Uncover the Truth About the Weekly Art Newsletter
7 Compelling Reasons Artists Can Ignore This Advice
“Go weird, not wide.”
– Rich Litvin
By Thea Fiore-Bloom, PhD.
I read a post yesterday that made me want to tug out my nose hair in frustration.
It was written by one of those non-artists who profit from telling artists, “You aren’t doing nearly enough marketing.”
Ever heard the term “body shaming”? I’m now officially creating a new term: “marketing shaming.”
Anyway, this well-coiffed marketing maven was insisting that artists like you and me should be sending out at least one, if not two, newsletters per week, because it’s good for business.
Ok, that’s just ludicrous.
And it doesn’t make business sense either.
Here are 7 reasons why many artists can hurl that weekly newsletter rule out the nearest window.
The First 6 Reasons The Mandatory Weekly Newsletter Myth Sabotages Many Artists
Let me start with the first 6 reasons the weekly or God-forbid twice weekly, newsletter dictum usually stinks for most artists:
- The myth is based on outdated marketing models designed to keep a product “top of mind” in a consumer’s head. Weekly or twice-weekly mailings are best suited for selling products that are temporarily trending, such as this season’s flared leggings. It is overkill for studio artists selling a meaningful painting.
- When we come from an attempt to sell every week, we discount the importance of our own sacred creativity and the value of human connection. Which is a big problem, because…
- The vast majority of our art sales come from individual human connections, not “marketing”.
- The mandatory weekly mindset creates a “time to make the donuts” exhaustion in our studio that negatively impacts the well-being of both the artist and her readers.
- Peppering readers with newsletters that only advertise our work every single week comes off as… needy, right? And as Steve Chandler says, “Needy is creepy. “
- Not to mention, the mandatory weekly thang turns the pressure up so high on artists like us that it can tamp down our desire to write and send anything out all – like for a year, or at all. And that’s a problem.
Because communication with our readers in the form of a blog announcement or a newsletter is so vital!
Do any of those resonate with you?
But wait, those 6 reasons aren’t even the BIG reason I had the urge to pull at my nose hair and write this article in the first place.
I’ll tell you the BIG reason now.
Then I’ll conclude by sharing a secret on how to empower yourself to thrive on your own schedule instead.
The Big Practical Reason To Give Yourself a Break on The Weekly Newsletter Front
The biggest reason not to mail weekly comes down to who is on your list.
Marketers believe that the majority of artists’ mailing lists are composed of art collectors who don’t create art themselves.
That’s just wrong.
The mailing list audiences of all but the super swanky, gallery-represented artists are composed of a high percentage of fellow artists.
How high a percentage?
Art mentor Lauren Mantecón says, “Beginning artists’ mailing lists usually contain over 70% fellow artists. And that will only drop down to 50% as artists reach mid-career levels.”
Now, don’t get me wrong, fellow artists can be your greatest customers.
The only issue is that artists are sensitive to hyper-marketing.
So, forgive yourself if you don’t send weekly.
And consider easing up if you do send out a weekly newsletter.
Unless…
Unless…You Love Mailing Weekly
Unless you absolutely love creating weekly mailings, and that joy is apparent to your readers.
Subscribers almost always find an artist’s joy and creativity contagious.
So “smoke ’em if ya got ’em.”
Just don’t have the mailing be a weekly ad for your work.
Include thoughts that support them, or info or news they can use to advance their own dreams.
Visit Linda Blondeheim’s or Lola Jovan’s blogs for examples of artists who mail weekly and share deep value.
“But Thea”, you might rightly ask, “I heard sending things like newsletters out with a regular rhythm is good for my art business?”
Yes, Regular Art Newsletter Sends are Good for Your Business
Yes, sending out newsletters regularly benefits your business.
And it benefits it for at least two reasons.
The first reason is that it decreases unsubscribes.
I learned this one the hard way.
There are times over my 8 years of blogging when I haven’t sent out an email in ages, I mean a-g-e-s.
When I did wake up from my Rip Van Winkle-like coma to send out a mailing, inevitably, a few of my subscribers opened their inboxes and said, “Who the heck is The Charmed Studio?”
