If you’re a writer, you’ve likely poured your heart and soul into your manuscript. After months or even years of writing, you finally have a book worth publishing. Once you’ve decided whether to pursue traditional publication or self-publishing, you need to start thinking about getting your book in front of readers. But with so many books being published every week, how do you get noticed? The answer is lead magnet book marketing.

In this article, I’ll discuss the potential strategies and activities available for lead magnet book marketing before and after your book is published, budget and materials ideas, what to do, how to find promotion opportunities, and how to collaborate successfully with a book reviewer or book influencer. Let’s go!

What is Lead Magnet Book Marketing?

Lead magnet book marketing is a strategy that helps you capture readers’ attention by offering them a valuable piece of content in exchange for their email address. Setting up a newsletter is one of the most important book marketing strategies you can use, because the people who sign up to hear from you are declaring that they’re interested. You also get to keep their email address, meaning their connection with you is more stable than one with a follower on a specific social media platform, which could disappear overnight.

To incentivize them to sign up for your newsletter, you can offer them a prequel, alternate ending, missing chapter, or character profile that relates to your book. This is your lead magnet. By using this strategy, you can generate interest, build an audience, and increase sales by then marketing to the people who’ve taken you up on reading your lead magnet.

Lead Magnet Marketing Ideas

Before your book comes out, you should create a pre-launch email list. If you’re like most writers, you won’t have anyone signing up just yet. But you have to start somewhere. If you never start, you’ll never see results. Use social media, your website, or landing pages to offer a free content upgrade in exchange for subscribing to your email list.

When you dangle a lead magnet in front of subscribers, you are offering free content—a chapter or sneak preview of your book. This can be especially powerful if your project isn’t published yet, as it can pique reader interest. Make sure it’s valuable and engaging enough for them to share with their friends and family. These lead magnets pay off when readers spread the word.

As your publication date approaches, run a giveaway on social media. People love free stuff, especially stories. You don’t have to—and shouldn’t—give away your entire novel. But think of something, like a novella, which can dovetail with your release. Run a giveaway on your social media platforms to build brand awareness, increase your following, and grow your email list.

As you look for readers (and other writers who can connect with you to do joint promotional efforts), you can join groups or forums related to your book’s genre, target audience, and subject matter. This is how you might be able to find book influencers and reviewers who can give your promotional efforts a boost. You can also connect with local bookstores in your area. They may be willing to host your book signing or offer exclusive promotions (though authors are largely responsible for planning and paying for any events, unless the publisher offers to organize some). You can also explore book promotion platforms such as BookBub, NetGalley, and Goodreads.

Lead Magnet Budget and Materials

To use lead magnet marketing, you first need an email marketing platform. Most of these are free or affordable when you’re just getting started, then the costs increase as your list grows. Common options are Mailchimp, Kit [formerly convertkit], Constant Contact, or Aweber.

You’ll also need to create giveaway materials, such as advanced copies of your book from the publisher, or a piece of writing (which doesn’t cost money but will demand your time and energy) which can be used for the lead magnet itself.

Other book promotion materials and expenses might be ancillary swag like bookmarks, flyers, and posters. Some authors make sticker sheets and other promotional items, but this might not be necessary before you have a thriving list. You should also allocate some budget for book influencer marketing, where you may have to compensate reviewers for a social media mention or review. (Some charge for this, but not all.)

Launching a book can be both exciting and nerve-wracking. By using book marketing strategies, including the lead magnet, and incorporating the tips and strategies in this article, you can increase your book’s visibility and grow your readership. The key is to be creative, persistent, and patient. Keep your readers engaged, give away good stuff to get them hooked, build your email list, and never stop promoting your book. All of these efforts, put together, will pay off in the long run.