Does Any Artist Use Newsletters Anymore?

I’ve been pondering this question for a while, mostly because I’m debating whether I want to start one of my own.

See, back in the olden days before blogs became non-eyesores and everything looked like basic HTML code and CSS was barely conceived of, newsletters seemed like a cool option for keeping interested persons in the loops, concerning the goings-on of whoever ran the newsletter.

Newsletters also became relatively quick and cheap tools for selling one’s stuff through. Often messages would say something to the tune of, “Hi! I’m that artist that does that thing at the Brick and Bot festival you went to months ago. I made a thing! You should get it!”

Some newsletters I see today still have that structure of “Hi I’m that person I made a new thing come and get it PLEASE come and get it.”

But I don’t want to be desperate.

Thankfully there are some newsletters out there (like Marie Forleo’s) that don’t have sales pitches every chance they get. They’re often just like blog entries or just have a video clip. Heck, Todd Carey sends newsletters where the only message is, “Thanks for your support because you’re totally awesome!”

But I also wonder who signs up for newsletters anymore?

Am I the only person who still signs up for those things when I come across an interesting person?

Because I would LIKE to MAYBE have a newsletter of my own. Nothing fancy. Have you seen the John and Hank Green newsletter that launched recently? That’s the epitome of “nothing fancy”, but it gets the point across.

I want to do something similar to THAT: a newsletter to let you know what’s going on on the interwebs with me and some cool peeps I know (like Chloe or Jeff), clue you in on things you maybe never knew you wanted, or just point you in the direction of how to decrease the amount of suck in the world.

I honestly like sharing that kind of stuff, with as many people as possible.

But I would like to hear your thoughts on the matter before I jump the gun, get onto MailChimp, and sign up for something phenomenally disastrous.

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