1. Author newsletters help you build durable relationships that stay with you. If you’ve listened to one or more Self Publishing Insiders podcasts, chances are you’ve heard us talk about the importance of having an author newsletter. Your newsletter empowers you to communicate with your readers on your terms. The best part is that your subscribers want to hear from you, and they’ve signed up to do so. Think of your newsletter as a long-term asset that will grow with you as you grow your career. Your newsletter will also shield you from the whims of algorithms at the retailers, because you’ll always have access to your readers. If you’re not sure how to get started with your newsletter, tune into Self Publishing Insiders September 10 as we interview Nick Thacker on “How to Build Your Author Newsletter."
2. Reader communities help you develop genuine relationships. We’ve all admired bestselling indies who seemingly broke out of obscurity overnight to become the next big thing. In many cases, these authors were active participants in reader communities long before they were bestselling authors. They participated not as a sly way to promote their books later, but because they genuinely loved to discuss books with their bookish friends. When it came time to talk about their new book, the community couldn’t wait to support them. A telling example of this phenomenon came from novelist Ang T. Dalton. After 80 rejections, she planned to self-publish her novel, The Scars Within. An agent discovered Ang on Instagram while she was talking about Rebecca Yaros’ Onyx Storm. This encounter led to an audiobook deal from Simon Maverick, an imprint of Simon & Schuster. As Ang explained on her Self Publishing Insiders episode, “There’s this gap between what the publishing industry thinks readers want versus this huge community on Booktok and Instagram—what the readers really want.” Depending on your genre, you can find reader communities on Instagram, TikTok, Reddit, Bluesky, Fable, StoryGraph, Discord, Facebook, and Goodreads, to name a few.
3. Social media is about discovery and showcasing your personality. The goal of social media shouldn’t be trying to gain as many followers as you can. Rather, approach social media as the path readers use to discover the person behind the book. Join the conversation, and rather than attempting to sell your books, inject your authentic self into the topic. Add some humor. Provide your opinions on genre or books that the community is talking about. If the community is talking about your books, give them a taste of what it’s really like to write and publish books—warts and all! Above all, be warm and approachable. When posting on social media, keep in mind that the different platforms can serve different audiences and purposes. What works on one platform can flop on another, so do a little research before jumping in.
   
4. Collaborating with other authors helps you grow faster. Building a social media following from scratch is a noble pursuit, but it takes time for readers to discover you. A great way to build your following more quickly is to partner with authors who are further along than you are. Bands do this all the time. An up and coming local act gets an opening slot for a nationally touring band, thereby getting exposure to potentially hundreds or even thousands of new fans. In the author world it can work much the same way. And because indie author culture is so awesome, authors love to help authors. When approaching an author for a collaboration, always communicate what’s in it for the other author and how you can help them too. It’s always best to start with authors who already know you and are familiar with your work.
   
5. Shared experiences make your readers feel like they’re VIPs in your publishing journey. By inviting readers to join you on an aspect of your process, you’re gifting them a special, beyond-the-book experience. There’s no better way to guide a reader into becoming a fan, and a fan into becoming a superfan, than by inviting them into your world through shared experiences. These experiences can range from beta readers providing feedback on a draft of your manuscript, to a reader street team helping you promote your next book. And before you talk yourself out of asking your readers for help, take it from author Amy Award who says, “Readers love to help! Don’t fear asking them.”
   

For more tips and advice from authors, check out these recent Self Publishing Insiders episodes that cover the art of building the author-reader connection: