Introduction
Hey there fellow sci-fi and fantasy authors,
In this post, we will be discussing how to create a reader magnet to build your mailing list using Book Funnel. This strategy is essential for any author looking to grow their readership and establish a loyal fan base. We will be going over the basics of using Book Funnel, as well as some advanced strategies for tracking your readers and keeping them engaged.
TLDR
In this post, you’ll learn the importance of using a lead magnet to build your mailing list. Josh provides a step-by-step guide on how to create a lead magnet using the website Book Funnel, and also gives advanced strategies for tracking your readers and keeping them engaged.
If you would prefer to watch Josh talk about this topic, rather than read about it, you can click here for the video version.
BLUF
Bottom line upfront: You must upload your manuscript to bookfunnel (or a similar platform like Story Origin) and create a landing page in order to create a reader magnet for your book.
First and foremost
So, the first piece of advice I have for you is to get that book or reader magnet written first before diving into anything else.
I know it might be tempting to start messing around with all the fancy tools and tricks, but trust me, it's important to have that core piece done before moving on. Think of it like building a house - you gotta lay the foundation before you can start adding on all the cool features.
So, take the time to write that book or reader magnet, and then you can move on to the next steps!
Get A Bookfunnel Account
After that, you’ve got to get a Book Funnel account.
When it comes to pricing plans, BookfWordPressunnel has a bunch to choose from. But my recommendation for everyone, whether you're just starting out or a pro, is to stick with the midlist author plan and maybe add the $50 add-on. This add-on lets you track where your leads are coming from, like social media or your website.
NOTE: While Bookfunnel is the preferred platform, there are alternatives. Another option is StoryOrigin. The pricing and functionality are similar. Another option is to build your own landing page on a website/webmail provider such as Wix, WordPress, or Mailerlite. However, this is not ideal or recommended.
Upload your book manuscript
Once you are logged in, go to the "Books" tab and select "Add New Book." Fill in all the necessary information about your book, including the title, author name, and cover image. Next, upload your book file in the format of your choice (e.g. Kindle, PDF, etc.).
Once your book is uploaded, you can then generate a unique link for readers to download it. This link can be shared on your website, social media, or through email marketing campaigns. If you have multiple books, you can also create a series page on BookFunnel to group your books together and make it easier for readers to find them.
NOTE: To track the number of downloads, you can view the analytics on your BookFunnel dashboard. This will give you an idea of how many readers are downloading your book and where they are coming from.
Creating a Landing Page with Book Funnel
Next, you gotta create a landing page.
It's easy, just go to "Add New" then "Landing Page" or select "Landing Pages" and then "Add New Landing Page." From there, you'll pick your template and name your page. The main goal here is to collect new readers' email addresses so they can receive your book.
This is what it will look like once you've completed all of the steps:
Example Lead Magnet/Reader magnet
Follow-on Actions
While this post is mainly to cover how to put your book on Bonookfunnel, the following is just a brief overview of the next steps. We’ll go into much deeper detail, in later episodes.
Collect Leads
Once you have the landing page link for your book, you can post it on various social media, such as your Instagram profile, Facebook groups (especially for free books), and your Linktree account. Additionally, you can post it on your website and share it with prospective readers. Heck, you can even print out QR codes that people can scan with their phones.
Example Facebook Post
Example of Linktree In IG Profile
Example of Linktree
Run Swaps and Promotions
You can also run book swaps or join book promotions.
Both involve you coordinating with other authors, ideally in your chosen genre/niche. A swap is between an individual author, where you and that person agree to promote each other’s book on your newsletter/social media. Promotions, on the other hand, are where you and other authors in your genre pull your books together on a landing page, then direct traffic to it. These are super simple and very helpful for beginning authors.
Example of a free book promo
Build Newsletter
As people sign up for your reader magnet, Bookfunnel will collect their email addresses. You then use a newsletter provider (such as Mailerlite) to email them an onboarding sequence. After that, you message the readers as frequently or infrequently as you desire. Once a month is probably the minimum recommendation. And twice a week is probably the maximum.
Advanced Strategies
Once you have published your main book, there are some advanced strategies you can implement to keep your readers engaged. One such strategy is to include a reader magnet at the end of your book or series. This can be a short story, cut scene, deleted scene, or any other type of material that will keep your readers interested and coming back for more. Additionally, this will help you track how fast readers are reading your books and how often you should be creating new materials.
Example of a short reader magnet
Recap
In this post, we discussed the importance of creating a reader magnet to build your mailing list as a science fiction and fantasy author. We walked through the steps of setting up a landing page on Book Funnel and using it to collect email addresses from prospective readers. We also touched on the advanced strategy of using reader magnets at the end of each book in a series to keep readers engaged and track their reading habits. Overall, the goal is to build a fanbase and keep readers interested in your work.
Conclusion
In conclusion, creating a reader magnet with Bookfunnel is an essential strategy for any author looking to grow their readership and establish a loyal fan base. By following the steps outlined in this post, you can create a landing page, track your leads, and implement advanced strategies to keep your readers engaged. Remember to subscribe to our channel for more information on how to create science fiction reader magnets and publishing in general.
Action Items
To recap, here are the actionable steps in chronological order:
Sign up for a BookFunnel account and select the Mid-List Author pricing plan.
Upload your reader magnet manuscript
Create a landing page using the Email Sign Up Page option to collect new readers.
Customize the theme of the landing page to match the aesthetic of your book.
Use the short link provided by BookFunnel to share your landing page on social media and other platforms.
Once your main book is published, include a reader magnet at the end of the book to keep readers engaged and track their reading progress.
Continue to build and engage your mailing list through an onboarding sequence and newsletter.
Experiment with different strategies and track the success rate of each one to find what works best for your audience.
Additional Materials
You can watch the video version of this here.
Download Josh’s list of reader magnet ideas here
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About the author
Josh is a military veteran, public speaker, and father of three. Josh has published multiple science fiction, fantasy, and nonfiction books. When not writing, Josh plays video games like Mass Effect, God of War, and Mortal Kombat. Growing up as a comic book geek in the 80s, Josh has an affinity for superhero stories. He's also a huge fan of classic Star Wars and owns multiple lightsabers. His other hobbies include powerlifting, roller skating, and beach bumming.