Email marketing
Set up Mailchimp from scratch, wrote and sent four newsletters, and built a four-step welcome automation with PDF reader magnets.
Approved Client Case Study
Building a Reader Audience for Mary Ellen Johnson
How email marketing, Substack strategy, content creation, and platform optimization supported a traditionally published historical fiction author.
- Client
- Mary Ellen Johnson
- Genre
- Historical fiction
- Project period
- February–September 2026
Project overview
Building the foundations for reader connection
From a new email list to coordinated reader-facing content, the engagement paired practical setup with ongoing platform and performance review.
0 → 44Email subscribers, as reported for the engagement
~5 → 1,000+Substack subscribers in six weeks, as reported later
8Branded essay PDFs created
Timing matters: The project ran February–September 2026. Some audience and review outcomes were reported later, including in October 2026; those are identified separately below.
The starting point
Mary Ellen Johnson is a traditionally published historical fiction author with nine books across three series: Knights of England, Travels Across Time, and The Golden Promise of Cripple Creek. Her publisher, ePublishing Works, handled distribution, while reader-facing marketing was part of this engagement.
At the outset, there was no email subscriber list, and the Substack audience was approximately five. The work focused on establishing an email foundation, strengthening platform presence, and coordinating content around the books and relevant reader interests.
Services delivered
Reader content
Created eight branded essay PDFs for use as reader magnets and campaign content.
Substack strategy
Developed a strategy for two publications and drafted and published six posts around The Uprising film release. This work does not imply a film-studio endorsement.
Platform optimization
Rewrote the BookBub profile and author bio, and added nine books to 14 Goodreads Listopia lists where relevant.
Royalty analysis
Reviewed royalty statements to identify sales patterns and inform discussion of book discovery. The analysis did not create or establish the causes of sales.
03 · Project period
Campaign timeline
Work completed during the February–September engagement is kept distinct from outcomes reported afterward.
February–April 2026 · Build the foundation
Set up Mailchimp and developed the welcome automation and initial reader-magnet content.
May–July 2026 · Platform presence and discovery review
Updated the BookBub author presence, added books to relevant Goodreads lists, and reviewed royalty statements. Newsletter writing and sending continued during the engagement.
August–September 2026 · Coordinate Substack content
Applied the two-publication strategy and drafted and published six posts around The Uprising film release. The engagement concluded in September 2026.
Outcomes and documented deliverables
Completed during the engagement
- Mailchimp account set up from scratch; four newsletters written and sent.
- Four-step welcome automation created with PDF reader magnets.
- Eight branded essay PDFs created.
- Substack strategy for two publications, with six posts drafted and published around the film release.
- BookBub profile and author bio rewritten.
- Nine books added to 14 Goodreads Listopia lists.
- Email subscribers increased from zero to 44.
- Royalty statements analyzed for sales patterns.
Later outcomes reported in October 2026
- Substack: The source reports growth from approximately five to more than 1,000 subscribers in six weeks. Audience momentum continued after the engagement ended; this later growth was carried forward independently by Mary Ellen.
- Amazon reviews: Four new reviews for The Lion and the Leopard were reported in October 2026. The source attributes them to the campaign based on their timing and content; reader review activity remains outside the team's control.
What the campaign did and did not control
The case-study source documents the project activities and reported figures above. It also notes that retailer algorithms, publisher pricing, and distribution were outside the team's control. Royalty analysis described trends; it did not create them. The 465 Q2 sales are a pre-campaign observation, and Substack momentum continued after the retainer ended.
These are results from one author's circumstances and are not a promise of sales, reviews, ratings, rankings, audience growth, or other specific outcomes.
Discuss your book
Tell us about your book and goals. We can discuss whether a similar mix of support may suit your circumstances.