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Madeline Martin

Madeline Martin

Heating Up History

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Staggering through Newsletter Signups

Everyone who is anyone in the writing world recommends setting up a mailing list for newsletters to reach readers. Sounds easy, right? I mean, you just download a plugin to your WordPress site and voila! A cute little newsletter signup appears in the corner of your blog like magic and the thousands of adoring fans easily enter their info into a neat little list for your e-mailing convenience.

Welllllllll not exactly. At least not for this writer.

MailChimp and MailerLiter were both recommended for me to try.

MailChimp is a cute name, so I went with that one first (yeah, I also pick sports teams by their colors and how nice the players seem).

I set up an account on MailChimp through their site. It was so easy, I was encouraged!

I downloaded the MailChimp plugin.

Easy also.

This was going so much better than expected. Squee!

And then it asked for the API key. I followed the simple directions to locate it, entered it in, and came to my stalemate.

Invalid API key.

Um…what?

I tried again to the same effect. I asked for a new API key and tried again. Still nothing.

I sent an e-mail to the help site (which is now apparently not offered for non-paying members) and got a high tech speak reply that made no sense.

So, I gave up and decided to try MailerLite.

It downloaded with no problems, showed up with no problems, accepted sample e-mails with no problems.

Then it took those sample e-mails and piffed them into a void of nowhere.

At this point, I confess, I gave up.

Newsletters and me were just not meant to be.

Out of the blue, one of my wonderful friends, Wendy LaCapra (who just released her incredibly wonderful debut, Lady Vice, and knew of my newsletter woes) sent me an e-mail about a new plugin called MailMunch that works in coordination with MailChimp and does not require an API key.

I downloaded the MailMunch plugin, followed the simple directions and just like that, I had a gorgeous new mailing list e-mail collector on my website! It even stored my sample e-mails I entered! And my sample test newsletters delivered without issue!

So, while giving you the step-by-step details on how I downloaded each of these would probably make your head spin with the back and forth confusion – suffice it to say, MailChimp + MailMunch = A win for newsletter installation.

In summary:

  1. What I did – set up a MailChimp newsletter on my site with using MailMunch
  2. How I messed it up/broke it – I had an unfortunate API key, but based on my extensive internet research (ie a sampling of five or so other sites before I got bored) other people had this issue too.
  3. How I fixed it – I gave up after the tech support was too techie
  4. What I learned – I hate setting up newsletters.
  5. What I thought of the process overall – not at all easy.
  6. My take on the results – It DOES look nice and I’m so glad to finally mark it off my to do list
  7. What I wish I’d known before I started – About fickle API keys and how fabulous MailMunch is
  8. Recommendation – If you can’t get this working with MailChimp and MailMunch, just pay someone to do it.

Did anyone else have issues with their newsletter signups? If so, please feel free to share your horror stories or your success stories (Goodness knows I need all the help I can get if I ever need to do this again!)

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Filed Under: Staggering Through Marketing Tagged With: how to make a newsletter sign up, madeline martin, problems with making a newsletter sign up, staggering through marketing

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madelinemmartin

👩🏻‍💻USA Today Bestselling author of #historicalromance, mother of minions, watcher of cat videos, drinker of wine, poster of pics

When the heart on the back of your cat’s neck le When the heart on the back of your cat’s neck lets you know they love you 😻
I’m beyond excited to share my gorgeous new cove I’m beyond excited to share my gorgeous new cover for The Last Bookshop in London - a WWII Historical Fiction

The art team at @hanoversquarepress did such a gorgeous job on this cover! I love it so much!!! 

Inspired by the true World War II history of the few bookshops to survive the Blitz, The Last Bookshop in London is a timeless story of wartime loss, love and the enduring power of literature.

August 1939: London is dismal under the weight of impending war with Germany as Hitler’s forces continue to sweep across Europe. Into this uncertain maelstrom steps Grace Bennett, young and ready for a fresh start in the bustling city streets she’s always dreamed of—and miles away from her troubled past in the countryside.

With aspirations of working at a department store, Grace never imagined she’d wind up employed at Primrose Hill, an offbeat bookshop nestled in the heart of the city—after all, she’s never been much of a reader. Overwhelmed with organizing the cluttered store, she doesn’t have time to read the books she sells. But when one is gifted to her, what starts as an obligation becomes a passion that draws her into the incredible world of literature.

As the Blitz rains down bombs on the city night after night, a devastating attack leaves the libraries and shops of London’s literary center in ruins. Miraculously, Grace’s bookshop survives the firestorm. Through blackouts and air raids, Grace continues running the shop, discovering a newfound comfort in the power of words and storytelling that unites her community in ways she never imagined—a force that triumphs over even the darkest nights of war-torn London.

Link in bio!
Tomorrow is my official cover reveal for The Last Tomorrow is my official cover reveal for The Last Bookshop in London!! I'm so excited!! 😆
How to Tempt a Duke in Italian and Swedish - the l How to Tempt a Duke in Italian and Swedish - the latter just came in the mail! 😆 
I love how Harlequin Historical sends us copies of the translated versions of our books! It’s just such a cool thing to see and hold 🥰
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