How you can build a fanbase of readers before your book is even written

Can you build a fanbase of readers without having your book published already? The answer to that is yes. Here are three simple ways to do it:

Utilize Substack to Drip Your Content

There are two authors on Substack that I think do this particularly well.

C.S.M. Fiction

https://substack.com/@csmfiction

C.S.M. Fiction could teach a master class on how to utilize a group messaging system. He does not over do it, but he promotes his material consistently. He does countdowns for his book Normie to build anticipation on the timeline, but it’s not heavy handed. And what I really like about his posts outside of his normal promotional material is that he shares short and valuable bits of information about writing regularly. I learn something from him every week, because clearly the man does his research.

Jim J Wilsky

: https://substack.com/@jimjwilsky

These two individuals, who have wildly different styles, release their content so respectfully on Substack that it’s hard not to be a fan of their work.

In the short amount of time I’ve known

Jim J Wilsky

, I’ve fallen in love with his short stories. He’s versatile. He captures the essence of both his male and female characters so well. He creates vivid alternate universes and never misses a beat when portraying potentially sensitive cultural elements. He’s just incredibly talented.

But what I like most about his presence in terms of building a fanbase is that it’s not fussy. He makes you feel comfortable just to be yourself, and his presence makes people like myself feel like, “Hey, we can share our material and be ourselves on this platform.” He’s positive and genuine (i.e., he took the time to thank me personally for subscribing to his Substack), and people gravitate to that.

Start an email list to share your journey

I’ve never published a fiction book, but I write an email to my list almost daily to build a relationship with my potential audience once it’s published. (There’s more specific information on this in video above, if you want to check that out).

For a lot of writers, this is the scariest part, but the key is to start slow. You don’t have to build a massive audience at once. Start with one, two, three, or four people and get in the habit of writing in your voice, your style, your way. The right people will gravitate to it.

Go the aesthetic route

Tons of authors are building loyal fanbases by creating videos for booktok and instagram. One lady I follow doesn’t even talk in her videos. It’s just of her writing, sipping tea, and petting her dog. She tags it #writerslife and that’s literally it.

Other authors go live and make the most informative videos about the journey and goals as a writer. If that’s more your vibe, I say test it out!

Help others with their stories

If you’re qualified to give feedback or help people edit their stories, you will automatically build a small base of readers for yours. They will want to see what you put out and will support you because of how you helped them.

— Knikki Hernandez