Newsletter Swaps: Are They Worth It?
If you've spent any time in author Threads, you've probably seen posts that look something like this:
"Looking for newsletter swaps!"
Or maybe you've received an email from another author asking if you'd be interested in promoting each other's books.
Newsletter swaps are one of the most common marketing strategies in the indie publishing world, but they're also one of the most misunderstood. Some authors swear by them, while others walk away convinced they don't work.
The truth? Like most marketing strategies, newsletter swaps aren't a magic button that suddenly fills your inbox with readers or sends your book flying up the charts. When done well, though, they can be an incredible way to grow your audience, build relationships with other authors, and introduce your books to readers who are genuinely likely to love them.
Let's break down what newsletter swaps actually are, how they work, and how to know whether they're worth your time.
What Is a Newsletter Swap?
A newsletter swap is exactly what it sounds like: two or more authors agree to promote each other's books to their own email subscribers. You’re introducing your books to readers who already enjoy books like yours.
That could look like:
Promoting a new release
Highlighting an author’s backlist
Participating in a larger group promotion
In concept, it’s simple: help readers discover books they'll enjoy while helping fellow authors grow their readership.
Are Newsletter Swaps Worth It?
My answer is usually, it depends (as a lawyer by day, my favorite answer is always it depends). Like most marketing strategies, newsletter swaps aren't magic. The value comes from finding the right audience. The best swaps usually have a few things in common.
Similar readers
Genre, reader expectations, spice level, and tropes all matter. A cozy mystery audience probably isn't looking for dark romantasy, just like fantasy romance readers aren't typically searching for nonfiction productivity books.
The closer your audiences align, the better your results tend to be.
Comparable audiences
Many authors assume they need massive lists before swapping. You don't. Smaller authors can absolutely collaborate successfully.
That said, it's helpful when both authors are bringing similar value to the partnership, whether that's audience size, engagement, or visibility.
Clear expectations
Before agreeing to a swap, make sure everyone knows:
What's being promoted?
When is it being sent?
What information needs to be included?
Will you track results afterward?
A little communication upfront saves a lot of confusion later.
Ok and can I be honest about something? Personally, I don’t ever send out my client swaps forms for anyone to fill out. I don’t post the link on Threads, I don’t send it to PA groups, I keep the link locked down. Why, you might ask.
Because I want to ensure everything above is controlled. We specifically reach out to other authors that we are interested in swapping with because we’ve analyzed if we think they’d be a good fit. Do they write in the same genre, are their spice levels similar, do they use AI (a big no no from me and my clients). We check for this before we do outreach so there isn’t any awkward back and forth after the fact.
How Do You Know If a Swap Worked?
One of the biggest shifts I encourage authors to make is thinking like a business owner. Don't just send the newsletter and hope for the best. Look at the data.
Some metrics worth watching include:
New subscribers/followers
Amazon activity
Sales or page reads following the swap
You could even go as far as to create trackable links that you share with your author partners. Making your newsletter swaps link trackable can help you specifically see just how many clicks you are getting from this practice!
Something that I always try to keep in mind is that the goal of most newsletter swaps isn't immediate book sales, it's finding new readers who may become long-term fans.
The marketing rule of 7 says that someone has to see your product at least 7 times before they make a purchasing decision. Finding someone through another author’s newsletter can jumpstart that process for you! Or, maybe they’ve seen your posts before, but seeing your book in their favorite author’s newsletter is the final push they need to make the purchase.
Four Common Newsletter Mistakes
Mistake #1: Saying yes to every swap request.
Not every opportunity is a good fit.
Protect your readers' trust by recommending books you genuinely believe they'll enjoy. Every recommendation reflects on your brand.
Mistake #2: Only looking at subscriber count.
A 50,000-person list sounds impressive, but if those readers aren't interested in your genre, it won't move the needle.
Audience fit almost always beats audience size.
Mistake #3: Never tracking your results.
If you aren't paying attention to the engagement, you're missing valuable information that can help you make better decisions for future swaps.
Marketing doesn't improve if you never measure it.
Mistake #4: Treating swaps as one-time transactions.
Some of the best newsletter partnerships I've seen have turned into long-term collaborations between authors who consistently support each other's launches. Publishing can feel isolating at times, but it doesn't have to be competitive. Building genuine relationships with other authors is often just as valuable as gaining a few new subscribers.
One of the things I like most about newsletter swaps is that they benefit everyone when they're done well. Readers discover new authors they'll likely enjoy, authors reach readers they may not have found otherwise, and genuine relationships often form within the writing community.
If you're just starting out, don't feel like you need to find the biggest authors or wait until your own newsletter has thousands of subscribers. Instead, look for authors whose books you would honestly be excited to recommend to your readers. A smaller, well-matched swap is often far more valuable than a larger one that's not the right fit.
Above all, remember that every recommendation you make reflects on your own brand. If your readers trust that you'll only share books they'll genuinely enjoy, they'll be much more likely to keep opening your emails, and that's a relationship worth protecting.
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The Rose in the Shadows by Arcadia Rayne
Sorrow & Strangers by Jeanette Rose and Alexis Rune
Up next - Threshing Day by Rebecca Yarros
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This has been an absolutely CRAZY month. Two of my clients had releases 4 days apart so this month has been all about time management.
I figured out how to send myself task reminders to my email from my Airtable and honestly it’s been a game changer. Every morning, I get an email with all of the tasks I have assigned for that day, and then at 3 pm, I get a preview of what I have going on tomorrow.
For someone with newly diagnosed ADHD, this has been a serious life saver. I stay on track and I know what I have coming up each day so there are no surprises.
Do you use a task manager and if so, which one??
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Like I mentioned above, the month of September has been crazy on the work-front and to add to it all, I traveled for a week (if you were at the Charlotte airport on 9/19 and you saw me on the verge of tears with my 1 year old, please know I apologize for his tantrum)
We took our 15 month old, my in-laws, and our two dogs (Ronald pictured below) to the beach and it was... interesting! Fun but also chaotic. I managed to find a little bit of time to read and ate WAY too much seafood, but overall, it was so beautiful to have my whole family together and enjoying the beach. But I don’t think we’ll be flying with Henry again any time soon...
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Depending on where you are in your author journey, your mission might look a bit different, but this October, I want you to focus on your newsletter. If you haven’t started swapping yet, now’s the time to make the form and start finding authors to swap with! (PS you can always reach out to me to start! I manage a few author swaps in the romantasy genre, and some have availability that we can swap with you!).
If you already swap, then I want you to go make an attribution link specifically for newsletter swaps so you can start tracking their success!
