Despite all the new social media platforms, one thing hasn’t changed: the permission to get into people’s inboxes is still one of the most powerful tools you can wield when it comes to marketing and communication. Facebook posts are getting seen less and less, Twitter feeds are getting more full, Pinterest is exploding in popularity and pin quantity—but everyone still checks their email.

In fact, for an author, an email list may be even more important than a blog. And it’s never too early to start building your email list.