How Can Authors Get More Readers?

 

What are you willing to do to get more readers of your book? 

Notice I did not say sales. 

There is a difference. There are strategies to get readers, and there are other ones to get sales — at a loss. And there are other ones to get sales at a net profit. There is some overlap, for sure, but all three require unique approaches. 

Okay, so let’s say your goal is to get readers. That means you can sell books, donate them, give them out for free, and use incentives that could even include compensating people for reading your book.  

You may ask why would one put in so much time, effort, and money to get readers? 

Well, here are some good reasons: 

* The book is a loss leader for another product or service (a lawyer who seeks pricey clients pens a book about his law specialty) 

* It is an introduction to your writings and if readers like it, they will buy copies of your other books (first book of an existing five-book series) 

* You are trying to impact, help, and influence others (your book solves problems) 

* You are running for elected office (a policy or story origin book) 

* You seek to become a paid spokesperson or influencer (something about or on your area of subject expertise) 

* You are wealthy and support literacy and free access to quality books 

* You are with a non-profit and you hope the book spurs on volunteers and donors to apply and give (a book reflecting your mission or vision)  

* Seeking to get book reviews and publicity so that you can approach literary agents and book publishers  

* You want to support a charity and hope the free books raise awareness for them, maybe even help them to receive funding by having the charity resell the book  

Okay, so how do you get free readers? 

First, have your book in two forms, starting with an e-book, which makes distribution free: no printing or shipping costs.  

Second, have a trade paperback available as well. Print thousands at a time — do not use print on demand. A 200-page book may cost less than $2.50 a copy once you print a certain quantity.  

You could have a gift edition in hardcover, but that is good for selling and not cost-effective for giveaways.  

You can do an audiobook but it cost you $2000-$8000 depending on length, production fees, and who reads your book. This allows you access to some people who don’t otherwise read, but it is an added expense for you. If money is not an issue (how nice!), do the audiobook. Otherwise, no. 

To get more readers, you can: 

* Price your book at zero on amazon 

* Advertise your book giveaway 

* Donate two copies of it to every library, church, or community center that houses books 

* Hand out books or fliers where there are readers, like bookstores, libraries, bookcons, literary festivals, and writer conferences 

* Give to stores for free to either resell for profit or to give out as an add-on benefit or to people spend a certain amount at the store

* Share with websites that give out books 

* Do GoodReads and LibraryThing giveaways  

* Find charities to hand it out or use as a fundraiser for themselves 

Once you commit to the idea of getting your book into the hands of as many people as possible, the logistical details and costs become clearer and options open up to you because you are operating under an opportunistic mindset. 

Set goals. Create deadlines. Identify potential obstacles or barriers — and come up with solutions. How hard should it be to give your book away? Will there is a will, there is a way. 

Think big, think logically, and tend to low-hanging fruit opportunities to give your book away. Beg or guilt people to help you give books away.  Incentivize people financially to read and share your book.   

Once you know why you want to give your books away, and you can assess the potential payoff to doing so, the cost and the means to executing a free book campaign will cystalize. Free can lead to profit and other good things. I wish you well in giving your book away. 

Do You Need Book Marketing Help?

Brian Feinblum can be reached at brianfeinblum@gmail.com  He is available to help authors like you to promote your story, sell your book, and grow your brand. He has over 30 years of experience in successfully helping thousands of authors in all genres. Let him be your advocate, teacher, and motivator! 

 

About Brian Feinblum

This award-winning blog has generated over 6,200,000 page views. With 5,600+ posts over the past 15 years, it was named one of the best book marketing blogs  by BookBaby  http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs  and recognized by Feedspot in 2021 and 2018 as one of the top book marketing blogs. It was also named by www.WinningWriters.com as a "best resource.”  Copyright 2026.

 

For the past three decades, Brian Feinblum has helped thousands of authors. He formed his own book publicity firm in 2020. Prior to that, for 21 years as the head of marketing for the nation’s largest book publicity firm, and as the director of publicity at two independent presses, Brian has worked with many first-time, self-published, authors of all genres, right along with best-selling authors and celebrities such as: Dr. Ruth, Mark Victor Hansen, Joseph Finder, Katherine Spurway, Neil Rackham, Harvey Mackay, Ken Blanchard, Stephen Covey, Warren Adler, Cindy Adams, Todd Duncan, Susan RoAne, John C. Maxwell, Jeff Foxworthy, Seth Godin, and Henry Winkler.

 

His writings are often featured in The Writer and IBPA’s The Independent (https://pubspot.ibpa-online.org/article/whats-needed-to-promote-a-book-successfully) and (https://pubspot.ibpa-online.org/article/10-things-my-dog-taught-me-about-marketing-books). He was recently interviewed by the IBPA: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0BhO9m8jbs

 

He hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America several years ago, and has spoken at ASJA, three times at BookCAMP, Independent Book Publishers Association, Sarah Lawrence College, Nonfiction Writers Association, Cape Cod Writers Association, Willamette (Portland) Writers Association, APEX, five times at Morgan James Publishing Red Carpet, and Connecticut Authors and Publishers Association. He served as a judge for the 2024 IBPA Book Awards.

 

His letters-to-the-editor have been published in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, New York Post, NY Daily News, Newsday, The Journal News (Westchester) and The Washington Post. His first published book was The Florida Homeowner, Condo, & Co-Op Association Handbook.  It was featured in The Sun Sentinel and Miami Herald.

 

Born and raised in Brooklyn, he now resides in Westchester with his wife, two kids, and Ferris, a black lab rescue dog, and El Chapo, a pug rescue dog.

 

You can connect with him at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianfeinblum/ or https://www.facebook.com/brian.feinblum