Originally posted by Renee Scattergood:
It’s impossible to succeed as a fantasy writer without knowing how to reach the right readers.
Even the best book with a wonderful cover can’t be considered a success if it doesn’t reach the people who love it.
There are currently over 197,000 fantasy eBooks on offer in the Kindle store alone, not to mention many more short reads. In such a competitive environment, it’s not enough to simply wish that a book draws the attention of readers.
Fantasy authors should actively seek out every opportunity possible to find and connect with people who are likely to love their work.
If you’ve published fantasy for a long time, finding your future fans may be second nature to you. If you don’t know where to start, don’t worry!
These simple tips will help you to reach the right fantasy readers to make your next book a soaring success.
Participate In Online Communities
The passion fantasy fans have for their genre means Amazon doesn’t even list fantasy along with other fiction categories. It has its own special section. That’s how widely loved fantasy is.
As such, fantasy fans are passionate about connecting with like-minded people online.
Many busy fan communities exist solely to help fantasy fans meet one another and discuss the books they love.
As a writer, you should seek out and engage with these communities as much as possible. There are several important reasons to do so.
First, there is no better market research than listening to fans directly. Hearing fans talk about what they like and dislike is a great way to finetune your own work.
Second, by offering value and participating in community discussions, you show yourself to be someone who is knowledgeable about fantasy and has something to offer the fan community. When it’s time to promote your next work, you’ll find it a lot easier to market to people you have a preexisting relationship with, rather than people who have never heard of you.
When participating in fan communities, it’s important to give value, rather than just promoting your own work. You should actively enjoy and contribute to discussions regularly. Visiting only to promote your own books is a mistake which will do you more harm than good.
Network With Other Fantasy Authors
As well as reaching out to fans directly, it’s a great idea to use your fellow fantasy writers as advisors.
There’s no need to discover everything for yourself. Fantasy writers who have been publishing and marketing their work for a long time will have plenty of tips to share on the ways they reach out to readers and connect with them.
It’s useful to get a wide range of opinions rather than relying on just one author. By getting lots of advice, you will be able to see what is working well across the board.
Just as you shouldn’t interact with fans selfishly, you shouldn’t interact with authors selfishly either. Don’t just ask endless questions. Strike a balance between getting the information you need and contributing something in return.
Take Charge Of Your Brand
You have one powerful weapon to help your books succeed in the crowded marketplace that no one else has.
Yourself.
As it becomes harder and harder for fantasy fans to gauge which books are worthy of their time, authors can increasingly stand out from the crowd by building a strong brand.
Branding is simply using the right combination of words and visuals to make a positive impression upon the readers who come across you. This means writing a bio in language that will appeal to fantasy fans, using a pic which is appropriate for the genre and ensuring that all of your branding efforts are easily accessible, such as through an Amazon Author Central page.
There’s nothing better from a reader’s perspective than feeling they know and admire a writer as much as they do their work.
Building a solid brand as a fantasy author is the fastest way to make that happen.
What Works For You?
What are some of the successes you’ve had reaching out to fantasy fans as an author?
If you’re a fantasy fan yourself, have you ever discovered an author in one of the ways mentioned?
I’d love to hear about your personal experiences in the comments.
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