Why Indie Authors Should Build Themselves a Network to Work With
Building up a wide network means making and keeping relationships with readers, businesses, and more
Indie authors who want to build a career for themselves must build a network to make it possible.
If this feels unclear to you, let me rephrase it this way. Think of it in terms of ‘we all need a village’. To have a successful author’s career, we need to have a village of people who can help us do this. And this is known as building a network for ourselves.
Building a network takes time, effort, and patience.
However, know that as you build one, it becomes easier along the way. Why is this? Because once you have some people in your network, your hard work will pay off and make it easier to add others to this network.
Who should we be adding to our network as an Indie Author?
Readers
Readers will vary in terms of loyalty and their role in your network.
Some of the types of readers you will gather are:
Book bloggers and reviewers
Alpha, Beta, and ARC readers
Friends and family
As your career grows and you begin to put more books on the market, it’s assumed that you will begin to grow a reader base. A reader base who will leave reviews, come to meet and greets, spread the word about your book, and inevitably continue to purchase your next release.
How are readers beneficial to your network?
They leave reviews for your book, enabling other readers to find it and validate purchasing it
They spread the word to their friends and family or on social media about your book
They may turn into a long-term fan who continues to purchase your books
They may request their local library to stock your book
They may suggest your book for a book club
Now, it may seem weird that I have readers as someone who should be added to your network. However, even if they sort of add themselves to your network, there is an added benefit.
If a few readers become loyal fans, they can:
Be added to your street team (a group of fans that spread the word about your book)
Share posts on social media
Be offered ARC copies of the book in exchange for honest reviews
In addition to this, without readers, why would we have written the book in the first place?
Businesses
As Indie Authors, we need to be building relationships with businesses in the area.
By this I am referring to:
Partnering with local businesses that pair with your book in terms of donating items for raffles/ prizes and more
Partnering with local businesses to deliver a book reading
Approaching them about yourself and your product in a respectful manner either in person, by phone, or by email
When we build relationships with local or online businesses as an author, we can open the door to events, shelf space to sell products in their establishment, special features, and partnerships with them.
However, to do so, we need to show them the mutual benefit.
This means:
Marketing and supporting the business without anything in return
Finding strategies that work for both of you in a mutually beneficial way
Paying for event vendor space and presenting professionally and gratefully during the event
See more in Indie Authors Should Know Before Partnering with a Brick and Mortar.
Other Authors
You would be surprised by the amazing connections you could make with other authors if you tried.
The truth is, we Indie Authors don’t know everything, and with an always-evolving business of publishing, we need all the help we can get. And this is where building relationships with other authors comes into play.
Where can you meet other authors?
Book events/ fairs
Social media
Libraries
Book stores
Writing classes and workshops
Goodreads and Bookbub
Just remember, as suggested in the businesses section, that this needs to be a mutually beneficial relationship.
Try to help one another by promoting them to your audience if they are similar in genre. Offer them insights or advice if needed based on your own experience. Offer to help them with proofreading or feedback for manuscripts.
When you add other authors to your network, not only can you learn things about the business, but you can find some wonderful people to collaborate with.
When we build ourselves a network as authors, we begin to open doors to grow awareness of ourselves and our work.
Just remember to:
Make connections with loyal readers as well as book bloggers and reviews, taking the time to thank them both publicly and privately for their time and effort
Build relationships with local businesses that mutually benefit everyone involved
Connect with other writers to not only learn about the business of writing and publishing but to help one another