Ask HN: How to talk to my mailing list after a long hiatus?

[crowdguy]

Hey HN,

Since I last collected emails, my product has gone through tons of changes and delays. I felt it was fruitless to communicate with those who expressed interest early on because I didn't know where I'd end up and whether I could deliver but I'm realizing now it was a mistake.

It's been at least a year since I last spoke with them, and I'm actually ready to show them what I've built and have them sign up for early access. I'm looking for some advice or references on how to talk to them after such a long break and how to re-acquaint them with what I'm working on right now and what steps they can take to sign up. I only plan on launching in the next 60 days (lots of things to iron out) but I want to gauge their interest and prep them for another email in the next 60 days with an account or a link to activate their account.

I'd love to hear what you think

Thanks!

[anishkothari]

I think Patrick McKenzie (patio11) was sick for some time and sent an email to his list after a hiatus. I can't seem to find it now, but I remember it was on his training[1] e-mail list and was worded pretty well. It could serve as a good reference. Apart from that, I would just send out a short update on what you've been working on with a confirmation/unsubscribe link at the bottom. Then I would send out a longer, more detailed write-up of your progress a week or so later.

[1]https://training.kalzumeus.com/

[crowdguy]

thanks