5 Things You Can Do Right Now to Gain Future Readers

In an ideal world, writers would start each day at a leisurely pace, sip a steaming cup of coffee while watching a glowing sunrise, and allow their muse to gently ease them into the day with a few gentle ideas. Who doesn’t want to channel their inner Hemingway, roll their shirtsleeves up, and peck at an old typewriter…capturing one brilliant idea after another?

Let’s Get Real

For a vast majority of us, a real day is more like this. We’ve set the alarm (or Alexa) to be startlingly shrill — and inconveniently placed across the room — so there is no choice but to be yanked unceremoniously from our slumber. (This is necessary because we stayed up WAY too late the night before, taking advantage of the only quiet time we have to research, write, and read.) And because we set the alarm for the last possible second, we have exactly 31.5 minutes to get ourselves dressed, kids ready for whatever kind of learning they are doing now, coffee brewed, dogs out the door for morning business, lunch packed, and car onto the road.

When you think you’ve made it under the wire, something will inevitably happen to derail your forward momentum. The garage door will malfunction and you’ll have to perform circus acrobatics to reach the cord that’s hanging just out of your reach and above the top of the car. Finally, deodorant kicking in, you’ll free yourself from the garage, only to be greeted by now-lukewarm coffee. After coming to an abrupt stop behind a bus, your coffee will spill on the computer that holds the only copy of that day’s presentation. You’ll screech into your 9–5 (only 5-ish minutes late…not too bad!), run up the back stairs toward your desk, and flop into your chair just in time for your first Skype meeting, for which you’ll be profusely sweating.

At the end of the day, you do all of that in reverse before finally collapsing onto the couch into a lump of exhaustion. You want Panera mac & cheese. You want Netflix. You want to turn your brain off. But, nay, nay, dear writer! Now is the time for creativity. Gimme a C! Gimme an R! Gimme an EATIVITY! What’s that spell? Yep, you guessed it. Sacred writing time.

Buck up, cowboys and cowgirls, we’re just getting started. Put down the mac, do a few jumping jacks, and find your second wind!

Here’s a truncated list — just 5 simple things you can do — to grow your audience and have readers clamoring for your book before it’s even published. Most of us can’t work on our writing all day as a full-time job. The good thing about this list, though, is that it’s made for writers who are busy, working, stretched thin — but dammit, they have a creative fire inside them. Work on that fire a little bit every day and you’ll feel good about the progress you’re making. When your exhausted head finally hits the pillow at night, you’ll sleep like a baby, dreaming up new plotlines all night long.

Here’s what you need to do:

1. Finish your book.

Readers can’t enjoy a book that doesn’t exist. Makes sense, right? You don’t have to finish it today, but you DO need a plan. How many words do you want to write each day? Each week? What is your projected word count? Divide that out and set a date when you want to complete your initial draft. You’d be surprised at the power of actually putting something in black and white. When your numbers and due dates are staring back at you from your calendar — in your own handwriting — there’s no denying the goals you’ve set and what you expect from yourself. As you complete more writing, you’ll build a larger readership, and word of mouth will spread that your body of work is growing.

2. Build relationships and know your readers.

For many writers, the thought of getting social sends them into panic mode. They instantly start looking for paper bags to breathe into, corners to hide in, and excuses to duck out of social engagements. More comfortable in front of keyboards and between the shelves at bookstores, creative souls often need encouragement when it comes to building new relationships.

But your readers want to talk to you! They want to know how you come up with stories, what drives you, and what you’re thinking of doing next. Commit to at least 2 new ways of connecting with your readers this week. Will you blog more? Will you email? How about sending a sneak peek if your book is almost done? By the time your book is complete, you will already have readers interested in what you have to say.

3. Learn to talk about your work.

It would be easier to talk most writers into a root canal than to talk them into discussing their work in detail. Why? We’re not confident, and we have a terrible case of imposter syndrome. If you absorb nothing else, LET THIS SINK IN: If you are writing your book, if you are committed to your work as a creative, you ARE a writer. You are not an ‘aspiring’ anything. You are already doing it — and now you’re finding all sorts of ways to make it better. Be proud of what you’re doing, talk about it with other professionals, and share your progress with people who are interested. You’ll be surprised at how many of them want to read what you’re working on.

4. Perfect your elevator pitch.

When people ask you what you write, what do you tell them? Do you stammer and say things like, “Er, um I like to write a lot of things, but I’m just dabbling in this new romance…” and trail off into oblivion? Or do you stand up proudly and succinctly (in 30 seconds or less) and deliver an irresistible hook that describes your work, the conflict and solution, your purpose for writing it, and how you think it will stand out in the marketplace? Focus on developing an elevator pitch that can be boiled down to a single sentence for concision. For inspiration, see the description of Mitch Albom’s The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto:

‘A mystical tale of a guitar genius’s journey through a 20th-century musical wonderland.’

You’ll garner more interest for your books when you can confidently and concisely explain exactly what they’re about. Those who are interested will ask questions — and you can always offer more detailed information.

5. Keep your online presence active and updated.

Social media, too!? Yep, that’s part of being an author today. A solid and well-rounded author platform is a huge determining factor for success. Did you know that 90% of all marketers say social media marketing has increased the exposure of their business? (Psst…you’re a writer, so, yes, you’re a business.) Do you have separate social media accounts and pages for your author brand? If not, it’s time to start building your brand on social so you can gain followers who are eager to read your books!

It may sound like a lot, but you can take it a step at a time. Put your writing first. In the long run, you need something to market and sell — so be sure the first chunk of time you carve out of your calendar is dedicated to your creativity. After that, set your mind to the other tasks that will help you grow your platform and gain followers, even before your book is published. Work within the time constraints you have and divide your time accordingly. Most of all, enjoy what you are doing and congratulate yourself for making a plan and sticking to it!