And then they understandably proceed to gleefully jump up and down on my unsubscribe button.
I dont blame them.
(Go here to read or listen to my post How To Thrive After an Unsubscribe (Especially Supportive for Art Bloggers).
The second reason regular sending is vital is that it ensures that all important ongoing dialogue with your people.
So, yes, it’s a great idea to release things fairly regularly.
But, there is a big but here.
Go Rogue! Set Your Own Damn Rhythm for Newsletter Sends
Yes, have a regular rhythm, but that rhythm needs to be your rhythm.
That sending rhythm is a creative decision; one that is completely up to you!
You get to decide the rhythm that will empower you, your art practice, and your art business.
If you want to release your new, revived, juicy newsletter only three times a year, I absolve you.
I even applaud you!
Just let your sweet readers know in an I’m Going Rogue announcement.
The majority of them will be so happy for you.
(And if you have been sending twice-weekly newsletters, they will be happy for their inbox too.)
Don’t Forget to Tell Your Readers The New Plan
Don’t forget to let your subscribers know about your new rhythm in a newsletter you send out soon.
It’s always good to put your sending schedule in your sign-up box language.
It’s okay to have fun and be yourself in this announcement.
In fact, being yourself will magnetize your ideal reader right to you.
Need an example of what to say in your new announcement or in your sign-up forms?
Here are two examples to loosen up your gorgeous imagination.
How To Word Your “I’m Going Rogue With My Art Newsletter” Announcement
“Hey, gentle souls, I am changing my sending schedule starting in January.
I will put out newsletters 13 times a year, on the new or full moon.
So each lunar cycle, you will get a surprise in your inbox. I hope to make both you and I more aware of the natural cycles and other grounding elements that I have tended to forget with all this time on digital screens.”
Bingo.
You are now off the hook.
AND you will gain, not lose, your ideal readers’ respect.
Or you could say,
Or if you are more terrestrial than celestial, you could say:
“Howdy, Guys,
You know, Women’s Curling is my secret passion (more than writing newsletters, apparently), so my new art announcements will now be twice a year.
One update will land in your inbox a week before the Aberdeen, Scotland Qualifying Event in October, and my second art newsletter will arrive just after the Pan Continental Curling Championship in March.
Thanks for being on the journey with me and my sports-themed work.”
The Secret of Freedom is Courage
It’s your life, your business, your opportunity to be the beautiful, real, funny you that you are!
When I made the change to committing to no more than 4 mailings a year, something wild happened.
I freed myself.
After the pressure was off, 1000 verdant, new vine-filled baskets of ideas descended from the sky, and I had this sincere excitement to communicate creatively again, and to do it more often than 4 times a year.
And I hope the same thing happens to you.
“The secret of happiness is freedom, the secret of freedom is courage.”
– Carrie Jones
May you be flooded with freedom, courage, new ideas, images, and love that you can’t wait to share with your lucky readers.
Your art is always there for you, and so am I.
Leave a question in the comments, and I will answer you, with care. 🙂
What do you think?
Need help with the wording of your “I’m not sending weekly newsletters” letter?
Or have a question?
Reach out to me here or in the comments below.
Be brave, leave a comment, writers love comments; they keep us from biting our nails.
You may like these other Charmed Studio Blog posts and podcasts:
The Number 1 Thing Artists Leave Off Their Websites That Hurts Them The Most
Transform Your Art Blog or Art Newsletter In Just 3 Questions
What Can I Write My Art Newsletter On This Week? 51 Art Newsletter Topics for Heart-Centered Artists
How Artists Can Make More Money: Without Marketing
Georgia O’Keeffe’s Six Success Secrets for Being a Satisfied and Successful Artist
Does it Really Matter How Many Instagram Followers You Have if You’re an Artist?
This post may contain Amazon affiliate links. This means if you buy books or stuff via my blog I may receive a tiny commission and do a happy dance. There is no extra fee for you. I only link to items I personally use and love; products that I think help heart-centered artists.
