New authors often imagine readership as something that appears once a book is published, through some combination of social media and luck. In practice, most authors who build a genuine readership do so slowly, through a series of deliberate, unglamorous steps repeated over a long period.
This guide walks through where new authors typically find their first readers, and how those first readers tend to become the foundation for finding more, with each subsequent book benefiting from what was built before it.
Start by identifying likely readers
The clearer you can be about who the book is for, the easier every subsequent step becomes. This does not need to be a formal document; it can be as simple as picturing a handful of real people you know who would enjoy the book, and asking what they read, where they talk about books, and what would make them pick this one up.
Genre communities
Most genres have active communities of readers, whether in dedicated forums, social platform groups, or long-running mailing lists. Joining these as a genuine participant, discussing books you have read and enjoyed, tends to be noticed far more warmly than arriving only to announce your own release.
Existing networks
Friends, family, colleagues and existing professional or social contacts are usually a new author's very first readers, and this is entirely normal. The honest limitation is that this network is finite; it can start momentum, but it is rarely large enough to sustain an ongoing readership on its own.
A website
An author website gives new readers, and anyone who hears about you from elsewhere, somewhere stable to learn more and take a next step, such as joining a mailing list. It also means you are not entirely dependent on any single social platform's reach or rules.
A mailing list
An email list, even a small one, is one of the most durable ways to keep in touch with readers you have already reached, because it does not depend on an algorithm deciding to show them your next update. Starting a list early, even before a book is finished, gives you a direct way to tell the first interested people when it is ready.
Book clubs
Offering to join a book club discussion of your own book, in person or by video call, can turn a small group of readers into genuinely engaged advocates, and often leads to word-of-mouth recommendations to other clubs.
Reader groups
Dedicated reader groups, whether general or genre-specific, are often more receptive to hearing about new books than a broad social feed, because members have opted in specifically to discover new reading.
Events
Local bookshop events, library talks and festivals put new authors directly in front of interested readers, and often lead to conversations and recommendations that a purely online approach would not generate.
Libraries
Libraries can introduce a book to readers who might never come across it through retail alone, particularly local and regional libraries, which sometimes support local independently published authors through events or stock requests. Availability and policies vary by library service, so it is worth checking directly with your local library.
Local media
A local angle, whether the author's background, the book's setting or a topical theme, sometimes interests local press in a way a generic pitch would not, and local coverage can introduce a book to an engaged, geographically concentrated readership.
Partnerships
Other authors writing in a similar space, particularly those a book or two ahead, can be generous with advice and sometimes cross-promotion, especially where there is a genuine, mutual fit rather than a one-sided request.
ARC readers
Advance reader copies, shared with a small group ahead of publication, can generate early reviews and word-of-mouth right at launch. Building this group takes time and is often drawn from the communities, mailing list and networks described above, rather than appearing from nowhere.
The series advantage
Authors writing a series, or a consistent body of work in one genre, often find that each book makes finding readers for the next one easier, because readers who enjoyed the first book have a direct reason to look for more. This is one of the strongest, most realistic long-term readership strategies available to new authors.
Patience
Most authors who go on to have a meaningful readership built it over several books and several years, not from a single release. Expecting rapid growth from a first book sets up unnecessary disappointment; a more useful goal is steady growth in the number of people who know your work and want to hear about the next one.
Measuring growth honestly
Rather than tracking only follower counts, it is more useful to watch signals of genuine engagement: email open rates, repeat reviewers, readers who mention wanting your next book, and people who return to your website or content more than once. These are better indicators of a real, if smaller, readership than raw follower numbers, which do not tell you whether anyone is actually reading.
Common mistakes
- Confusing followers with readers. A large social following does not guarantee that any of those people will actually read the book; genuine engagement matters more than raw numbers.
- Relying only on personal networks. Friends and family are a reasonable starting point but rarely sustain a readership on their own once that initial goodwill is used up.
- Expecting fast results. Treating readership growth as something that should happen within weeks of publication leads to premature discouragement.
- Ignoring the mailing list until it is needed. Waiting until a second book is ready to start collecting email addresses means missing months or years of potential list growth.
Frequently asked questions
How many readers does a new author typically start with?
This varies enormously and depends on personal networks, genre and effort, so there is no reliable typical number; the more useful question is whether that number is growing steadily over time.
Should I focus on social media or a mailing list first?
A mailing list tends to be a more durable long-term asset because it does not depend on a platform's reach or rules, but social platforms can help you find the people who join that list in the first place, so most authors use both.
Do I need a large following before I publish?
No. Many authors publish with a small following and grow their readership gradually afterwards, often more successfully than authors who focus on follower counts rather than genuine engagement.
Does writing a series make finding readers easier?
Often, yes. Readers who enjoyed one book in a series have a direct reason to look for the next, which is one of the more reliable, though not guaranteed, ways to grow readership over time.
Social platforms
Social platforms can help new authors find readers, particularly where a genre has an active community there, but they work best as a way to have genuine conversations and share genuinely interesting content, not as a repeated advertisement. Platform features and algorithms change; check current guidance for whichever platform you use rather than assuming last year's advice still applies.