1. Pick one narrow member type
Choose one job title and one situation, not a whole market. For example: indie romance authors who just self-published their first book, or solo bookkeepers who left a firm in the last year. Write it as one sentence and only email people who match it.
2. Find people with a visible, recent need
Look where they already talk in public: r/selfpublish, r/freelance, Indie Hackers, niche Discord servers, Bluesky and X posts. Search phrases like "anyone else struggling with" or "looking for other" plus your niche. A recent post gives you a real reason to write.
3. Get a real email address
Check their website contact page, newsletter footer, Substack about page or GitHub profile. If you only find a social handle, send a DM with the same message. Never buy lists. They kill your replies and your domain.
4. Open with them, not your community
Your first line should show you read what they wrote. Example: "Saw your post about launching your second romance novel with no ARC readers lined up." One sentence, specific, true. If you cannot write that line, skip the person.
5. Make one small, clear ask
Keep the email under 90 words and ask for one thing that is easy to answer. Example: "I run a small group of 30 indie romance authors who swap ARC reads every month. Want me to send you the next sign-up?" A yes or no question gets far more replies than "let me know your thoughts."
6. Use a plain subject line
Write it like a note from a peer. Examples: "your ARC reader question" or "re: your post in r/selfpublish". Skip caps, emojis and words like "opportunity".
7. Follow up once, then stop
If there is no reply after 4 or 5 days, send one short follow-up in the same thread. Example: "Bumping this in case it got buried. Happy to send the sign-up link if useful." Then move on. Track who you emailed and who replied in a simple spreadsheet.
8. Send 10 a day and adjust
Send 10 personal emails a day for two weeks and note which first lines and asks get replies. Rewrite the weak parts and keep the ones that work. Hulby, an AI cofounder, does this daily for founders by finding the right people and drafting the first message.
People asking this right now
Real, public posts from the last few weeks. Each one is somebody you could help today.
- 🍂 We're Thankful for YOU! 🍂Tanner is showing our appreciation with a month-long giveaway! We're grateful for our customers and community, (Bluesky)
- it's times like this i am thankful for my community and customers who are so patient with me. i know i've been going slow with my commission (Bluesky)
- btw, those affected by the #a03 outage, i assure you, the romance writer community is more than happy to send each other customers! just fin (Bluesky)
Mistakes to skip
- Opening with a paragraph about your community and its mission.
- Emailing everyone in a broad niche instead of people with a recent, specific need.
- Asking them to join or pay in the first email.
- Sending five follow-ups or a follow-up that guilt-trips.
Want this done for your community, every day?
Hulby finds the people asking for what you built, writes every reply and email, and keeps you on it until they pay. Free to start.
Find my first customersQuestions
How long should a cold email for a community be?
Under 90 words. Three or four short sentences: why you are writing, what you run, one simple question.
Should I mention the price in the first email?
No. Get a reply first. Share price once they show interest or ask.
Is it okay to email people I found on Reddit or Discord?
Yes, if their email is public and your note relates to what they posted. Do not scrape member lists or spam a server's DMs.
What reply rate should I expect?
It varies a lot by niche and how personal each email is. Track your own numbers for two weeks and improve from there instead of chasing a benchmark.