I love all of this. Marketing shaming is such a great term! Thanks for speaking to the artist side of sharing our work in the world, aka marketing. It just doesn’t work the same way as trying to sell pants or toilet paper. I like this freedom of doing what works best with the rhythms of your art practice, and the fluctuations that come with being a person. Thank you Thea!!
Michelle so glad you got some confirmation or affirmation of your own wisdom in this article. I admire your way with words: you wrote about giving yourself freedom around “the fluctuations of being a person.” That is a great way to put it. Makes me remember to remind myself, ‘Yes, I AM a person, therefore I fluctuate!
Thanks for taking the time to comment. You made my day.
Greetings Thea!
Excellent advice! Every over-achiever should take your “permission slip” and skip – run- hop down the hallway. Ah freedom from the stress of writing on a humanly unrealistic schedule. Thank you so much for your ideas and joy!
Cheers!
Trish
Trish, so nice to hear from you, and I just love your comment. I think you have summed up the “why” of my entire blog in 20 words or less. I am in shock. I love the idea of a “permission slip” for artists. May I use that as a tag line? That is exactly what I want the Charmed Studio to be!
Enjoy your own beautiful rhythm and your gifted art and writings, and keep sharing them with the world so they benefit from how you see things, like the miraculous details of the natural world.
I so appreciate you.
Thanks for sharing your perspective, Thea. I’ve been sending a monthly newsletter for about 15 months now, but I guess that’s not quite long enough to have experienced all the ups and downs yet. For me, it’s become a relaxed part of my routine, never something I feel pressured by, and it helps me stay connected to both my creativity and my audience.
I really liked your point about most mailing lists having lots of fellow artists. It made me reflect on how valuable thoughtful communication is, rather than simply focusing on frequency. It’s great to be reminded that we can find the pace that works best for us.
Thanks again for opening up this conversation.
Thanks, Suhail,
Isn’t it cool to have lots of artists we can correspond with regularly? Penpals from all over the world, that’s my goal. I like how last week in one day I interacted with a silversmith, a glassblower, a suspense mystery writer, a nature photographer, and a painter.
Having artists on our lists allows us to live out any unlived art lives we still have inside.
And I bet you have people from several countries on your growing list.
I am such a geek that I have a world map up in my office with pins in it for the different places in the world my readers and listeners tell me they are from. Little things like that can contribute to making our chosen professions an adventure of the spirit.
Glad to hear you go on your own schedule with the newsletters and are motivated. “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”
Take care.
The e-mail newsletter is hard for me to be consistent with. I run out of time to write one on a regular schedule. Most of my subscribers are artists. I will gently apologize if it has been a while since I last sent one out in the newsletter.
As for the frequency of mailing, it depends on whether you have something worthwhile to announce. You hear so-called specialists stating that regular mailing is the right way. But if you send out multiple newsletters and notice your open rate is dropping, is it really worth it?
Creating great content is the key, and that includes the newsletter. That is what I have learn in this artist biz.
Hi Kevin, First off, I bet you, both your open rate and click rate, is way higher than the national average.
2025 Open rates according to HubSpot:
Above 30% = Solid
45-50% = Strong
50%+ = Exceptional, usually due to a deeply loyal or niche audience.
Click-through rates are way, way lower.
The average is only 1.34%
So if you have lower open rates but your people are still clicking through at a better rate than 1-2 percent, you are delivering content that people find meaningful, ok?
If you want to increase open rates, experiment with improving subject lines. Its a dance. We dont want to compromise authenticity yet we all can discover how to write a better title or subject line. Jon Morrow is the genius teachers of creating compelling titles:
https://s3.amazonaws.com/boostblogtraffic/headline-hacks-01-22-2018.pdf
Any questions, let me know.
Thanks for the info, I will have to check that out:)
Jon Morrow is an amazing writer, most people don’t know he does all his writing through a dictation device to his computer because he is immobile from the neck down after a car accident. Hope you and other artists benefit from his work as I have. Be well.
Thea! As always, your newsletter leaves me both smiling and motivated to contemplate my practices and fine tune them! (Thanks hugely for the mention, btw 😁).
Though I am one of the weekly newsletter people, it is because my subscribers ask for it – a great situation to be in! And also because it works within my painting practice as a method of naming the art and revealing the story behind it.
