Readers love getting an immediate reward for subscribing to an author’s email newsletter. A well-designed reader magnet is one of the best ways to grow an email list. Unfortunately, most reader magnets do not work.
Many authors write a short story, upload it to BookFunnel, and get no subscribers. Then they complain in Facebook groups and declare, “Reader magnets don’t work anymore.”
Just because something did not work for you does not mean it does not work for anyone. To make reader magnets effective, you must know what you are doing and create the kind of magnet readers actually want.
I regularly hear from listeners who grow their email newsletter subscriber list from zero subscribers to more than 1,000, often in just a few weeks, using an effective reader-magnet strategy.
What is that strategy? Do you need to my expensive course to find out?
No!
To explain it for free, I asked author and podcaster Laurie Christine how she grew her email list to thousands of subscribers using reader magnets before her first book was even published. She is the author of the Dragon Slayer Bible series (affiliate link), host of the Sword and Story Podcast, and also a producer for the Novel Marketing podcast.
You’ll discover that you can begin growing your email list right now, regardless of where you are in your writing career.
What mistake do authors make when creating their first reader magnet?
Thomas: I want to start by talking about mistakes authors make with reader magnets.
Mistake #1: Reader Magnet Isn’t Ready
The first big one is posting the very first short story they have ever written as their reader magnet. They hear me say that short stories make good reader magnets, so they write a short story and use it.
Why is this a mistake?
Laurie: As we all know, you should not publish your first book first. The same principle applies to reader magnets. The first thing you write probably will not be very good.
Your reader magnet is the first impression of your writing and of you as an author. If your story is poorly written or has a weak cover, it will not create a good impression.
It is wise to practice first, but your work does not have to be perfect. You do not need 10 years of writing practice before you publish your first reader magnet. Your writing will always continue to improve, but you do want that first reader magnet to be enjoyable for readers so they say, “This is a really good story. I want more from this author.”
Thomas: And you can always swap out your reader magnet with a new one later.
Another version of this mistake happens when the magnet was your best work from five years ago, but now you could create something much better. Your reader magnet should always represent the best work you can do.
It is also a dry run for the marketing you will eventually do for a real book. Designing a cover, writing a blurb, and promoting your reader magnet is great practice for when you publish your long-form book. The better you market your reader magnet, and the better the reading experience, the more subscribers you will gain.
Laurie: That is exactly what I did. The first reader magnet I published was my best work at the time. But six years later, it is no longer available on my website.
When I reread it, I realized it was not very good. It had been professionally edited, and it had a good cover, but my writing had grown since then. Still, that reader magnet served its purpose. It grew my mailing list to more than 1,000 subscribers.
Don’t be afraid to put your work out there. Just make sure it represents the best work you can currently produce.
Thomas: One reason I like reader magnets is that they are a safe place to fail. Many authors regret publishing their first book because, in hindsight, they realize it was not ready for publication. Unfortunately, they can never make it disappear because used copies remain forever.
A reader magnet is different. You can remove it and replace it. That early experiment can vanish, which allows you to present a stronger first impression later.
Laurie: Sometimes the links still linger on the internet. My reader magnet was a Christmas devotional, and every year around Christmastime someone emails me asking where they can find it.
Usually, I send them a private download link, so it never fully disappears.
Thomas: At some point you may need to rewrite it and bring it back.
Mistake #2: No Promo
Thomas: Another mistake I see is that authors will create a good reader magnet and put it on their homepage but do no promotion. Then they wonder why no one signs up to receive their reader magnet.
Laurie: That happens a lot. No one is going to find your reader magnet unless you promote it. You have to market your reader magnet just like you would market a book.
It is actually a great way to practice marketing before releasing a full book.
For example, you can promote through reader-magnet swaps on platforms such as StoryOrigin, BookFunnel, AuthorXP, and BookSweeps. The more appealing your reader magnet is, the better it will perform in those promotions.
You can also make it easier for readers to find by improving the SEO for your reader magnet page. I recommend creating a dedicated landing page for each reader magnet and optimizing it as if it were a real book. That gives you practice working with metadata.
Improving your SEO helps people discover your reader magnet through search engines. When someone searches online, they are usually trying to solve a problem. For example, they might be looking for a new book to read, a new author to try, or clean fiction for their fifteen-year-old son. If your landing page addresses that need, readers are more likely to find it and download your magnet.
Thomas: Google SEO tends to work better for nonfiction than fiction. If you write romance and offer a romance short story, ranking on Google can be difficult.
