KWE Publishing Newsletter - 01/26/23
From the Beatles to Ben & Jerry's ice cream, collaborations have brought some pretty amazing things to the world! However, many authors often don't think about collaborating with other authors or their readers. And that makes sense. Writing is, after all, a pretty solitary activity.
But collaborations can make a big impact on your readers, can help you create a larger audience, and can even lead to you making some awesome connections with other authors!
Here are a few ways authors can jump into the world of collaborations.
Interview other authors in your newsletter.
We've talked about why having a newsletter or mailing list is important a few times before, and if you're looking for an easy way to collaborate with other authors, interviewing an author on your newsletter—and offering to do an interview in return on theirs—is a great place to start.
It's important to note that, just as with all collaborations, you'll want to find an author who's similar to you to ensure you're both making good use of each other's time. For example, doing an interview that'll go on a romance writer's newsletter when you write cookbooks is probably not going to be very helpful!
When collab with the right author, though, you'll be introducing yourself to a new audience that's already interested in your genre. Likewise, you'll be giving another author the same opportunity by sharing a bit about them through an interview that you share. It's a win-win!
Share ARCs or promotions with readers.
Sharing an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) is a simple but effective way to collaborate with your readers. As the name implies, you'll share an ARC with specific readers prior to the publication of your book. In return for receiving a free copy of your book (which can be digital or physical), readers will provide you with their honest reviews.
This helps readers because they, of course, get a free book to read. Some readers will make additional content out of their reviews, such as creating videos on YouTube or TikTok sharing their opinions on their favorite new books. And in return, your book gets more attention; more reviews can also help the credibility of your book.
If your book has already been published, though, don't worry! You can still offer readers promotions. Unlike sending ARCs, promotions for your book are broader, and not everyone who purchases your book at a promotional price is guaranteed to leave a review. Still, offering a promotional price for a short time can bring in more readers, who will be getting a deal, while you can grow your audience.
Create "favorites" lists that include other authors' works.
When a friend of mine recommends a book, I'm about a thousand times more likely to go check it out, and readers who trust you are also more likely to take your recommendation on books you love.
Sharing your favorite books with readers and requesting that other authors do the same if they enjoy your book(s) is another great way to collaborate. Your audience trusts that the books you share will likely have some similarities to yours, and another author's audience will likely feel the same if that author recommends your book.
A quick (probably obvious) caveat here: you should only recommend books you actually love, and you should ask authors to recommend your book to their audiences only if they really enjoy it. Remember, your readers trust you, and you don't want to lead them astray! It's worth taking some time to find fellow authors who genuinely want to collaborate with you and vice versa.
Using collaborations can be a fun way to connect with your readers and other authors while also spreading the word about your book!
Have you ever collaborated with other authors or with your readers? Or, would you consider collaborating in the future? Let us know your thoughts!
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