Q2 Week 10 MARKETING: Reader Funnels
You’ve set up your newsletter. You’ve built a welcome sequence. You’ve optimized your backmatter with a few smart calls to action. Great! But now I have a question for you: Have you thought about the journey you want your reader to take after they finish your book?
In an ideal world, a new reader stumbles onto one of your books, devours it, falls in love with your characters or writing style, and instantly wants more. But unless you’ve mapped out what “more” looks like, that potential superfandom can slip away. That’s where the Reader Funnel comes in.
A funnel is a structure—it starts wide, then narrows. In marketing terms, it’s the path a customer takes from discovery to devotion. In publishing, your funnel begins the moment a reader picks up one of your books—any book, from anywhere—and ends with them becoming a loyal fan who eagerly reads everything you publish (and tells their friends, too).
So ask yourself: If a reader enters your world through Book 3, what do you want them to read next? If they start with a standalone, how do you point them toward a connected series or favorite backlist title? If they find you through a free novella, where do you guide them next?
An author's backlist can be a goldmine if you build a system to guide readers through it. That system is your reader funnel. It’s the hidden architecture of your brand, and it can be gently constructed using tools you already have: your backmatter, your email sequences, and your reader magnets.
You need to design that funnel with intention—starting with what comes after The End. Because a finished book shouldn’t be a goodbye. It should be an invitation.
CHOOSE YOUR READER ADVENTURE
Let’s talk about designing your Reader Funnel. It should be a strategic path that guides readers through your catalog one book at a time. When a reader finishes Book One, your backmatter should invite them to read Book Two. From there, the goal is to create a habit: one-clicking their way through the entire series. But what happens when they get to the end? Where should they go next?
Here’s how I do it: At the end of Book One—the first in an eleven-book series—I direct readers to the next book, no distractions. My main goal early in the series is to build momentum. I don’t even mention my reader magnet until Book Three. That way, readers are already invested and more likely to sign up for extras. You do NOT have to do it that way. Determine your goals and plan accordingly.
When the series begins to cross over with another, I include a reading order that shows how the books from both series fit together. Still, I hold off on promoting the reader magnet until that midpoint. By then, they’ve met enough characters and explored enough of my world that a bonus story becomes irresistible.
This same strategy can apply even if you write standalone novels. You still want to guide readers to their next read—whether it’s done at the back of the book, on your website, in your newsletter, or even on the product page of your online retailer.
However you approach it, you need a plan for how you want readers to move through your backlist. So right now, take a few minutes to sketch that plan—on paper, in your bullet journal, or digitally. Map the reader journey the way you would a plot: with intention, purpose, and a satisfying ending that keeps them coming back for more.
Your Homework:
1. Draft your reader funnel. List each book you’ve published and write down what action you want the reader to take at the end of each.
2. Choose one or two calls to action per book.
3. Create (or update) a reading order page or series funnel graphic.
Once you’ve done that, your job becomes simple: keep feeding your funnel. With every new reader, every new book, and every automation email, you’re guiding your readers on a long, satisfying journey—and turning casual browsers into die-hard fans.
Did you know that this post comes from a new nonfiction book I’ve written of weekly craft, marketing and business advice. I’ll be launching it on Kickstarter later this summer. Be sure and FOLLOW THE CAMPAIGN to learn more!