But the landing-page strategy still works well because you can turn that URL into a QR code. I recently built a QR-Code Generator inside the Patron Toolbox. It is one of the first free tools we have added, so it acts a bit like a reader magnet for Novel Marketing.
You can place your QR code on bookmarks, business cards, and other materials to promote your reader magnet in the real world.
Learn more about How to Use QR Codes to Boost Book Sales & Grow Your Email List.
Laurie: I love using QR codes for reader magnets. I recently printed 1,000 bookmarks to hand out at in-person events. I attend book fairs, craft shows, and homeschool conventions. So, I actually printed two sets of bookmarks, each pointing to a different reader magnet.
When I hand a bookmark to someone, I say, “Here is a free book. You can scan the QR code and download it at home.”
I used to display a QR code on a sign at my booth, but people did not want to stand there scanning and entering their email address. They wanted to keep moving, so now I give them a bookmark they can scan later.
Thomas: Another place to put that QR code is at the end of your book, in the back matter.
For nonfiction books, you might offer study guides or bonus resources. For novels, you could provide a prequel novella, a deleted scene, or a side story featuring another character.
One problem with many free QR-code generators is that they redirect through their own URL. If that service shuts down, your QR code breaks. If you generate the QR code correctly, pointing it directly to your website without redirects, it can work for decades.
Point the QR code directly to a URL that follows this format or something similar: www.yourname.com/readermagnet. As long as your website exists, the QR code will work.
Laurie: That is good advice. Some of my bookmarks link directly to BookFunnel pages. That works, but the better strategy is linking to your own website first and then directing readers to BookFunnel from there.
Thomas: You can actually do both. If you use the free Redirection plugin for WordPress, you can create a URL such as www.yourname.com/readermagnet. That page can redirect readers to BookFunnel. But later, if BookFunnel changes or shuts down, you can update the redirect without changing the QR code.
The QR code keeps working because it always points to your website. That flexibility is the key.
Mistake #3: Only 1 Reader Magnet
Thomas: Another mistake I see is authors treating their reader magnet like a single precious object. They create one magnet and think, “This is my reader magnet for all readers.”
Laurie has created over 40 reader magnets, so you clearly moved beyond that approach. Why did you stop using just one?
Laurie: I wanted to reach the widest possible group of people and address as many reader needs as possible.
All of my reader magnets target the same audience. I am not trying to attract romance readers in one place and science fiction readers somewhere else. My audience is Christian moms who are raising boys.
Some of my reader magnets are short stories for their boys. Others are resources for the moms themselves. Some focus on moms of toddlers and others serve moms with older children. They all speak to the same audience but from different angles.
I wanted to reach that audience through multiple entry points and address different pain points.
I also genuinely enjoy creating reader magnets. I have a background in graphic design, so sometimes I create printable cards, downloadable resources, or a reader magnet tied to a specific podcast episode or a particular book.
Part of it is simply that I enjoy the creative process, but strategically, it also helps me reach readers from many different directions.
Thomas: Having multiple reader magnets also helps you discover which ones resonate most with readers.
Your first reader magnet is rarely the best one you will ever create. Over time you begin to see patterns. Some magnets are clearly more popular than others.
You may also notice that certain magnets appeal strongly to a specific type of reader.
I use this strategy with the podcast. For example, I created a worksheet that helps authors write a design brief for their cover designer. It contains a set of questions that help authors communicate clearly with a designer and ultimately get a better book cover. I created that worksheet as a companion to an episode about book cover design.
Since, then I’ve also created the Book Cover Design Brief Generator tool.
Most authors do not initially think they need a tool like that. Every author will eventually need a cover, but many assume they already know how to communicate with a designer. However, when an author receives a cover they dislike and feels frustrated, that worksheet becomes incredibly valuable.
I have done this repeatedly with different episodes, creating reader magnets tailored to specific needs.
More recently, I have started creating Patron Toolbox tools as reader magnets.
A reader magnet does not have to be a short story. It could be a tool, survey, quiz, coloring page, or worksheet. I built the Reader Magnet Brainstormer, which helps authors brainstorm reader magnet ideas. It analyzes your book and generates around 30 potential reader magnet concepts tailored to your audience. You do not need to create all 30, but you should probably create more than one.
What can you learn about your readers by offering multiple reader magnets?
Laurie: Tracking which reader magnets perform best is incredibly helpful.
Not all of my reader magnets have been successful. Some have very few downloads. Others have hundreds or thousands. That data helps guide my next steps. My goal is to serve my readers, so when I see what they respond to, I can create more content around those topics.
