I’ve spoken one-on-one with hundreds of authors about book marketing, and the number-one thing I hear is, “I don’t even know where to start.” Or at times it’s the opposite: “I’m drowning in so many ideas, I’ll never get to them all.” Instead of helping just one more author at a time, I decided to make this video to show you 3 simple steps to build the most effective, affordable, long-term reader growth system I recommend to every author I work with.
But firstly, I’m Matt Zoronic, co-founder of Rocket Expansion. My team builds websites and runs ads for authors, from first-time novelists to writers who’ve sold tens of millions of books. And through it all, I’ve seen exactly what works to grow an audience of loyal readers.
Now, before we even get into the how of building an email list that creates superfan readers, you might be wondering: is email marketing even worth it? Isn’t it a dinosaur that’s already gone extinct?
Well, here’s the reality. Without an email list, you run into what I call the “revolving reader door.” You’re at the mercy of algorithm-driven platforms like Amazon and Facebook. If they change the rules tomorrow, your readers can disappear overnight. And even when readers do find your book today, most will forget about you tomorrow.
To fix the revolving reader door problem, you need a way to invite them back into your world, again and again. And this isn’t just theory. One of our 8-figure-earning author clients has an email list of over 250,000 readers, and she calls it “marketing gold.”
That’s why an email list isn’t just another marketing tool; it’s the most affordable, most reliable way to build and grow your author career. Because along with your author website, it’s the one channel you actually own.
So, if an email list is that powerful, how do you actually build one that turns casual readers into lifelong superfans? I teach my clients something I call the “superfan system,” and it’s made of 3 steps.
Step 1 is your magnet. What makes your readers want to sign up in the first place? Step 2 is your hub: where your email list lives and how it connects to your author website. And Step 3 is your flow: how you get readers onto your list, and how you keep them engaged so they don’t just join your list and vanish.
Now, pay close attention, because if any of these 3 steps are missing or done badly, you won’t get the results you want. Step 1 of the superfan system is what I call the “magnet.” This is the irresistible reason a reader signs up for your email list in the first place.
For fiction authors, that usually means offering something short, fun, and highly engaging, like a free prequel, a bonus novella, or a secret short story that expands your world. For non-fiction authors, it might be a cheat sheet, a checklist, or a mini guide that solves one of your reader’s biggest problems fast.
But here’s the key: your magnet isn’t just a freebie. It’s the start of a relationship. It should make readers say, “Wow, if this is free, imagine how good the paid stuff is.” So think about what bonus or resource you could give away that feels like a natural extension of your books. Something that makes your readers feel like insiders.
Let me give you some actual examples from authors I’ve worked with, so you can see what I mean. T.A. White, a fantasy and science fiction author, offers a complete novel, “Pathfinders’ Way,” as her magnet. It’s Book 1 of the “Broken Land” series, normally around $3 or $4 on Amazon, with over 4,500 reviews.
A book with that many reviews almost certainly sold tens of thousands of copies, likely earning her well into six figures with that book alone. And yet, she gives it away for free, because her email list is worth even more long term. You don’t have to go that far, but if your readers love it enough to crave the next book, it’s a powerful strategy.
Another approach is what fantasy author James Maxwell does. Instead of giving away a full novel, he offers a short story collection, “Seven Words of Power,” set in the world of his breakout hit series, The Everman Saga. Some of the stories even reveal character insights you won’t find anywhere else.
It’s shorter, easier to produce, and still delivers massive value to readers because it deepens their connection with the world and characters. And here’s a non-fiction example: Bald Solomon offers a free sneak preview of his latest book, just chapter 1.
It’s simple, low-effort, but effective. Readers get hooked right at the start of his message, and once they’re in, they’re much more likely to keep following his work. But non-fiction authors don’t have to stop at sneak previews.
Some of the most powerful magnets in this space are things like checklists, pre-formatted spreadsheets, tools, quizzes, calculators, or short workbooks. Why? Because non-fiction readers aren’t just looking for information; they’re looking for transformation.
If your freebie gives them something they can use right away to solve a problem, organize their life, or get a quick win, they’ll instantly see your value as an author and be far more likely to stay engaged with your content.
