Article
Troubleshooting Email & Newsletter Delivery
Why your newsletters might not be reaching subscribers and how to fix deliverability issues — spam filters, bounce rates, and authentication.
Updated April 10, 20261 views
If your newsletters aren't reaching your subscribers' inboxes, this guide helps diagnose and resolve delivery issues.
Common Delivery Issues
Low Open Rates (Below 15%)
| Possible Cause | Solution |
|---|---|
| Emails going to spam | See "Avoiding Spam Filters" below |
| Bad subject lines | Test with more engaging, specific subjects |
| Wrong send time | Check your reader demographics for optimal timing |
| List decay | Run list hygiene to remove unengaged subscribers |
High Bounce Rate (Above 5%)
| Bounce Type | Cause | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| Hard bounces | Email address doesn't exist | Remove these addresses immediately |
| Soft bounces | Mailbox full, server temporary issue | Retry automatically; remove after 3 soft bounces |
Emails Going to Spam
Improve deliverability:
- Don't use ALL CAPS or excessive punctuation!!! in subject lines
- Avoid spam trigger words: "Buy now!", "Limited time!", "Act fast!"
- Include a plain-text version — BookAuth does this automatically
- Include your physical address — required by CAN-SPAM (BookAuth includes this in footer)
- Make unsubscribe easy — BookAuth includes unsubscribe links automatically
- Send consistently — irregular sending patterns trigger spam filters
- Maintain list hygiene — remove bounced addresses promptly
Subscribers Not Receiving Emails At All
- Ask the subscriber to check their spam/junk folder
- Ask them to add your sending address to their contacts/safe senders
- Check if the subscriber's email bounced (Subscribers > filter by bounced)
- Verify the subscriber is Active status (not Unsubscribed)
Testing Your Emails
Before sending to your full list:
- Send a test email to yourself first
- Check it in Gmail, Outlook, and Apple Mail (rendering differs)
- Test on mobile to ensure proper formatting
- Verify all links work
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What email address are newsletters sent from?
A: Newsletters are sent from a BookAuth sending domain. Your author name appears as the "From" name.
Q: Can I authenticate my own domain?
A: Custom sending domain authentication is planned for the Business plan.
Related Articles
- Sending Newsletter Campaigns
- Managing Your Subscriber List
- Newsletter Analytics & Reporting