Foreword and Editorial Review by Dr Mike Broadly
Email Marketing Was Rocket Science to Me Until I Read this SMART Book by my distinguished mentor, Dr Mehmet Yildiz
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Over eight months ago, I was fortunate enough to receive early access to the original manuscript of this book. At that time, it was over a thousand pages—a vast, rich body of knowledge that could have easily become overwhelming. However, as a line editor and alpha reader, my role was not only to help refine and structure it into a concise and impactful 360-page guide, but also to learn from every nuanced insight embedded within it.
And I did. I began applying the strategies immediately to my own Substack, practicing everything the author teaches: from warm list-building to email copy that converts, from automation with a human touch to cold outreach done the smart way.
Back then, I had around 500 subscribers. Today, I have over 97,000 and have become a bestselling Substack writer—entirely through organic growth fueled by the principles in this book. As a retired scientist and public health consultant, email campaigns are important to me to raise awareness in public health. Thus, this book was a godsend to me.
This is not just another book on email marketing. It is a distilled body of lived experience, systematized for freelancers, creators, and startups who want clarity, strategy, and meaningful results, cleverly structured by a distinguished architect, a cognitive scientist, an educator, and a seasoned content marketing strategy expert.
Unlike theoretical marketing guides filled with abstract jargon, this book walks beside you like a mentor. It shows you how to build relationships through email—ones that lead to trust, collaboration, and sustainable business growth.
Every chapter is shaped by the author’s decades of experience across global corporations, independent consultancy, and platform-building. What stands out is not only his credibility but also his generosity in teaching. From foundational principles to advanced content integration, this guide is designed to meet you where you are and take you further.
The cold email chapter, for example, changed how I approach professional outreach. It reframes cold emailing as a warm, thoughtful form of communication that, when done with care, can open doors that even paid advertising cannot. That alone reshaped how I engage with potential partners, mentors, and readers.
But perhaps the most remarkable part of this book is its human voice. It is not about building a big list for vanity metrics. It is about using email as a tool to nurture the right connections—connections that can transform your creative or business life.
This compelling and educational book emphasizes the SMART framework, including Segmentation, Measurable Growth, Automation, Relationship-building, and Targeted Content Integration, and shows how to use each with strategic intention.
This book will not just improve your email marketing. It will rewire how you think about trust, visibility, and digital relationships.
It helped me grow my audience from a few hundred to tens of thousands. It helped me become a credible writer, increasing my reach to thousands of loyal readers in my retirement years, which I couldn’t dream of before. And it all began with one thoughtful manuscript and a willingness to learn.
The clarity, warmth, and practicality of this book made it stand out to me. Dr. Yildiz does not just teach you how to write better emails—he shows you how to build a complete, human-centered system that grows your business with purpose in simple language and conversational tone. You will learn to turn emails into meaningful conversations, write with authenticity, and connect with the right people at the right time—all without losing your voice or falling into spammy tactics.
As someone who helped distill the original 1,000+ page manuscript into this concise and powerful guide, I saw firsthand how deeply this book is rooted in experience. It covers everything from selecting the right tools and building your list to smart automation, CRM integration, and behavior-driven growth—all explained in a way that is actionable and grounded. It is not about chasing metrics. It is about building a thoughtful, sustainable email marketing ecosystem that supports your long-term goals.
Whether you're a freelancer, a Substack writer, a startup founder, a scientific researcher like me, or someone simply looking to build an audience without compromising your values, this book is your compass. It shows you how to stop guessing and start growing—strategically, ethically, and effectively. I followed its advice and went from 500 to 97,000 subscribers. This book is more than a guide. It is a breakthrough.
If you are serious about growing your work with depth, purpose, and long-term vision, this book is your blueprint.
April 2025