For children’s authors, Kelly Starling-Lyons takes a different approach. Instead of giving away a book, she offers a fun, downloadable poster tied to her Jada Jones series. It’s colorful, parent-approved, and something kids actually want to stick on their wall, which makes it a perfect entry point for families to join her mailing list.
Let’s get into some magnet do’s and don’ts. Over the years of building these with authors, I’ve noticed there are just really 2 big do’s and 2 big don’ts when it comes to reader magnets. Nail these, and you’ll avoid 90% of the common mistakes.
Before you start making your freebie, remember: the 2 biggest mistakes are making a magnet that attracts the wrong readers, or making it so complicated you never finish creating it. So here’s what to do instead.
Do make sure your magnet is tightly connected with what you actually write. If you’re a fantasy author, don’t give away a random 10 productivity tips PDF; you’ll get subscribers who never even read your books.
Do keep it simple. Short stories, deleted scenes, checklists, sneak peeks — all of these can be created quickly and still feel valuable. And if you’re going to use a whole novel, use one you’ve already published and proven, not something you need to create from scratch just for this.
And here’s what not to do. Don’t try to please everyone. If your magnet appeals to everyone, it resonates with no one. Don’t aim for perfection. A finished magnet that’s good and live today will grow your list faster than a “perfect” one that never leaves your hard drive.
So that’s Step 1 of the superfan system: create a reader magnet that actually works. But of course, even the best magnet won’t grow your list if no one ever sees it. Which brings us to Step 2: getting traffic. Step 2 is your hub. That’s your author website. This whole system only works if your site feels trustworthy and loads fast. If your site is slow, messy, or hard to use on mobile, people will bounce and your email list won’t grow.
Quick shameless plug here: my team at Rocket Expansion are author website specialists. If you’d rather skip the trial and error and go straight to the pros, there’s a link in the description where you can inquire about getting us to create a beautiful, professional author website with the superfan system built in. And of course, you can also join our email list so you can get more free, valuable author marketing know-how, just like this. There’s a link to do that in the description as well.
Now, when it comes to your website, before anything else, make sure your site is fast. This means good website hosting, optimized image sizes, and no bloated code. Make sure your site is mobile-friendly, because most visitors will see your site on their phone. Make sure it’s secure; always use HTTPS with an SSL certificate. And last but not least, make sure your site is clean and focused. Use clear typography and a simple layout with no clutter. Good design means fewer elements used well, which equals clearer communication. If some of this sounds technical, don’t worry. Any competent web developer will know how to implement these basics.
Now, the heart of your website hub is a dedicated landing page. This is the single place where readers grab your freebie. No distractions, just a clear “yes, I’ll take that freebie and join your list.” Your dedicated landing page on your site should have: a short, clear headline with the benefit. “Get your free book bonus today for this reason.” A strong visual of the thing you’re offering: the book cover, or a mock-up of the freebie. One persuasive line on what they’ll get and why they’ll love it. A simple sign-up form with one field: “Enter your email.” And a strong button: “Download for free.”
Adding a field for the name will give you far fewer sign-ups, and you really don’t need it. If a subscriber emails you back, they’ll naturally include their name, and you can build a relationship from there. And under all of this, add a small footer reassurance that also sets expectations. For example: “You’ll also get free bonus content and access to launch specials when available. Unsubscribe anytime.”
Now, when you’re setting this page up, be sure to use a short, memorable URL like website.name.com/free or website.name.com/join. You’ll see why this is important in Step 3 later on. And make sure all of this is fully visible on a mobile device without needing to scroll down. Some authors go super simple: just the cover of the free book, a bold headline, one short line of copy, and the sign-up form front and center. Others add a touch more personality, maybe a line about the series, or a testimonial from a reader. But they still keep it uncluttered and focused on one thing: getting the sign-up. The key is that this sign-up page looks trustworthy, loads fast, and makes it crystal clear what the reader is getting. Nothing extra, nothing distracting, just the promise, the visual, and the form.
Now that we’ve got the page where they’ll sign up dialed in, let’s look at the core pathways you’ll need to set up that point back to your sign-up landing page. Firstly, add a call-to-action button in your website navigation header. Something like “Free book,” “Join me,” or “Start reading,” or even simply “Free.” And make sure that button always links straight to your landing page so it’s one click away, no matter where someone is on your site.
