Getting new readers is one of the main goals of authors wishing to grow their businesses. It's what we at Authors Allies by Blue Dot are most asked about and the number one piece of our strategy with our clients. With a little time, creativity and strategy, you can keep your readership continuously growing. Here are some of the best ways to make it happen.
Utilize social media to promote your book.
Platforms like TikTok, Facebook, and Instagram are great ways to reach a large audience. Twitter used to be a top contender but has fallen in recent years. We will have to watch to see how that trends. Create a social media presence for yourself as an author and use it to share updates about your book, including the cover, release date, and quotes from reviews. Share your own thoughts about writing, publishing, and the process of creating your book. Show people the behind-the-scenes views of where you write, your beloved pet, and your own favorite books.
Engage with readers and other authors by responding to comments and messages. Just starting a social media page isn't enough if you aren't willing to engage. It's called "social" media for a reason.
Build relationships with other authors.
Networking with other writers can help you gain exposure and connect with new readers. Some ways to do this are to reach out to other authors in your genre and ask to read and review their books. You could offer to interview them on your blog or podcast or see if they will swap promotions with you. By working together, you can help each other grow your audiences.
Participate in online book communities.
There are many online book clubs, reading groups, and forums where you can connect with readers and other authors. It’s great to share your book with these communities and ask for feedback.
A few other tips
You can also participate in discussions about books, writing, and publishing. By becoming an active member of these communities, you can gain exposure for your book and connect with readers who are interested in the same types of books as yours.
These online communities, like Goodreads, are typically made up of serious readers and you will most likely both enjoy and prosper from your interactions there.
In addition to the above suggestions, you could also try a few other things like:
create a well-designed website
create GoodReads and Amazon author pages
be sure to have a good, quality book cover to appeal to your readers
reach out to bloggers, bookstagrammers and Booktubers to give see if they will give you a review in exchange for a free copy of the book
try some paid advertising, give away free ebooks, and consider running giveaways
One final thing we suggest is to do some local signings or book tours. These are fantastic for gaining new readers as the fact that they can actually meet you in person ups the ante for future reading.
There are endless ways to gather new readers. If you need help getting any promotions, marketing or book tours together, reach out and schedule a FREE brainstorming session with us. We are here to help.
Rebecca Paciorek is an Online Business Manager specializing in assisting in the growth of your business through traditional and digital means.
*I often recommend products and services that I use or that have been recommended to me by people we trust. In many cases these recommendations are accompanied by an affiliate link, which provides me with a referral commission should you click through and make a purchase.