For example, one of my most popular reader magnets focused on helping children develop contentment. So, every year around Thanksgiving or Christmas, I create another podcast episode on the topic of contentment because I know it resonates with my audience.
Another example involved a Bible reading plan. I originally released only the first year of a five-year plan, and it received hundreds of downloads. At the end of that first year, readers began emailing me asking, “Where are the other four years?” That feedback motivated me to finish the entire plan.
Reader magnets can shape what you create next. They can influence what topics you write about and even what books you publish.
If you have not written a book yet and your short story becomes very popular, that story might become the prequel to a future series.
Thomas: Many authors use reader magnets as a form of testing interest in a topic.
It is similar to serialized fiction. Instead of writing sequels, a novelist can create different reader magnets that explore a different idea or world. When one gains traction, the author can expand it into a larger project.
Sometimes a reader magnet becomes a full-length novel later. Other times an author uses a previously published novel that has run its commercial course and repurposes it as a reader magnet.
That is why I encourage authors to try the Reader Magnet Brainstormer. Often the real problem is not execution but simply finding the right idea that makes readers say, “Yes, that is exactly what I want.”
Myths About Reader Magnets
Thomas: Not only authors make mistakes about reader magnets. There is also a growing anti–reader magnet movement.
I have been in publishing long enough to see many marketing tactics rise and fall in popularity. Book launches, launch teams, and many other strategies have gone through this cycle. The tactics themselves usually still work. The problem is that people jump on the bandwagon, skip the underlying strategy, fail, and conclude that the tactic does not work.
So let’s look at some of the arguments against reader magnets.
Myth #1: Reader Magnets Train Readers to Expect Free Stuff
Laurie: Not everyone who downloads your reader magnet will become a paying reader. Some people only want free content.
However, if your magnet attracts a large enough audience and it resonates with the right readers, some of them will stick around. They will become loyal fans and happily buy your books later.
So yes, a portion of your audience may only want free material, but many others will convert into paying readers.
Thomas: It is similar to Costco samples. Someone may walk up intending only to grab the free sample, but if the sample is good enough, suddenly they want to buy the product.
Laurie: Exactly. And if someone is already hungry when they walk through the store, that sample becomes even more appealing. If your reader magnet satisfies a real hunger for a story, readers will want more.
Thomas: There is also something psychologically unique about “free.” It does not anchor price expectations the same way a simple discount does.
Take Chick-fil-A as an example. It is one of the most profitable fast-food chains per location in the United States. They charge premium prices and rarely discount their food.
But occasionally they give away free sandwiches, especially when they open a new location. The goal is simply to introduce people to their product. They can give away free samples without undermining their premium pricing because “free” occupies a different psychological category.
However, moderation matters. If Chick-fil-A gave away too many free sandwiches, customers might stop paying altogether.
Authors should also be thoughtful. A reader magnet can be free for a period of time and later become a paid product. For example, you might initially offer a short novel for free to subscribers and later sell it. There are many ways to structure pricing strategically.
Price anchoring is real, but it is not a reason to avoid reader magnets. Many authors with large email lists sell far more books because thousands of subscribers are ready to buy on launch day. That early surge helps their books rank well on Amazon, gather reviews quickly, and build momentum.
To learn more about pricing strategies, including offering free products, check out the following episodes:
- How to Use Price Pulsing to Supercharge Your Backlist Sales
- Book Marketing 101: How to Price Your Ebook
- How Free Pulsing Can Help You Sell More Books
Myth #2: Reader Magnet Subscribers Don’t Become Book Buyers
Thomas: Another argument I hear is that reader magnet subscribers are not book-buying readers.
This criticism usually appears in two forms.
The first is when authors complain that very few people sign up for the magnet. That usually points to a weak pitch, meaning the cover or description may not address the reader’s needs clearly.
One solution is to create multiple reader magnets and test different ideas.
The second criticism is more valid. Some authors get many email subscribers who never buy their books.
This can happen especially with large promotional events such as those offered through AuthorXP, BookSweeps, or StoryOrigin campaigns. You may gain some valuable readers who go on to buy your books, but you may also collect subscribers who only want free content.
The wheat and the chaff arrive together. If you are paying for subscribers or paying for email service based on list size, that can become expensive.
What do you say to people who say reader magnets do not work?
Thomas: What are your thoughts when people say reader magnets do not work and conversion rates are too low?
Laurie: First, make sure your reader magnet is focused on the right reader.
