in your book. Reuse them on your website and social media to reinforce your brand.

4 – Give the audience a call to action.

Once your subscribers open the email, give them something to do. This is where you can say, “buy my book” or “go to my website.” Or maybe, the call to action isn’t about your product. Maybe you just want to do something fun with your audience like have them join you for a Facebook live or encourage them to live tweet the latest episode of The Bachelor. Give every newsletter a call to action to keep your audience engaged and to build their trust in your brand.

5 – Integrate your e-newsletter with your social media.

Most email marketing programs like Constant Contact, MailChimp, Sendicate, Campayn, or VerticalResponse allow you to share your newsletter over social media and embed those icons into the email so subscribers can arrive at your Instagram with a single click. Take advantage of this if you’re not already doing so. Then each time you get a new follower on social media, send them a link to your website with a thank you note and an opportunity to get something free if they share your content with others.

You can also add apps such as MailChimp or TabSite to your Facebook business page, which will create a form that allows fans to sign-up for your newsletter directly from that social media portal. A similar function is available on your Twitter account if you are willing to sign up for Twitter ads and provide a credit card to fund the lead generation post that carries your newsletter promotion. Also, you’ll have to offer subscribers something of value in exchange for their email . . . and their loyalty.

Experiment with what works, but always strive to find new ways to make your newsletter more effective.

Biography: Andrea J. Johnson is a writer and editor who specializes in romance and mystery. She holds an M.F.A. in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University and a copyediting certification from UC San Diego. She’s best known for her in-depth book reviews and TV recaps for the women’s lifestyle website Popsugar, and she has also penned several essays on the writing craft for websites such as DIYMFA and Submittable. To learn more about Andrea’s work, follow @ajthenovelist on Twitter.