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Get Fans Now!

By on August 2, 2016
Get Fans Now! - Writer's Life.org

You can’t be a successful writer without an active readership. You can write and write and write and perhaps even become brilliant at your craft, but if no one is going to read your work then you simply can’t make a living!

Of course, one way of doing this is by getting published. A big publisher will handle the marketing of your book and if you get a big budget behind it, will be able to reach out to readers and build up a 'buzz' about your work.

However, as we all know, getting published is very hard.

So, if like hundreds of thousands of other writers, you decide to go down the self-publishing route, then it is necessary to learn about marketing yourself, and discover the best ways to build up a following.

Remember, if you don’t have an audience, it is going to be pretty difficult to sell any books!

There are several ways you can start to build yourself a following - you can pay for advertising through social media and other relevant channels, or your can try to build up your audience organically, crafting well-thought out posts, constantly giving your fans interesting material, creating newsletters and email campaigns and so on.

Both of these ways take money, and perhaps more importantly, they take time.

So, if you want to boost your fan base quickly, why not try some of the following speedy fixes to attract more attention and increase your following in no time at all?

Be opinionated

When you post content on your website or via social media channels, don’t be afraid to say what you think. It might be risky but if you want to grab people’s attention and make them sit up and take notice of you then it is a good idea to push the boundaries sometimes.

Of course, it is important to be relevant, so research what’s going on in the industry, or in your genre and then let your opinions be known!

Give value

Authors with large followings all have something in common - they are generous with what they give their fans.

If all you do to try and boost your following is talk about yourself i.e. tell your fans when your next book will be released, where you will be for your next signing, links to how to buy your current books and so on, you’ll soon build up a pretty selfish and uninteresting feed.

Giving value means you have to either post content that is of use to your readers - that can educate them, or, post content that engages them because it’s entertaining.

Of course, if you can do both then you are definitely winning!

Be human

Humans connect with other humans, and if you have found some fans of your creative work, they’ll want to get to know the person behind the books.

Make sure your content has personality and reveals the kind of person you are. We’re not saying that you need to let your fans know every personal story or every single detail of your life, but giving them interesting snippets here and there, and being vulnerable will resonate with them and make them feel like that can engage with you on a human level.

Communicate with your audience

You should interact with your followers, if they leave lovely comments, thank them. If they leave negative ones, respond appropriately and with dignity.

If you are truly committed to building up your fan base, you need to check your social media accounts daily and respond to your fans comments and questions straight away.

Being accessible is so important.
Be determined

While you can’t expect to gain a huge following overnight, you can achieve a steadily growing fan base if you are committed and consistent in following the tips above.

You may not love writing blog posts or creating content for social media, but if you want to build your following you do need to reach out to and connect with your audience. It is so important to remember how crucial your fans are - so make sure you nurture and appreciate them!

So if you want to get more fans without putting in too much effort why not take action today and start following the tips above to grow your following and get more people interested in and excited about your work?

About Ty Cohen