Build an Audience Before Writing Your Book

A brilliant young man recently contacted me about launching his book. He wasn’t the only one; I received similar inquiries this week. Having launched 10 books in 2022, some people assume I’m a book launch expert, but I’m not.

However, here’s the advice I shared with my friend, which I wish I had received when I was younger: build an audience.

How do you achieve this? Use social media.

Previously, authors had to write a book and wait many months for reader feedback or to see if their book was a success or failure. Newspaper columnists, in contrast, received immediate feedback from readers, using it to shape and grow their audience.

Build an Audience Before Writing Your Book

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Gary Vaynerchuk, author of “Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook,” writes, “It is our job as modern-day storytellers to adjust to the realities of the marketplace, because it sure as hell isn’t going to slow down for us.”

Now, anyone can be a columnist on social media and grow their audience. You need only two things:

1. Share valuable content without reservation.
2. Be consistent with the first point.

Consistency is crucial. I know a lady who successfully sells clothes online. She uses a simple daily method: uploading a photo of herself, followed by several pictures of the clothes for sale. Despite seeming mundane, this method works well due to her consistency.

I strive for greater consistency myself, as going inactive for long periods causes me to lose my followers’ trust. Regaining that trust takes time.

Therefore, if you plan to write a book in the future, start sharing your knowledge online regularly. Before long, you’ll have an audience eager to buy any book you launch.

The advantage here is that your audience will guide your growth by sharing their preferences. If your posts are popular, your book is likely to succeed too.

Building an audience before writing a book is akin to a farmer preparing the soil before planting seeds. Just as a farmer enriches the soil, ensuring it’s fertile and ready for the seeds to grow, an aspiring author needs to cultivate an audience, creating a nurturing environment where their book can thrive.

Think of each social media post as a seed you are planting in the minds of your future readers. These seeds gradually take root, growing into a robust network of engaged followers. Like watering and tending to plants, consistently nurturing these relationships through regular, valuable content leads to a loyal audience.

Consider the story of J.K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter series. Before the advent of social media, she built her audience through traditional publishing. However, with each book release, her audience grew, eagerly awaiting her next work. In today’s digital age, authors can emulate this growth pattern through social media, steadily expanding their reader base with each post, much like Rowling did with each book.

Another analogy is that of a chef sampling dishes to patrons. Chefs often offer small samples to gauge reactions, refining their recipes based on feedback. Similarly, as an author, you can share snippets of your work or insights on social media, using the feedback to hone your writing, ensuring it resonates with your audience.

Furthermore, building an audience beforehand is like hosting a party. Imagine sending invitations for a party without knowing if anyone will attend. Writing a book without an audience is similar – you might end up with a great book but no readers. By cultivating an audience first, you ensure there’s a group of people eagerly waiting to celebrate your book’s launch.

In the digital age, think of yourself as a digital gardener. Each post you share is like planting a seed in the digital world. Your consistent efforts in nurturing these seeds through engaging and valuable content are like watering and tending to your garden. Over time, these efforts bloom into a beautiful garden of engaged followers, ready to support and celebrate your book.

Remember, Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither is a dedicated audience. It takes time, patience, and persistence. Like a marathon runner who trains consistently to build stamina for the big race, you must regularly engage with your audience to build a strong base of followers.

In conclusion, by treating your audience-building process like a farmer tending to his fields, a chef perfecting a recipe, a host planning a party, or a gardener nurturing a garden, you lay the foundation for a successful book launch. This approach ensures that when your book is finally written and ready to be unveiled to the world, you have an eager audience waiting to embrace it.