Finally Know Exactly What to Say to Your Readers Every Week.
The 20-Minute Newsletter System
A plug-and-play template + content vault that helps fiction authors build an engaged, loyal reader list — one 20-minute weekly email at a time.
- Know exactly what to write every single week — no more blank screens, no more skipped sends
- A done-for-you Mailerlite template you set up once and reuse forever
- 200+ content prompts so you never run out of ideas for your readers
- Go from sporadic sender to consistent presence in your readers’ inboxes
- Build the kind of reader relationships that turn subscribers into lifelong fans — and book buyers
You Might Be Exactly Who This Is For.
The Stuck Author
You signed up for Mailerlite months ago and still haven’t sent a single email. You know you need to, but every time you sit down to write something you stare at a blank screen and close the tab. You’re not lazy — you just have no system.
→ This is for you.The Launch-Only Sender
You email your list when you have a new book out, then go quiet for months. You know consistent newsletters would help, but without a launch to talk about, you genuinely don’t know what to say. So you don’t say anything.
→ This is for you.The Time-Strapped Author
You want to send weekly newsletters but you’re a mom, you have a day job, you’re writing your next book, and you’re already stretched thin. You can’t add a 2-hour project to your week. You need something that actually fits your real life.
→ This is for you.
Hi, I’m Dani — And I Send Every Week in 20 Minutes.
Indie Fiction Author | Mom of 4 | Book Marketing Strategist
I’m a mom of four, a full-time employee, and an indie fiction author — which means when I decided I needed to start sending newsletters, I knew it had to be fast, simple, or it wasn’t going to happen.
I spent months researching how other authors do this. I took courses, watched videos, and spent a lot of money figuring out what actually works — so you don’t have to. And what I built is a system that gets me from blank page to scheduled newsletter in about 20 minutes every week.
Here’s what I know to be true: you don’t need hours every week — you need a system. You don’t need to be a great writer — you need good prompts. You don’t need a big list to start — you need a consistent habit. That’s exactly what this course gives you.
If Any of These Sound Familiar, You’re in the Right Place.
- You sit down to write your newsletter and… nothing. Every week the blank page wins. You keep putting it off because it feels like you need to write a whole article just to send one email.
- You only email your list when you have a launch, then go quiet for months. And when you do email, your open rates are low because your readers don’t remember who you are.
- You’re scared of annoying your list, so you just… don’t email at all. Meanwhile, your subscribers are going cold and you’re losing the warm audience you worked hard to build.
- You only send once a month — which means only 12 data points a year. You have no idea what’s working, what your readers love, or how to improve.
- Setting up your email platform felt overwhelming, so you half-finished it and gave up. Templates, automations, settings — it’s a lot, and nobody taught you how to structure a newsletter people want to read.
- You don’t think your life is interesting enough to share. So you either write nothing, or you write generic “author updates” that don’t build any real connection with readers.
- Between book releases, you have no idea what to say. So you say nothing. And readers forget you exist by the time your next book comes out.
- You know you should be building reader relationships — but newsletters feel like a luxury you can’t afford time-wise. You’re already writing your book, marketing on social media, and trying to keep up with everything else.
The 3 Biggest Newsletter Mistakes Fiction Authors Make
Mistake #1
Only Emailing Your List When You Have a Launch.
This is the most common mistake — and it quietly kills your results. When you only email at launch time, your readers don’t expect to hear from you. So when they do, it feels random, even salesy. Open rates drop. Clicks drop. Sales suffer.
The fix is simple: email every week, even when you have nothing to sell. That weekly rhythm is what trains readers to open your emails, trust you, and actually buy when you do have something to offer.
Mistake #2
Treating Your Newsletter Like a Formal Blog Post.
A lot of authors sit down to write a newsletter and think they need to produce polished, essay-quality content. That takes hours — and it’s not even what readers want.
The newsletters that get the most replies are short, conversational, and personal. A funny thing that happened this week. A question for readers. A 3-sentence update on what you’re writing. Your newsletter is a conversation, not a publication.
Mistake #3
Waiting Until You “Have More to Share.”
“I’ll start sending consistently when I’m further along in my book.” “I’ll email more when I have bigger news.” “I don’t want to bother them when I don’t have anything important to say.”
Here’s the truth: you already have more than enough to share. Your readers want to hear from you — not just about your book, but about you. The problem isn’t that you don’t have content. The problem is you don’t have a system that shows you what that content is. That’s exactly what this course fixes.
Three Steps. That’s the Whole System.
Step 1
Set up your template once (~30 minutes). I walk you through building a plug-and-play Mailerlite template you’ll reuse every single week. No starting from scratch. No guessing what to include. Build it once — done forever.
Step 2
Open the content vault, pick 2–3 sections (5 minutes). You get 200+ prompts organized by category. You don’t write all of them — just pick 2 or 3, delete the rest from your template, and fill in the blanks.
Step 3
Write, schedule, send — done in 20 minutes total. With your template built and your sections picked, the actual writing is fast. A few sentences per section, a PS question at the end, and you’re scheduled. Close the tab. Move on with your day.
7 Focused Modules. From “I Don’t Know What to Say” to Consistent Sender in One Weekend.
Module 1
$27 value
Why Weekly
Why weekly newsletters outperform monthly — and why starting before your list is big is the smartest thing you can do. You’ll walk away knowing exactly why consistency beats perfection, with data to back it up so you stop second-guessing the whole thing.
