Prolific Works Newsletter FAQ

We get a lot of questions from authors about the Prolific Works newsletter and homepage features, so we wanted to clear up some common misconceptions about how we select featured books. In this article, we'll answer some frequently asked questions about what criteria our production team uses when selecting features, as well as which readers end up on our mailing list.

Q: How does the Prolific Works newsletter work?

A: Every weekday, we send an email to our mailing list of engaged Prolific Works readers who are eager to discover new authors. Each email (with the exception of the Freebie Friday email) highlights freebies from three individual genres, which are chosen by our production team, and up to three group giveaways, which are created and run by Prolific Works authors.

On Mondays, we email readers who are interested in romance and its subgenres. On Tuesdays, we email readers who are interested in the mystery, crime, and thriller genres. On Wednesdays, we send two emails: one to readers who are interested in the fantasy, paranormal, and horror genres, and one to those who are interested in science fiction, comics, and graphic novels. On Thursdays, we email readers who are interested in all subgenres of young adult fiction. On Friday, we send readers a recap of all the group giveaways that we highlighted throughout the week, as well as group giveaways whose contents span multiple genres.

Q: Why does Prolific Works have a newsletter for readers?

A: We love our reader newsletter because it allows us to connect readers to the Prolific Works authors that they’re so eager to discover. We have a mission to accelerate great stories and big ideas, and our newsletter is a public commitment to sharing your stories and ideas with the world. However, not every reader wants to stay connected via email, so we also actively share giveaways and engage with readers on our Facebook and Twitter pages, and continuously recommend new reads via our recommendation engine after a reader claims a book on our site.

Q: How do readers sign up for the Prolific Works mailing list?

A: Prior to August 23, 2017, every reader who claimed a book on the Prolific Works site was subscribed to our mailing list. When we launched the Prolific Works App, we were given the opportunity to make improvements to our claims process, including verifying reader email addresses through a double opt-in. Starting on August 23, 2017, we also began giving readers the option to opt-in to our mailing list when they verified their email address after claiming a book from Prolific Works for the first time. Readers may choose to receive any of the above daily newsletters, ensuring that they are interested in and excited about the emails they receive from us, and enabling us to adhere to industry-recommended practice of permission-based email marketing.

Q: How does Prolific Works select the books that are featured?

A: All public Prolific Works giveaways are eligible to be featured in the newsletter, and we don't charge a fee for any of our features. Our production team selects individual books from all the eligible giveaways on the site, and pays special attention to how much each author has been actively sharing their giveaway with readers. At Prolific Works, our policy is "You Share, We Share", and we want to reward you for all of the effort you put into marketing and promoting your giveaway to readers.

Additionally, beginning May 25, 2018, giveaways must also be optional opt-in to be eligible for a feature in our newsletter.

Q: How does Prolific Works select the group giveaways that are featured?

A: Currently, group giveaway features are scheduled with our production team on the basis of availability. A group giveaway is eligible for a feature if it meets our guidelines, which include having a minimum of 10 participating authors with their own Prolific Works accounts, using active Prolific Works links on the landing page, and providing the production team with a graphic one week in advance of the feature. Additionally, beginning May 25, 2018, group giveaways must also be optional opt-in to be eligible for a feature in our newsletter. For a full list of guidelines and to check on availability, please email our production team at production@prolificworks.com.