Q: How do I find readers and an audience for my book?

Q: How do I find readers and an audience for my book?

You know the saying, If a tree falls in the forest, does anybody hear it? 

The shelves are lined with books, so if you’re going to get your book into readers’ hands, you can never start early enough.

When it comes to writing non-fiction, you can start thinking about your audience right now. It doesn't have to wait until you have a finished first draft, an agent, or a book deal. Speak to them via your platforms and social media channels. It’s also a great way to listen to what they’re talking about and discover what matters to them—and you can piggyback on to that.

If you're going to self-publish, then absolutely you want to have a built-in audience. You can start building your audience by creating a blog, a podcast, or social media presence. You can also start by writing articles or essays on your topic and submitting them to publications. This will help you establish yourself as an expert in your field and build your platform and credibility.

As for fiction, many authors connect with their audiences and other writers via newsletters and platforms like Substack. It’s a great place to see what other successful authors are doing, so you can start building your following.

The most important thing is to go out and find your readers. Connect with them and build a relationship. Make your stuff easy to find, and create the kinds of conversations you’re both interested in. As I’ve heard enough times to believe it’s true—you don’t need ALL the readers. You just need a few who are fanatical about YOU.