Newsletter Calendar & Scheduling
How to use the newsletter calendar to plan, schedule, and coordinate your email campaigns for maximum impact.
The Newsletter Calendar gives you a visual overview of all your scheduled campaigns, past sends, and upcoming sequences. Use it to plan your email marketing strategy and avoid over-sending.
What You'll Learn
- How to access and navigate the calendar view
- How to schedule campaigns in advance
- Planning your email marketing cadence
- Coordinating emails with book launches
Accessing the Calendar
Navigate to Marketing > Newsletters > Calendar from the sidebar.
The calendar displays:
- Scheduled campaigns — future sends shown in blue
- Sent campaigns — past sends shown in green
- Active sequences — ongoing drip emails shown in purple
- Draft campaigns — saved but unsent shown in gray
Scheduling a Campaign
When composing a campaign, instead of clicking "Send Now":
- Select "Schedule for..." in the send options
- Pick a date from the calendar picker
- Set a time — choose the specific hour and timezone
- Click "Schedule" — the campaign is queued for automated sending
You'll see the scheduled campaign appear on the calendar view with a "Scheduled" badge.
Editing a Scheduled Campaign
- Click the scheduled campaign on the calendar
- Edit the content, subject line, or recipients
- Resave — the scheduled time is preserved unless you change it
- Cancel — delete the schedule and return to Draft
Planning Your Email Cadence
Frequency Guidelines
| Subscriber Relationship | Recommended Frequency |
|---|---|
| New subscribers (first 30 days) | Welcome sequence handles this (automated) |
| Active subscribers | 2-4 emails per month |
| Engaged fans | Weekly is acceptable |
| General list | 1-2 emails per month |
The "Right" Frequency
The optimal email frequency depends on your content quality:
- If every email delivers value (new release, genuine update, exclusive content), readers welcome weekly emails
- If you're sending filler content ("just checking in!"), monthly is too much
Rule of thumb: Only send an email when you have something genuinely useful or interesting to share.
Launch Coordination Calendar
For a book launch, your calendar might look like:
| Date | Audience | |
|---|---|---|
| Launch - 6 weeks | ARC Campaign Announcement | All subscribers |
| Launch - 4 weeks | Cover Reveal + Pre-order | All subscribers |
| Launch - 1 week | Countdown + Excerpt | All subscribers |
| Launch Day | It's Here! + Buy Link | All subscribers |
| Launch + 3 days | "How are you enjoying it?" | Purchasers (tagged) |
| Launch + 1 week | Review Request | Purchasers + ARC readers |
| Launch + 2 weeks | "What readers are saying" | All subscribers |
Planning this sequence in the calendar prevents overlap and ensures consistent spacing.
Avoiding Over-Sending
Signs You're Sending Too Much
- Unsubscribe rate above 1% per campaign
- Open rates declining over time
- Spam complaints increasing
- Subscribers marking your emails as read without opening
Calendar-Based Prevention
Use the calendar's month view to check:
- No more than 2 emails in any 7-day period (unless it's a launch week)
- No more than 6-8 emails per month
- At least 2-3 days between sends
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Can I see when my automated sequences will fire?
A: Sequence sends appear on the calendar as purple markers, showing when subscribers in active sequences will receive their next email.
Q: Can I schedule an email for a specific timezone?
A: You set the schedule in your local timezone. Timezone-based sending (sending at 9 AM in each subscriber's timezone) is planned for a future update.
Q: What happens if I schedule two campaigns for the same time?
A: Both will send. The calendar wouldn't block this, but it's generally a bad practice. Use the visual view to avoid conflicts.
Related Articles
- Sending Newsletter Campaigns
- Automated Email Sequences (Drip Campaigns)
- Email Templates & Reusable Layouts