If my subscribers feel about my weekly mailings one tenth of the excitement I feel when your newsletters come out, I‘d be over the moon! Your voice, your humor, your wisdom always leave me uplifted!!!
Lola, you are one of the art heroes in my pantheon. Your art business is as creative as your art practice. And both your art practice and business are fueled by love. That is a lesson for me.
As always, your advice and encouragement comes at the perfect time. I’ve been teaching myself Substack and wondering how the heck people send out two updates a week. The only thing I’ve had some consistency with is their short-form updates system called Notes.
Hi Nicole,
Substack…telling writers to post twice a week!!!???..oooohhh…I feel a rant coming on, lol.
Nicole, you are a gifted writer. One of the most engaging bloggers I have read in ages. Keep listening to yourself, not them.
One topic in my saved drafts folder for an upcoming blog is about the Kool-Aid Substack is currently serving up to writers.
Can you leave a comment and let me and others know what about Substack is working for you?
Do you love it? Why?
My big question for you (and any other readers on Substack here) is, are you able to save the names of people subscribing to your list on your own forever mailing list?
Is there anything disappointing about Substack for you?
I haven’t seen Substack telling people to send out updates twice a week, but it wouldn’t surprise me if that were true. I’ve only noticed a few creators I follow on there posting with that frequency. One of them feels AI-written, so maybe it’s not as time and energy-intensive for them as it feels for me as someone who doesn’t use AI to write.
I like Substack so far for a couple of reasons. It feels like the old days of blogging when people followed your work because they were interested in you as a person. Not because they expected you to “create value,” “solve their problems,” or constantly be sold to. I can tell I have a small group of people on there who will like anything I post because they like me.
I also like that it’s everything in one place, because that helps me with burnout and overwhelm. Instead of having separate platforms for audio, writing, video, and a newsletter, I can host it all on Substack. And yes, you can save the names and email addresses of people who subscribe to you on Substack. (Though I imagine you’d want to get their permission before signing them up for any other mailing lists.)
The only potentially disappointing thing about Substack comes with a huge grain of salt, because I haven’t been able to find a source that tells the whole story. But I’ve seen people claiming that Substack gives a platform to hate speech because the founder is a big free speech guy. I haven’t seen content like that on my feed, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t there.
I’m stubborn enough to stay and be the light that drives the cockroaches away if those rumors are true.
Thanks for this Nicole. I misunderstood your first comment. Good to know you have never heard Substack recommending twice-weekly sends. Happy to hear that you haven’t seen any hate speech there and that you are a divinely lit violet lit bug zapper for truth! Awesome.
And yes, Permission with mailing lists is so important. Great point.
I actually think people should ask the permission of a subscriber to transfer their email address from their blog or newsletter OVER TO Substack.
Do you?
My understanding is, if people follow you in Notes, their email address is not added to your list, and you can’t migrate those followers anywhere else. It’s basically a social-media follow.
People can also turn off email delivery in the mobile app, which probably means, you can’t (without their permission) move them somewhere else and starting sending them emails.
So, although people *can* continue to subscribe by email, there are ways they can follow you without doing that. So, Substack’s original promise of audience ownership is not what it used to be.
Wow. You are exactly right. This article I found backs you up.
https://medium.com/@thetaoistonline/its-time-to-stop-writing-on-medium-1ecf2cd0f2a4
Very timely communication for me! You must be a mind reader. I recently sent a newsletter after many, many months of nothing. I did not apologize. I mostly hate doing newsletters. I have not added a note about scheduling on my website sign up form but maybe I will. Of course that would mean thinking about what that schedule would be. Ha. Always good to hear from you. Thank you for the effort.
Hi Janet,
Congrats on not apologizing! Good for you.
So nice to see your name in my email notifications. A few questions, you do not have to answer them here unless you would like to. Consider asking yourself, when was the last time you actually enjoyed sending out a newsletter? WHAT was the content of that particular one? What was different about it? Why was it more pleasant or even fun for you to put together? What would you secretly like to include or have as your newsletter content if no one was watching?What newsletter incited the most engagement? Which one was it? Why do you think people were stimulated to write you or take another action after receiving it?
