12 Lead Magnet Ideas for Writers to Get More Email Subscribers
Attract new email subscribers by enticing them with special offers, bonuses, or unique content.
Enticing readers to join your author newsletter is no easy task. While giving away an email is generally not a big deal for most people, they want something in return for their subscription.
Lead magnets are whatever you offer for free—generally immediately—in exchange for a person's email. They are not the same as having a theme for your newsletter or promising to “update” anyone who signs up. If a person is already a big fan, they might want to sign up for updates. However, people who don't yet know, like, and trust you might not feel compelled to get on a newsletter list unless you give them something free in exchange.
[This post is sponsored by the FREE Kingdom Writer’s Conference: Email Marketing Edition.]
For non-fiction writers, there are a lot more options, because you are in the information business. In general, promise people relevant information and watch them sign up! However, if you are a fiction author, where your primary purpose is to entertain, it can be a bit more difficult. You want to offer something for free that is related enough to your books but still fulfills some desire in the person you want on your list.
The following list offers suggestions for both non-fiction and fiction writers to give away to get people on your email list:
1. The First Chapter of a Book
Do you want a great way to entice readers to get your book? Give them a special sneak preview! If they love the first chapter so much, they might just feel compelled to buy the whole book.
Be sure to include a link to order on the last page of the free sample to make it easy for them to take the next step. This is a strategy many authors, including myself, have found amazing success with.
2. A Cheat Sheet
A cheat sheet can be anything that helps people understand the world of your story.
For fiction books, maybe it is a map of your fantasy land, a character guide, or artwork to go with your book. Fantasy worlds or any story that deeply explores a particular setting are ripe for cheat sheets. However, this type of freebie is going to work best if you already have an existing reader base that has read your books.
For non-fiction, cheat sheets can be simple summaries of your work or checklists that help people accomplish what you do. You can offer templates or relevant worksheets. Any kind of informational and actional document could be used to reel in potential email subscribers.
3. A How-To Guide
Create a special, robust guide for your niche, whether that be a PDF of a few pages, a full eBook, or even a video—as long as it is exclusive to your list. Tantalize a potential new fan with quick expert secrets and watch them join your list for more.
If you are writing fiction, you might have to think outside the box with this one. What is something you can teach in a few pages that is relevant to your story? It could be an activity the main character does several times or even recipes from your novel. If your book is about a crochet club, then maybe you can teach people how to crochet or just give patterns. People are more likely to give you their email if you promise to inform them, so think of something that can accomplish that.
4. Book Bonuses
Book bonuses are anything that draws people from your book that they are reading to your email list. Use that last blank page—or even offer something special upfront—to turn that reader onto your list so you can tell them about your other books!
As one real-world example, I once produced a devotional book for creatives, written by another author, and as a bonus, it featured a link to a collection of audio recordings of young Christian creatives talking about how faith impacts their creativity. This end each week.
Novelists, if you already have raving fans, they might want to know about the scenes, characters, or story elements you cut from the finished product. This is essentially like watching the bonus features on a DVD—but for your book! Or you can offer alternative POVs, miscellaneous side quests, and anything else to expand your story.
5. Short story
A short story is probably the easiest lead magnet for a newbie fiction author to create. You don't even have to have any books published to give away a free short story. This story should introduce a reader to your writing style. It can be set in your story universe or be unrelated as long as it’s quality material. Wow them and they'll likely convert into a book buyer.
6. Quiz
Though a bit more complicated to build out, you could have a free quiz on your website that will send the visitor their result if they put in their email. Think of Buzzfeed quizzes but apply them to your books or subject matter. Have quizzes like “What character are you?” or “What would your superpower be?” or “What is your spiritual gift?” Almost anything could work if it's related to your novels and is interesting to your visitors. If someone takes the time to go through your quiz, then they clearly are motivated enough in the subject to give you those two to three minutes--definitely the right person for your list.
7. Virtual Hangout
In exchange for an email, you can give website visitors access to you. You might invite anyone on your list to special group Q&A sessions or schedule a 15-minute call with them or bring them into a private Facebook group to chat about your books. Through a Zoom party even! Just be careful when you are promising to give up your time—that might not be scalable if your list grows fast.
8. A Contest
Someone might enter their email for a chance to win something. Make that prize related to your niche or novels so that the people on your list are the right people. Prizes could include a book of yours, merch related to your stories, or even artwork. You can also consider teaming up with writers in a similar genre to give away a bundle of books.
9. Mini-Course or Email Series
Authors can attract email subscribers by offering a Mini-Course or Email Series that delivers valuable content in bite-sized lessons over a period of time. By breaking down complex topics or themes related to their books or expertise into manageable chunks, authors can provide readers with actionable insights, tips, and strategies that keep them engaged and eager for more. Whether it's a series of writing prompts, a crash course on a specific genre or topic, or a deep dive into the themes explored in their books, a well-crafted mini-course or email series not only provides immediate value to subscribers but also establishes the author as an authority in their field and nurtures a connection with their audience over time.
10. Discounts and Offers
Authors can also leverage discount codes or special offers as enticing incentives to encourage people to join their email lists. By providing exclusive discounts on their books or related merchandise, authors not only attract potential readers but also foster a sense of appreciation and loyalty among their audience. Additionally, discount codes or special offers create a sense of urgency, prompting people to act quickly to secure the deal, thus accelerating the growth of the author’s email list while simultaneously boosting sales and engagement within their community.
11. Case Studies
Authors can also dangle case studies, success stories, and client interviews as compelling tools to entice people to join their email list. By showcasing real-life examples of individuals who have benefited from their books or expertise, authors create a sense of credibility and trustworthiness, making their email list an attractive proposition for potential subscribers. Your case studies should be tangible evidence of the value the author provides, demonstrating how their work has positively impacted others’ lives. Attractive case studies make big claims that you can back up in the documentation such as “See How Bill Made $1,000 in One Day” or “Learn the Method Suzie Used to Memorize a Whole Book of the Bible” or “Here’s How I Helped One Church Increase their Attendance by Tenfold.”
12. A Whole Book
Offering a free book is a popular strategy for authors with a large backlist of books, especially in the indie space. You could give out an entire free ebook of yours so you can grow new fans that will buy your other stuff. Make it the first book in a series (maybe with a cliffhanger!) or a prequel/stand-alone in your big story universe to really sell them on picking up your other works.
In Summary
Email is still the most powerful way to reach your audience. To move people into your email world, you’ll often have to entice them in some form or fashion. Luckily, you now have 12 ideas on how to do just that!
Which one will you employ first?
This post is sponsored by the FREE Kingdom Writer’s Conference: Email Marketing Edition.
Unlock the potential of email marketing with the Kingdom Writers Conference: Email Marketing Edition, a free online event designed to help writers grow their audience, increase book sales, and reclaim time for writing. Join over 1,000 writers who have benefited from actionable presentations by renowned speakers, covering topics such as building an online platform, creating compelling emails, and leveraging automation. Sign up now for free access to these valuable insights and take your book marketing to the next level.