Next, feature your freebie on your homepage. Show the cover, the promise, and the sign-up form. Some authors open with this right at the top, and others place it after their literature release or further down. Either way, make sure it’s easy to spot. Then add a sign-up section to your About, Resource, and Blog post pages. Use the same general design and content as your landing page. Don’t put this on book sales pages or any “buy now” or “inquire now” type pages. You don’t want to steal attention from a purchase or a hot lead.
So, to wrap this step up: your website is the hub you own. The landing page and sign-up sections are the door. And all the paths — the header button, homepage feature, sign-up sections, and back-of-book link, which we’ll go into shortly — all lead to that one door.
Okay, so you’ve got your irresistible magnets, and you’ve got your hub, the landing page, and sign-up sections on your author website. Now comes the part that makes this system actually work: getting readers into the flow. Because let’s be honest, if nobody ever sees your magnet or your landing page, it doesn’t matter how good they are. You need to guide readers into the flow again and again from multiple angles. This is both for brand-new readers and to remind readers that haven’t signed up yet that maybe it’s time they did so. I’ll divide flow into 3 main pathways you’ll use to get readers to your sign-up page.
Pathway number 1 is what I call “internal flow,” meaning inside your books. The single most powerful place to put your sign-up link is at the end of your book. Right after the story finishes, add something like, “If you enjoyed this, grab my free bonus at website.name.com/free.” It’s the perfect moment. They’ve just finished reading your work, they’re invested, and now you give them a clear next step. One author I work with has picked up over 10,000 sign-ups from nothing more than this one placement in her books.
Pathway number 2 is organic flow: from social media, bios, and other media features. You want to make sure your freebies mention any way readers might come across you. That includes your Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter/X bios. You always want to link directly to your sign-up page. You can also add short call-outs in your posts and videos. For example, “Want this free thing? Link in bio.” And of course, you can add these to your Amazon, Goodreads, and other author bios on any other platform that you control.
And if you’re getting any podcast interviews or guest posts, I’d recommend always sending people directly to your freebie. But even if you do send them to your website, it’ll work a lot of the time if you set it up just like I mentioned in Step 2 before. But straight to the freebie is generally better. The key here is simplicity. Always make the next step your reader needs to take obvious and easy.
Finally, pathway number 3 is paid flow, in other words, advertising. Finally, once your magnet and hub are dialed in, you can use ads to accelerate email list growth. Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, they all work. But ads should never be your first step. Nail your magnet, landing page, and organic flow first. Then, when you’re already converting well, ads can supercharge your growth.
We recently helped a romance author put this in place, and her sign-ups instantly jumped 5 times higher than anything she’d seen previously. And about a third of the advertising cost she was paying before. If you do run ads, make sure your conversion tracking is set up properly. That way the ad platform knows when a sign-up happens and it can optimize for more. It’s a little technical, but once it’s in place, it’s easy to manage.
And just so you know, apart from websites, at Rocket Expansion we also run a Facebook Ads for Authors service. We only work with authors who already have a proven record of sales and are ready to scale big. Because you want to be confident your ad dollars are well spent and get you the best possible returns in book sales and email sign-ups.
And that’s really the whole picture. Your books funnel readers in, your socials and bios funnel readers in, your ads funnel readers in, and all of them point to that one dedicated landing page where they grab your irresistible magnet and join your email list. That’s how you build a reliable, consistent system that keeps growing your reader base month after month.
So let’s zoom out for a second and recap the full 3-step system. The magnet, your irresistible freebie. The hub, your author website, and that dedicated email sign-up landing page. The flow, the pathways that keep sending readers back in. When you put all 3 together, you’ve got a list-building machine you can actually rely on.
Now, if you want to see how to apply this to your own career, I’ve got a free guide for you: the Author Website Playbook. 7 Steps to Turn Curious Clicks into Loyal Readers. The link’s down in the description. Grab it and start putting all this in place right away.
And hey, if this video helped you, give it a like and hit subscribe so you don’t miss the next one. And keep watching, because in the next video we’re going to dive into what to actually email your readers that’ll keep them coming back for your next book.
