Why You Should Build Your Audience Before You Write Your Next Book
There’s nothing worse than publishing a book to an empty room
As indie writers we’re responsible. Period. Not only are we in charge of the writing, but we’ve got the marketing and all the paperwork to take care of as well. We’re crunched for time. And we’ve got to spend a lot of that time writing if we want to produce a decent body of work.
So, why not give yourself the best opportunity for success?
Like many entrepreneurs, writers believe they should finish the book before they find a reader. “I’ve got nothing to share if I don’t have a book,” or “Why would anyone care what I have to say if I can’t sell them anything yet?”
These are valid questions, but they’re misdirected.
If we have no readers we can write all the books in the world, but we won’t sell a copy. No one will help sell our books but ourselves. We’re responsible for the whole she-bang. If we don’t build the audience we’ll launch our books to an empty room.
Amazon won’t sell your books for you.
iBooks, Kobo, Toleno, and all the others won’t sell your books for you.
These are delivery mechanisms — marketplaces. Sure, these sites push books, but they only promote work that already sells. These platforms are in the business to make money, so they only bet on sure things. Your new book is not a sure thing. You’re a liability until you can prove your book will sell.
Before we can get recognized by the platforms we’ve got to build a list.
(tap here to collect your first 1000 readers today)
Your audience is your lifeline
Not only can you build a loyal readership with your email list, but you also build an insurance policy against financial ruin. Social media platforms can shut you down any time. Amazon can change their sales algorithms (freaking algorithms). If you build your writing business on the back of another’s platform, you’re guaranteed to get burned.
Your email list sells books.
Not only can you build a loyal readership, but your list moves books. As long as you’ve got targeted subscribers who love your work, every time you launch a new book you’ll have a pre-filled line of buyers at the door.
Your email list sells your back-catalog.
Not only will you sell your new books, but you can automatically remind your readers of your back-catalog. Maybe you wrote a book five years ago and it doesn’t have much traction. Email will solve this.
Your email list ensures they won’t forget about you.
This happens all the time. A famous person will die and it’s all over the news. But you think to yourself “huh, I though they were already dead — weird.” And you go about your day. That poor famous person hadn’t been in the limelight in twenty years.
We pay most-attention to that which is before us.
Email forces your audience to remember you. To let them know you’re still breathing and typing (hopefully, simultaneously). Email gives your readers a nudge in your direction. They’re got a million choices for their time. Reading is time-consuming. We can only read one book at a time. You want your readers to choose you.
(tap here to join the Tribe 1K and get your first lesson instantly)
Your audience will help steer your work
Want to write a successful book BEFORE you write it? Build a list. I know it sounds strange, but if you grow a sizable list (500–1000+) your readers will help steer the direction of your work towards books they want to buy.
“What? No one compromises my art!”
Sure, you write for yourself first. You’re the first reader of all your books, but what if your idea for the next series is a total dud? What if all your readers want is MORE of the series you have?
I’ve used my list to help select the most-compelling book cover, hooks, descriptions, and more.
Your readers love to be involved in the process. This gives them a feel of ownership in your work. They are half the equation, right? When you give them choices, maybe help pick the premise or topic of your next book, you cement that author-reader relationship.
“This is garbage. I give my readers what I want them to read and either they like it or not.”
Cool. There are many writers who feel this way. It’s like force-feeding peas to a five-year-old who hates peas. Stick your fancy book in front of non-invested readers and you’ll get nothing but crickets.
It’s still your book. The reader isn’t writing the thing.
But if you include her in the process, even just a little, you’ll create a trusting, reader-author bond that will last a long time. And it’s much easier to sell a book to a current reader than it is to find a cold reader (about 10X easier).
…but if you involve them in the process you’ll be surprised.
(tap here to join the Tribe 1K and write books that sell)
The best time to start your list was six years ago
The second best time to start your email list is now. We all start from zero. Maybe your mom comes aboard, and your neighbor, Rufus. The momentum builds. We get our first 100, then we get 200, then we hit the first 1,000. Now we’re into book-moving territory.
It doesn’t take a huge list to make a living writing.
You don’t need 400,000 subs to keep the lights on and your Netflix account current. But you DO need a list if you want to write full-time. There are folks who write without, but there are also people who drive without seat belts and climb cliffs without ropes.
It’s not a question of if, but of when.
It’s time to own your platform. Why give some other huge site such leverage over your life — no thanks. When we own our list we own our livelihood. No one can take that away from you (although you should back-up your email list offline periodically in case you lose your service provider).
We want what you’re writing, but we’ll never know until you tell us.
It’s time to build your platform. It’s time to start your list. No one’s coming to save you. This is the exciting part. You’re responsible for everything. You get all the credit when this works.
We’re waiting for you.