If you give away something broad, like a large-screen TV or an iPad, you will attract lots of people who just want free stuff. Those are not quality leads.
But if your reader magnet meets a real need for your ideal reader, if you know your Timothy well and understand a pain point they are struggling with, then your reader magnet will attract the right kind of person from the beginning.
Once they are on your email list, though, you have to give them a reason to stay.
Some authors make the mistake of focusing only on growing the list. They keep trying to add more and more subscribers, but they do nothing to serve the people already there.
If you want subscribers to keep finding value in what you do, you need to serve them in new ways. That might mean an onboarding sequence, a regular newsletter, or sharing new reader magnets with them.
When you create a new magnet, share it with your existing subscribers too. That is a great way to bless them.
If you write a new short story, devotional, recipe book, or another resource, give your current subscribers access to it. The longer they stay on your list, the more they will get to know you, trust you, and want to buy your books when they are released.
Thomas: An old business adage says, “What you attract people with is what you attract people to.”
The closer your reader magnet is to your actual writing, the better your conversion rates will be. If your reader magnet is similar to your book writing, you can know that your subscribers are already interested in your books or in your specific subgenre.
The bait needs to fit the fish, and it also needs to fit the kind of fish you want to catch.
How does an onboarding sequence help?
Thomas: An onboarding sequence is key.
It is not just about introducing yourself to the reader. It is also about helping the wrong reader unsubscribe. If someone does not like the reader magnet or is never going to buy from you, you do not want them on your email list.
A high initial unsubscribe rate during an onboarding sequence is not necessarily bad if it leaves you with a smaller, higher-quality list.
That is one reason I really like Kit (affiliate link). It makes onboarding sequences easy.
My Patron Toolbox tool called the Drip Email Sequencer will help you draft a series of emails for new subscribers. You simply answer a series of questions, and it writes the first four or five emails so that you have a starting point, and that is a key part of the larger strategy.
I would not put a reader magnet in front of strangers, especially through broad promotion, without an onboarding sequence to help sort the serious readers from those who just want something free.
How do you attract the right readers with a reader magnet?
Laurie: I often use the analogy of magnet fishing. You throw a magnet into the water and see what sticks. Teenage boys and Gen Z guys are really into this right now.
A reader magnet works the same way. You need a strong enough magnet to attract the kind of readers you want, and you need to fish in the right pond.
If you are fishing in a pond that does not have the right readers, then you are just throwing it out there and hoping for the best. You are not going to attract the right fish. You need the right bait, the right hook, and the right location if you want to catch the right readers.
Myth #3: Reader Magnets Detract from Selling Books
Thomas: That connects perfectly to the third counterargument, which is that reader magnets distract from what actually works, which is your books selling your other books.
To be fair, that can be a concern.
If your reader magnets are very different from your books, or if they are too short, then yes, they may detract from books you’re selling, and that can be a problem.
There is a certain kind of lazy author who does not want to do any promotion or editing. They just want to write. They put as little effort as possible into a reader magnet and write a 5,000-word short story and think people will hand over an email address for it.
That story had better be a heartbreaking work of staggering genius if you expect readers to trade their email address for 5,000 words. Readers want something more substantial that feels valuable.
Ideally, your reader magnet is a book.
If you can write quickly, and not everyone can, then a book-length work or a prequel novella is often the most effective kind of reader magnet. It introduces readers to your world and your characters.
That works much better than a 1,000-word flash-fiction prequel. A super short prequel is not enough of a sample. It would be more like smelling the food at Costco instead of actually tasting it.
Laurie: Your reader magnet should absolutely feel substantial. Readers should feel like they are getting something worthwhile in exchange for their email address.
I love the idea of offering the first book in a series or a prequel. One of my reader magnets is a prequel to my Dragon Slayer Bible series. It is free on my website as an ebook and as an audiobook. But I also sell it on Amazon as a print book. If someone wants to buy the ebook or audiobook on Amazon, they can do that too.
It does not have to be an either-or strategy.
As you think through your reader magnets, consider the different kinds of readers you want to attract.
Some readers are brand new and have never heard of you before. You definitely want to reach them. But some readers already know you. They may have found one of your books on Amazon through an ad or through a recommendation, but they are not yet on your mailing list.
You want reader magnets for both types of readers.
One option is to offer a standalone story set in your world that a new reader can enjoy without needing background knowledge. That might lead them to buy the rest of the series.
For readers who already know your books, you might offer a prequel, a side story, or a bonus story about a secondary character.
