Marketing 101 | What is a Reader Magnet?

This question gets asked a lot in the author forums I am part of. I thought it was worth giving an in-depth answer here.

A reader magnet is a freebie that an author gives away in exchange for a reader’s email address. You might also hear it referred to as a ‘lead magnet’, which is a more general marketing term. In business, a ‘lead’ is a potential customer so a lead magnet is something that attracts potential customers. 

Do you need a reader magnet? 

Whether you publish traditionally or independently, the modern publishing landscape means you have to build a relationship with your readers beyond just writing books. Publishers look at these platform numbers (how many reader relationships you have) when deciding to award contracts. Indie authors rely on their platform to sell their books. 

Social media is one way to do this. But no matter how much time and money you invest in building an audience on social media platforms you are never really in control of that relationship. But having your readers’ email addresses means you can contact them directly at any time. As the name suggests, a ‘magnet’ helps you attract signups to your email list by giving your readers something they value.

Examples of lead magnets

What you offer as a lead magnet differs depending on what you write, what type of readers you want to attract, and where you are in your author journey.  

Common ideas for fiction authors include:

• Short Stories. This is a great idea for authors in the process of writing their first full-length book. Note that if you ‘publish’ anything longer, even a freebie like this, you may not be able to enter writing competitions as an unpublished author….so keep it short.
• Novella. A short work of fiction in the same genre/style as your published books gives potential readers a feel for your work, like a taste-test at a supermarket!
• Sample chapters. This can be a great way to sell a book, if your opening is strong. HOWEVER, do not give away chapters of a book if you are shopping it around to traditional publishers. They will not want to publish something you have given away for free.
• Bonus prologues/epilogues. This is a great way to target readers who have already read your book. You can put a link in the back matter for people who have loved your story and want more.
• Free book. ‘Sell’ your permafree book for the price of someone’s email.
• You can also include other content like a recipe book or a map of your story world, depending on your genre.

You can see reader magnets from Australasian Christian Writers–including my novelette ‘Finishing School’–here.

Non fiction authors should use a useful piece of content related to the area in which they work as a readers magnet. Examples include

• a free short book
• a mini course
• a checklist or template (For example, I give away a blog template on my copywriting website. It offers small businesses value, because it helps them write their own blog posts but it also demonstrates the value of my services.)
• a resource list
• a sample devotional or free bible study.

How to use your reader magnet

You’ll need an email marketing service (like Mailchimp, Mailerlite, ConvertKit etc…there are many) to help you manage the process of collecting emails and automatically sending out the magnet. Free ones are available if you are just starting out. Once that’s set up, advertise your reader magnet on your website and use services like BookFunnel and Story Origin to promote your reader magnet in group promotions with other authors. This will help you build your platform even if you don’t have books to sell yet. And don’t be tempted to send the story to your friends and family because it is ‘free’. Instead, ask them if you can add them to your email list so that they can read it.

Giving away your reader magnet in exchange for an email address is the beginning of a relationship. You can start building that initial contact with regular newsletter emails. This post includes some ideas for what types of content you can include in your newsletter. 

Your professional calling-card

In an information overloaded age, people want something valuable if they are going to give away their email address. So make sure readers understand the value proposition of your magnet. It might be “A free toolkit worth $14.99 in my store” or “A short story only available to newsletter subscribers.”

Make sure whatever you offer people is well edited and professional, not slapdash. A good lead magnet will be your professional calling card for years, so you need to take it seriously if you want people to take you seriously.

Writers, what do you use as a reader magnet? Readers, what freebies do you like to receive? Let us know in the comments below!