As an author prepping to publish a book, I'm starting to realize how important it is to find your readers. Between reading blog posts both by Alexa Bigwarfe at Write.Publish.Sell and Jenn Hanson-dePaula at Mixtus Media, plus learning from my own experiences, I'm starting to see that the main key to finding devoted readers is to engage with them.
When we think of marketing, it's common for people to plaster their links everywhere online with a "Look at me, look at me" attitude. I do it too, though I'm trying to get better at it. You don't like telemarketers calling you repeatedly promoting their stuff, so why would you want to see the constant posts about books, unless you're getting something in return?
This is where engagement comes in. Jenn Hanson-dePaula notes in her article How Authors Can Amplify a Small Audience that it's not the number that necessarily matters, it's the interaction. With a smaller audience, you can ask them what they want. What kind of work are they looking for? What about swag? Are there particular items they'd like to see go along with the book? How do they find authors? What social media platforms attract their attention most? Get your readers involved and listen to the advice they have to offer. It can help you modify your marketing platform, especially if you think you're getting all the attention from wattpad, only to find out that twitter actually gives you the best following. Go check out her article. She has a ton of fabulous advice.
Twitter is a really great place to meet and chat with your readers. I mentioned in a previous blog post that you can find your community there. Well, that's the same if you're looking for readers. Talk with people who have the same interests. Find hashtags that you both share. Heck, post up some of your favorite movies, animals, shows, books, or hangouts. It doesn't all have to be about your book. Your readers want to see that you're a person, too. And honestly, that helps them connect with you better because then they don't feel like you're on such a high pedestal. For example, I'm doing #pitchwars this year, and when I found out that one of the mentors I was submitting to was an avid Avatar The Last Airbender fan, the intimidation I felt fled because I could connect with her due to our shared interest in the show. We're all people; we all want to be treated that way.
When readers send you reviews, compliment your work, or show intrigue in your pitch, there are a couple of things to remember. One, thank them. They took the time to let you know how they felt. They deserve your gratitude. Second, if they're writing a book too, ask them about it. I've made a lot of friendships both on twitter and wattpad simply because we had a lot of books in common (both through reading and writing!). Communicate. Have a conversation. Let them know that they're important, too. Granted, it might take time to get back to them all, but if they can take the time to thank you, you can do the same.
Writing a book is a big deal, and you might feel like you're offering plenty to your readers by publishing it. But there are other things you can do, too. Write helpful blogs for your readers. Not only does this bring them into your world, they get a taste of your writing, and you might be able to help them with something they're struggling with. Part of the reason I write writing tip blogs is because that's how I learned. I read online blogs. I ask questions of the writers. I chat with the people in the comments, because I like to engage and learn from the community. Providing workshops, helpful tips, or even inspirational memes can brighten your reader's day and let them know you care.
Writers are often introverted people, I get it. And maybe these kinds of ideas won't work for you. So then, ask yourself, what would make you comfortable to interact with your readers? What can you do to work your way into the community that's not going to stress you out too much, but also will give you a chance to find the people who want to buy your book? If you have ideas, feel free to post them in the comments!
I hope that this helps a bit! A big thank you again to Alexa Bigwarfe and Jenn Hanson-dePaula for all their inspirational posts.
Happy Writing!