Module 2
$37 value
Platform Setup
Mailerlite setup from scratch — the right email domain, the free plan, and what actually matters when you’re starting out. You’ll have your account fully configured and ready to use. No more half-finished setup collecting dust.
Module 3
$47 value
Your Newsletter Structure
The exact sections Danielle uses every week: the intro, Off the Page, book updates, newsletter swaps, and the PS question that gets replies. You’ll have a clear, repeatable newsletter structure you can customize to your brand and stick to every week.
Module 4
$47 value
Content Ideas + Finding Your Voice
How to figure out what to share (even if you think your life isn’t interesting), plus the full 200+ content prompts vault and a quick exercise to discover what makes you uniquely you. You’ll never stare at a blank screen again.
Module 5
$67 value
Building Your Template in Mailerlite
Step-by-step walkthrough of building your drag-and-drop template with saved blocks, so every future newsletter starts half-done. You’ll have a working, reusable template ready to go — this is what makes the 20-minute send possible every week.
Module 6
$37 value
Polls and Engagement
How to run polls using short.io to track clicks, use Canva to share results, and turn reader engagement into data that helps you write better books. You’ll know how to create interactive polls your readers love — and use the results to understand exactly what your audience wants.
Module 7
$27 value
Newsletter Swaps and BookFunnel
An optional strategy for getting your books in front of other authors’ audiences through newsletter swaps and group promos. You’ll understand how newsletter swaps work and whether they’re a good fit for your current stage — so you can make the right call for your business.
Everything You Get
| What’s Included | Value |
|---|---|
| Module 1 — Why Weekly | $27 |
| Module 2 — Platform Setup | $37 |
| Module 3 — Your Newsletter Structure | $47 |
| Module 4 — Content Ideas + Finding Your Voice | $47 |
| Module 5 — Building Your Template in Mailerlite | $67 |
| Module 6 — Polls and Engagement | $37 |
| Module 7 — Newsletter Swaps and BookFunnel | $27 |
| Bonus: 200+ Newsletter Ideas Vault | $27 |
| Bonus: Plug-and-Play Mailerlite Template | $37 |
| Bonus: Canva Newsletter Header Template | $17 |
| Total Value | $370 |
Your investment today: $47.
Everything for $47. Instant digital access. Use it for every newsletter you ever send.
Get Instant Access — $47Three Bonus Assets — Included at No Extra Cost.
Bonus 1
The 200+ Newsletter Ideas Vault
($27 value)
A done-for-you content bank with over 200 prompts organized by category — fan connection, story world, engagement polls, personal life, soft sell, and more. This is your never-run-out-of-ideas resource. Every time you sit down to write a newsletter, you’ll open this first.
Bonus 2
The Plug-and-Play Mailerlite Newsletter Template
($37 value)
The actual template Danielle uses every week — drag and drop sections already built, formatted, and ready for you to customize with your branding. You don’t have to build your template from scratch. Just fill in your content, delete what you’re not using this week, and send.
Bonus 3
The Canva Newsletter Header Template
($17 value)
A professional, customizable newsletter header template in Canva. Drop in your author name and brand colors and you’ll have a polished header that makes your newsletter look like you put way more time into it than 20 minutes.
When You Stop Winging It and Start Using a System.
Right now, newsletters feel like a thing you should be doing but aren’t — or a thing you do sporadically and feel guilty about. You know you need to stay in front of your readers. You just don’t have a clear, repeatable way to do it that fits your actual life.
Six months from now, with this system in place, your newsletter goes out every week. Your readers know your name. They reply to your emails. They’ve watched you build your story world from the inside. And when your next book launches, they’re not just subscribers — they’re fans.
That’s what a consistent newsletter does. Not overnight, but over time. And the only difference between authors who build that relationship and authors who don’t is a system that makes it easy enough to actually do.
“You’ve totally got this. Let’s get your newsletter working for you.”
This course is that system. At $47 — with $451 in total value — it’s the lowest-risk investment you can make in your author business this year.
Everything You’re Wondering, Answered.
Do I need to already have an email list?
I already have a Mailerlite account but I’ve never really used it. Is this still for me?
What if I use a different email platform?
I’m a mom with a full-time job. Will this actually fit my schedule?
I haven’t published my book yet. Can I still use this?
How long does the course take to complete?
What if I don’t want to share personal things in my newsletter?
Is Mailerlite free?
How is this different from just Googling newsletter tips?
Do I need to be a good writer to send good newsletters?
Is there a refund policy?
Refund Policy
Because this is a digital product with immediate access to all materials, templates, and bonuses, all sales are final. This is standard for digital courses and products in this price range.
I’ve put everything I know about running a consistent, low-effort newsletter into this course — and the system is proven. If you show up and implement it, it works. If you have any questions about whether this is the right fit before you buy, reach out first. I’m happy to help.
You’re One Step Away From Never Staring at a Blank Newsletter Again.
The Low-Effort Newsletter Masterclass gives you the system, the template, and the content vault to send every week — in 20 minutes, without the stress.
- The full Low-Effort Newsletter Masterclass (7 modules)
- 200+ Newsletter Ideas Vault
- Plug-and-Play Mailerlite Newsletter Template
- Canva Newsletter Header Template
- Instant, lifetime access + all future updates
Everything for $47. Instant access upon purchase.
Get Instant Access — $47Your resources will be delivered immediately after purchase.
This program is educational in nature. Results vary based on individual effort and circumstances.
Questions? Email hello@authorshortcuts.com