One thing I realized lately for myself (that is not necessarily related to what is best for you but just wanted to give as an example answer in case it helps):
The email announcements and blog posts that seem to serve my readers the most are the ones I am THE most hesitant to send out. They are the ones I am positive will have people marching up the hill to my house with pitchforks and torches.
xo Thea
Thanks so much Thea for another funny, inspiring communication!😊
Leigh, it is always heart warming to know you are out there reading. Very kind of you to leave this kind comment, so nice to see your name on the bottom of a post. Thank you for all your support over the years. It means a lot to me. PS Your mailings are always a thought-provoking treat to receive.
I’m your exception. 😊 I *was* sending out monthly newsletters, but I changed to weekly because:
* I really enjoy writing newsletters. It’s pretty much a creative practice for me (alongside my artmaking).
* I have things to share pretty frequently.
* I prefer writing (and most people prefer reading) shorter, more focused things.
* My newsletters are not at all salesy. That’s partly because I’m only just going to start selling my art now (at a local market this weekend), but also because I much prefer sharing my journey and interesting bits and pieces (quotes, videos, thoughts, etc.) than the thought of sending boring, heavily sales-focused emails. I’ve no doubt I’ll mention my work for sale more after this weekend, but I never want that to be the focus of (the majority) of my newsletters. I want them to be interesting and personal, with any paintings for sale as a natural side mention.
* It motivates me to keep up my artmaking, so I have stuff to share.
* It allows for more frequent engagement with subscribers, which I enjoy and find encouraging.
* I really like when *other* people send me short, focused newsletters. Helen Wells is a great example.
* Ironically, it feels easier to put together short, weekly newsletters than long monthly ones.
* It minimises the chance of new subscribers forgetting who I am by the time they receive their first email. 😆
I agree, though, that a lot of the marketing advice out there is *really* unhelpful for artists, and, for most artists, something like monthly is more appropriate.
Also, having artists on your mailing list isn’t a bad thing. People forget that artists are often also collectors.
Thanks for your podcasts. I often find them encouraging and refreshing.
YAY! Let’s hear it for the exceptions as well as the Time To Make the Donuts folks amongst us!
Thanks much Chris for taking the time to come all the way over from the podcast to leave me this great comment. It’s energizing to hear of your joy in writing and sending.
As Plutarch was credited with saying:
“The mind is not a vessel to be filled but a fire to be kindled.”
Wishing you continued success in your adventures in both painting and writing.
Keep letting the world be your oyster.
PS Best of luck this weekend.
Maybe bring an old school clipboard for sign ups to your mailing list. It’s always fun to give people something for signing up in person. One subscriber I know gives out hand-painted bookmarks to anyone who signs up for her mailing list at art fairs. She makes them by saving the “good bits” of “failed watercolors”. They are gorgeous, and people love to take home something from your stall. You can stamp or handwrite your website on the back or the bottom of each one. Just an idea, whatever works for you.
Thanks, Thea!
Because I’m not on social media (where most people promote newsletters), I had some nicely designed (but cheap) cards made up a while ago with my newsletter address and a QR code on them. I give them to people who show an interest in my art, leave them in cafes, and stick them to noticeboards. They’re not going to gain me a tonne of subscribers, but I don’t care. I’m about quality, not quantity. And they’re a fun, analogue way to promote the newsletter. I’m going to be taking a bunch of those to the market.😊
P.S. Sorry for the wall of text in my first comment. It was a little bit over the top. 😆
No worries Chris. I am glad you got so much from the podcast. Comments these days are gold. And I am honored by subscribers replies.
If you are going to change your mailing schedule, by all means, tell people however you like.
BUT If you have NOT sent out a mailing in ages and are sending one out again (WITHOUT an announcement of a new schedule) let me share something the great blogging teaching Darren Rowse taught me:
You DO NOT need to apologize for having been absent so long. It just draws attention to something many people may not have even noticed. After all, we are all running about, focusing mostly on one thing – our own madness, not yours. So often, we won’t have even noticed. So give yourself a break. xo