Q2 Week 6 MARKETING: Reader Magnets
A Reader Magnet is any material that aims to attract a potential reader onto your newsletter mailing list. This could be a bonus piece of writing like an epilogue or prequel. It could be extra material like a map of the fantasy world or a redacted file on the spy hero. It could even be a full book from your catalog.
The point is that this Reader Magnet is only available from you if the reader signs up to your newsletter mailing list. THIS IS A KEY POINT. If you make the Reader Magnet available for sale or free download elsewhere, it loses much of its appeal. But before we start building a reader magnet, we have to determine who it’s for?
WHO ARE YOU TRYING TO ATTRACT?
There are two types of people who might be attracted to your reader magnet. Brand new readers (who I call Entry Point Readers) who don’t know who you are and have not read any of your book(s), and a reader who has gotten all the way to the end of one of your books, who is not on your newsletter. Those readers I call Back of the Book Readers.
Let’s talk about the first type; the Entry Point Reader. They are brand new readers who know nothing about you or your book(s).
This type of reader likely will come across your reader magnet and that will be the first thing they read of yours. The reader magnet is the entry point into your world. Which puts a lot of pressure on that poor reader magnet. Because if they like the reader magnet, then fingers crossed that they go on to buy one of your books.
The Entry Point would need to be something like a prequel novella or short story that will launch brand new readers into the world of your main series.
SIDE NOTE: This method works especially well if there’s a hook that leads into the first book in your series. I recommend a hook, not a cliffhanger. A hook is an unanswered question, a door left open after the action has settled. A cliffhanger is an interruption of action, or an incomplete answer. With the hook the story continues in the first book of your series. But the only way readers get that answer is by buying the book.
There are some authors who have such deep backlists that they can offer full novels (or more than one series starters) to get new readers onto their email lists.
If your goal is to start building a list of brand new readers, then you might want to focus on crafting a prequel or short story in the world of your first book or series.
Let’s talk about the second type of readers who are attracted to Reader Magnets. These are who I call the Back of the Book Readers.
These readers have purchased one or more of your books. But they ignore the call to action where you ask them to sign up to your newsletter.
I get it. We all probably get it. Who wants another email to delete?
...but what if you gave them something they wanted? For example, what if you put up a deleted scene that they could only get access to by joining your newsletter? Or what if there was an epilogue (or second epilogue) that was exclusively available to your newsletter subscribers. Note it’s best to call these bonus scenes to indicate that they are an addition to the story. Some readers might feel cheated thinking that the second epilogue should’ve been apart of the whole book.
This tactic is great to get readers -who you know like you since they read your book- onto your mailing list. These are warm bodies who you want to keep talking to, and throwing your new releases at, because they are the most likely to buy them.
With these readers, I recommend putting that magnetic incentive at the back of your book, right after The End. Also note that some folks put this on their website with the mindset that if a reader takes the trouble to search them out on the internet then they are highly motivated.
This reader magnet should be exclusive and not available anywhere or anyway else other than by signing up to your newsletter.
Well, what if you want both the Entry Point Reader and the Back of the Book reader?
That’s cool. I’m all for being greedy with readers.
But there should be two separate magnets to attract these readers.
Once an Entry Point Reader is on your newsletter, you should make the Back of the Book magnet available to them. And vice versa. If someone signs up from the Back of the Book, you should make the Entry Point magnet available to them.
For now, decide which route you’re planning to take. If you’re pre-published or haven’t yet set up your mailing list, I’d recommend focusing on the Entry Point Reader. If you have a healthy backlist and a growing mailing list, I’d recommend focusing on the Back of the Book Reader.
LAW OF ATTRACTION
So what kind of magic will you use to attract these readers? This could be a bonus piece of writing like;
deleted scene(s) that was/were cut while editing
a prequel to the story which might have been an prologue you decided to cut
an epilogue to the story that shows us the character(s) after Resolution or Happy Ending
a second epilogue that shows us the character(s) in the future past the original ending of the book
This Magnet Material could be anywhere from 500 words to a couple thousand. That might take you a couple of days to write.
First look and see what you might have that could fit this bill. If you don’t have anything, consider the time-cost of writing a piece.
Readers do more than read stories. They also love to learn more about the characters and the worlds in those stories. Here are some other creative ideas that require far fewer words than a novelette or short story.
If you write fantasy or adventure, you might consider including a map of the world. There’s software you can use to draw your own map. Or you can have it commissioned by an artist on Fiverr or 99 Designs.
If you write Small Town Romance or Historicals, then maybe consider creating a Family Tree of your characters and all their connections.
If you write Romantic Suspense, consider having a Character Profile done on your hero and heroine. I’ve even seen authors have an FBI file created with the black lines drawn through to indicate classified information about the characters.
I’ve done coloring books of my characters with software that allows me to cartoonize artwork I’ve obtained the rights for. I’ve also used designers on Fiverr to create original work. And artists I found on Instagram to do character illustrations.
The sky is the limit!
You know your audience for your category and subcategory best. So you’ll know what type of magnet will best attract that type of reader.
If you have more than one piece of material for a magnet, then JACKPOT! That’s a great problem to have.
Did you know that I’m turning these posts into a Guide and Planner? Yup, Page Turner Planning will be launched on Kickstarter later this year. Be sure and follow the campaign to know when it launches!