Thinking about who your readers are, and making sure you have something for each type, is really important.
Thomas: When Chris Fox came on the podcast to talk about his book How to Write 5,000 Words an Hour, he mentioned that people could buy it on Amazon for $5 or get it free from his website as a reader magnet.
That book is one of the bestselling books on writing productivity. It has tons of reviews, a strong ranking, and it sells very well as a paid product, even while other people get it free.
So he is not necessarily cannibalizing his sales. He is just keeping it out of Kindle Unlimited and using it to grow his list.
And who is interested in a book called How to Write 5,000 Words an Hour? Authors who want to learn how to write books, which is exactly the audience for his other writing books.
He segments his list because the people interested in his writing books are different from the people interested in his science fiction, but the point still stands.
Giving something away does not mean you have to stop making money from it.
Tips for Creating Appealing Reader Magnets
Thomas: Before we go, I want to offer some quick tips for making reader magnets as appealing as possible.
You have learned a lot from creating 40 reader magnets. One technique you mentioned is using holiday-themed reader magnets.
How do you create something you can promote organically every year when that holiday comes around?
Laurie: I have several holiday-themed reader magnets, including resources for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter. I can promote those year after year.
In fact, I just sent out a newsletter yesterday linking to a reader magnet I created five years ago, and I am still promoting it. I recently updated the cover, which is one of the fun things about being an indie author. I can refresh and update these projects whenever I want.
That particular reader magnet has been one of my most popular because every Easter, families are looking for Bible-based short stories and devotionals to use with their kids.
The same thing happens at Christmas and Thanksgiving. Parents are looking for seasonal activities and meaningful resources for their families.
Thomas: You can think outside the box when it comes to holidays.
For example, author Jonathan Shuerger is a Marine. If he were going to create a holiday-themed reader magnet, the number-one holiday he should probably consider is November 10, the Marine Corps birthday.
A big part of his brand is that he is a Marine who writes books about Marines fighting zombies. So if he created a short story tied to the Marine Corps birthday and featured characters from his books, that would be something he could promote every year.
He is probably going to talk about the Marine Corps birthday every November 10 anyway, so he might as well have a reader magnet that goes with it.
Think creatively about recurring events and annual themes. I am talking about everything, even Toyotathon.
Find seasonal events or cultural moments that come around every year and connect them to your brand in a fun way. That gives you a natural excuse to promote your reader magnet.
Everyone has a Christmas tie-in. There is much less competition around something like Shark Week.
Maybe your mystery story involves a death that appears to be caused by a shark, but your detective discovers it was actually murder. That could make a fantastic 15,000-word Shark Week tie-in story that you can promote every year.
In fact, to help you brainstorm ideas for holiday-tie-ins, I’ve expanded the Reader Magnet Brainstormer to include holiday-related ideas.
Laurie: I love that idea. Every single day of the year is “National Something Day.” There is National Donut Day, National Eat Ice Cream for Breakfast Day, and all kinds of others.
Find an obscure element from your book, figure out what national day connects to it, and promote your book on that day every year.
Which promotion strategies work best for reader magnets?
Thomas: To get people to your website, you have to go where they already are and bring them back with you.
You have tried a lot of strategies, like putting links in the back matter of your books, using QR codes on placards, business cards, and bookmarks, promoting on your own podcast, guesting on other podcasts, and using popups on your website.
You are somewhat unique because you write middle-grade fiction and target parents more than children, but how would you rank the different activities you have tried, by number of subscribers and by subscriber quality.
Some methods may bring in fewer people but those folks may be far more interested in your books. For example, having a QR code in your book’s back matter may not produce huge numbers of subscribers, but those readers are high quality. They bought your book, read to the end, and want more from you. That is the gold standard.
How would you rank the strategies you have used?
Laurie: For subscriber quality, I would probably rank the back matter of my books at the top. These are people who have already purchased the book, read through it, and now want more from me.
I would also rank in-person connections highly. If I have met someone face to face, handed them something physical, spoken at an event, or connected with them at a book conference, those are very high-quality subscribers too.
As for total numbers, I would say I have had two strategies work especially well. One is my best long-term strategy and is a slow-growth strategy. The other is my best rapid-growth strategy.
Long-Term, Slow-Growth Strategy
Laurie: The best long-term strategy has been improving the SEO on my website.
I use BookFunnel to track downloads, and over time I can see that every single month people are still downloading reader magnets I created five years ago and have not promoted recently.
