When I look at the people I learn from, I can almost always trace their success back to a specific moment.

A few examples:

I found Daniel Throssell when he got his big break from a single classified ad in Ben Settle’s email list.

I discovered John Bejakovic because Daniel mentioned him.

And many others I’ve bought from or learned from? I first heard about them through those two.

That’s how it usually goes, isn’t it?

I can’t remember ever subscribing to an email list just because I was googling “copywriting tips” and stumbled onto a homepage that blew me away. That almost never happens.

Instead—about 90% of the time—I find people through word of mouth.

Somebody I trust says, “Hey, you should check this person out,” and I do.

That includes my own copywriting journey.

I didn’t get into it by reading a blog post or a YouTube video. I started my career with CopyHour, a copywriting course, because someone recommended it in a random Facebook post.

All of this is to say: referrals are a powerful way to grow your list.

And there are two main ways to get them:

This is when you put yourself out there.

You swap email lists.

You run ads in other newsletters.

You guest on podcasts or contribute to someone’s product.

You intentionally step into places where people might hear about you and spread the word.

This one’s trickier, but often more powerful.

Here, you do something so unusually good…so useful, insightful, or just plain bold that people want to talk about it.

Maybe it’s a daily writing challenge.

Maybe it’s a PDF that explains something no one else has ever said before.

Maybe it’s a tool, an idea, or a story that solves a nagging problem better than anything else out there.

This kind of work travels on its own.

Those two are the “best practices” when it comes to growing a list.

But lately, I’ve been thinking about a third idea I haven’t tested yet but might try.

A raffle.

Specifically: giving away a physical book on LinkedIn to people who join my list.

This idea came up because I happen to own multiple copies of the same book. Sure, I can place them around the house so I can read a few pages whenever I want. But why not give one away so someone else can enjoy it too?

I haven’t seen anyone else try this, at least not in my circles.

And if I do go through with it, you’ll be the first to hear how it turns out.