How we got 280K Reads on a new Book in 10 months

(With unknown authors, no agent, publisher, or big name support )

Lately, there have been a lot of Qs circling around the business of writing and selling books and how we use influencer marketing to promote these books - and one very common theme keeps popping up.

Everyone’s waiting on permission.

Permission (and acceptance) from an agent.

Permission from a publisher.

Permission from yourself to even write the damn thing.

None of that, is how we got 280K reads on Alex + Rebekah's new book —along with Hollywood, and publisher interest (and other developments I’m not allowed to say yet) in just a short span of 10 months.

(In traditional publishing, new books from authors who aren’t Stephen King can expect an average of 9K reads over the course of 7 months - AND THE BOOK HAS TO BE DONE)

Here are a few pointers on how we did it:

1. We leveraged Wattpad

With over 65 million users (who collectively spend 15 billion minutes a month on there) we were really intrigued by this platform that’s morphing itself into the “Netflix for books.” With Hollywood keeping a close eye on, buying content from, and working with Wattpad’s film department on projects - we wanted to get the book out into the world, in front of rabid readers immediately.

Especially readers who are looking to make movie deals ;)

2. We built an audience chapter by chapter

My besties (Alex and Rebekah) wrote Ellie is Cool Now one chapter a week, and built a solid readership as they went. They were able to engage with the audience as the book was being written, tell personal stories alongside the chapters and build a community of raving fans - long before the book was even done!

3. We used influencer marketing as serious jet fuel

This is where I came into the picture. As an influencer marketing and sales strategist, I was able to build exciting and solid campaigns with the PERFECT influencers for ELLIE IS COOL NOW. Ellie is a romantic contemporary comedy, and through influencer campaigns and company sponsorships we were able to drive Ellie’s perfect readers ONTO Wattpad. Once we started driving new readers to Ellie on our own, Wattpad algorithms kicked in and started showing the book to many, many more readers on their platform.

One of the authors also accidentally entered Ellie into the 2018 Watty Awards - and ELLIE was a winner - which means we got extra promotion!

4. We Understood That Readers Are Equity + Writing in a Vacuum Kinda Sucks

The more fans and readers you can acquire, the more value your book has. Each day there were more readers, which meant the book was worth more. Simply put, if there’s already a fanbase with adoring fans (and lots of social proof) the Hollywood execs and publishing powerhouses have to come to you — and with better deals in hand. (We have some super cool stuff happening, but I can’t talk details just yet)

Look, you have to write the book anyway, you’re gonna need help staying consistent anyway - so you may as well let the fans be there for the entire process and build them up as you go. This strategy helps establish consistency (makes it feel sooo real right out of the gate!) and there’s nothing like writing for an audience that keeps you focused on the BIG vision you have for you book.

If you skip publishing - they ask you about it! And it’s an AWESOME feeling :) Talk about serious accountability!

5. We took 100% responsibility for the book as a business

The authors wrote ELLIE with the intention to get it out there - not ten years from now, not when someone approved us but NOW. So we used our own sales and marketing prowess, decided what we wanted for ELLIE — and in just 9 short months here we are.

And there's still so much to come!

The authors just took their first film department meeting a few weeks ago.

So, it's total crap that this process has to take years, or that some people just stay locked out of the industry forever.

When it came to this book we didn’t make excuses. We decided what we wanted and went for it.

We didn’t say “we will when we have time”.

Or when someone tells us we’re worthy.

We know that at the end of the day no matter if you traditionally publish, have an agent, self-publish, or publish on Wattpad - YOU are a 100% responsible for your book as a business and for the sales of your book. Period.

Honestly, all those half-written manuscripts on a lost Word doc? That’s money and equity just sitting there.

Have a finished book that you stopped promoting because agents turned it down?

That’s AT least $100K in sales if you’d take what you know about marketing and apply it to your DREAM work.

In 2019 there’s no excuse not to be a hot-to-trot author if you want to be.

But of course, I will say, there is NO amount of marketing that acts as a substitution for a killer book. Ellie is 100% AMAZING :) But the good news, an amazing book is ALL in your control!

I’d love to know who’s writing books (or wants to) and if you’ve tried Wattpad?

We’ve gotten quite good at marketing books (regardless of how they are published) and if you're a writer, author (or publisher) who wants to learn more about how to leverage influencer marketing to get books into your ideal readers hands, you can hear us talk more about the process in our free video training: Get Readers Now.

Access the free video training Get Readers Now here.

(At the time of the training we had just hit 200K reads in 9 months)

Happy writing!

J.