They are finding them because I promoted them at some point, maybe through blog posts or guest posts, and now those reader magnets have become evergreen. People continue to discover and download them.
Rapid Growth Strategy
For rapid growth, the best strategy by far has been guesting on other podcasts.
One example was offering my Easter reader magnet on a podcast. A few years ago, I was on a podcast talking about Easter and how families celebrate it. I mentioned that if listeners had children and wanted something meaningful to do with them for Easter, they could check out my devotional reader magnet.
From that one podcast interview, I added more than 500 subscribers to my list.
I knew that was where they came from because I had just done the interview, and over the next week I watched the numbers rise every day. I could see both my newsletter list and the downloads for that specific reader magnet increasing.
So for rapid growth, guesting on other podcasts has been the most effective strategy for me.
Where can listeners see an example of a high-performing reader magnet?
Thomas:. If someone wants to check out your reader magnets, where can they find that Easter one as an example of a high-performing magnet?
Laurie: Yes. If you go to EasterStory.faith, you will find that reader magnet.
EasterStory.faith redirects to LaurieChristine.com/EasterStory. EasterStory.faith is a short, memorable link I can use when talking to people. I sometimes buy a domain name specifically for a reader magnet. For example, when I promote my Bible reading plan, I use FiveYearBiblePlan.com. It is simple and easy to remember, and it takes people directly to that reader magnet.
Is it worth buying a separate domain for a reader magnet?
Thomas: There is a cost to that strategy. You are usually looking at spending $15 a year for a domain and the redirection setup, and that can add up. If you have 40 reader magnets, that gets expensive quickly.
But if your strategy involves a lot of podcast guesting, a short, punchy domain like PatronToolbox.com works really well. It redirects to AuthorMedia.com/PatronToolbox, but that longer address is much harder to say out loud.
Laurie: I do not have specific domain names for all 40 of my reader magnets. I picked a few that I especially wanted to promote. Over time, I realized those were attracting a lot of people and were worth getting a domain for.
Thomas: I would wait until a reader magnet is already performing well through other methods before buying a separate domain, or at least before renewing it.
Once you mention that domain on a podcast, there is an expectation that it will keep working. People may listen to that episode years later. So you are not just buying it for one year. You are buying it for the long haul.
Laurie: That is true. I have been paying for these domains for many years.
What tools can help authors create better reader magnets?
Thomas: If you want more help with reader magnets, I have several tools that can help.
I already mentioned the Reader Magnet Brainstormer, as well as the Drip Email Sequencer.
I also have one called the Book Cover Designer, which helps you create a professional-looking cover for your reader magnet. I designed it specifically for reader magnets. I know some authors are using it for their actual books, which was not the intention. With the Book Cover Designer, you describe the magnet, press a button, and it creates something you can use.
I also have several pitch generators that will help you create back-cover copy, a one-paragraph version, and a one-sentence pitch that makes the magnet sound irresistible.
What final advice do you have for authors using reader magnets?
Laurie: Get to know your reader, and let your reader magnets help you do that.
I started publishing reader magnets several years before I published my first book. Those magnets helped me get to know my target audience better. Then I could tweak and refine those magnets to better meet my audience’s needs.
By the time I was ready to publish a book, I felt like I truly knew who my audience was.
So that would be my encouragement. Use reader magnets to help you build your audience while also getting to know them. Let them help you narrow your focus and define your audience before you publish your first book.
Thomas: Reader magnets do not just help you build your audience and get to know your reader. They also help you improve at the publishing process and develop your taste.
It is a wonderful way to level up as an author in a very safe environment, where your mistakes can disappear and there is no permanent record.
There is almost nowhere else you can improve as quickly, with so little risk, as you can with a reader magnet.
This strategy is not going away. It is built on very solid fundamentals.
You just have to create the kind of reader magnet your readers want and will enjoy. You may not get that right the first time, and that is okay. That is the whole point of making multiple reader magnets, trying different things, seeing what works, and finding the overlap between what you offer and what your readers want.
You can discover that much faster and much more cheaply with a reader magnet than with a full-length book.
Laurie: And if you treat your reader magnet like a real book, going through the full process, hiring an editor, getting a cover designer (I even got endorsements for one of my reader magnets), then you will be much more prepared to launch your first book.
Connect with Laurie Christine
Thomas: I would encourage you to start by checking out her reader magnets and signing up for her list. Go through her onboarding sequence and watch how she does it, because she has refined this process over a long period of time. Her talk on reader magnets at the Novel Marketing Conference was very well received.
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