For debut authors, the process of finding the very first readers is often the hardest and the most challenging one. Most authors overcomplicate this stage. They jump from platform to platform, post randomly, and expect instant results, without understanding what actually matters in the beginning.
This blog is written to simplify that process. Whether you’re a fiction or nonfiction author, the journey of finding your readers becomes much easier when you focus on building genuine connections, choose the right platforms, and market your book with intention. If you’ve been asking yourself how to find readers for your book without feeling overwhelmed, this guide will help you take those first confident steps.
Effective Tips to Find Readers
These book marketing tips will help authors find potential readers for their book and make the book marketing process more manageable and far less confusing.
1. Promote It Among Your Contacts
The best place to start to find your readers is your family and your friends. Let them know about your book, and try to convince them to share a word about it.
Promote it among your social networks also, by posting about it on your social platforms.
Start the advertising process, once you step into the publishing process of your book. Let people know when it will be available and consider offering pre-orders for your book. And then be sure to promote it regularly once it’s released.
By following these simple book promotion tips, authors can build early visibility and reach readers through trusted personal networks.
2. Create Your Book’s Online Presence
One of the most important book marketing tips is to build a strong online presence for your book. You should treat your book like a brand, and a great way to do that is by creating an author website. An author website is a personal online space where you can showcase your work, connect with readers, and promote your books.
Before creating an author website, make sure you have an online presence and enough connections or networks to share your website.
3. Engage Through Book Reading Platforms
Book reading platforms like Amazon and Goodreads have a massive global readership. These platforms play an important role in an author’s marketing journey, as they enable authors to create their profile and help them build visibility and establish direct connections with readers.
Amazon
Amazon Author Central lets you create your Author Page where you can share the most up-to-date information about yourself and your books with millions of readers. It helps readers find your books easily and in one place. Readers can follow your page, and your followers will be notified about your book release, pre order details and any update you’ll make on your page.
Goodreads
You can make an author profile in goodreads by publishing your book. The Goodreads Author Program allows published authors to claim their profile page to promote their book and engage with readers. Here’s what authors can do through their author page:
- They can promote their books, share their blogs, and even arrange giveaways through the page.
- They also gain access to marketing tools that help create awareness and interest around their books
4. Reach Out to Book Bloggers
Another effective book promotion tip to increase visibility is to collaborate with book bloggers.
Book bloggers have a tremendous impact on a book’s sales and popularity, and this community has made many self-published authors stars with their reviews and mentions. You can search book bloggers on social media platforms using these hashtags:
- #bookblogger
- #bookstagram
- #booklover
- #BookTok
- #Bookwormpakistan
- #Bookloverpakistan
- #bibliophile
Also, find out where they prefer to be contacted, you can find info about collaboration in their profiles.
5. Join Online Communities
Online book clubs and reading communities help authors to connect directly with readers and fellow authors. There are several platforms you can choose from, depending on your specific goals and target audience.
For local readership, Pakistani book clubs on Facebook can be very effective. These communities allow you to share your writing journey, talk about your work, interact with readers, and gradually market your book in an authentic way.
If your writing has the potential to attract a global audience, you should also consider joining readers’ communities on Reddit.
Reddit is a popular platform for book clubs and literary discussions worldwide. Through Reddit, authors can openly discuss their writing experiences, the challenges they faced, and the inspiration behind their book. A brief background story about your book helps spark curiosity and build genuine interest among readers.
Daastan’s Author Club:
Daastan Book Club is an authors’ network that supports writers throughout their publishing and marketing journey. Authors can promote their work, connect with fellow writers, and gain practical insights from others’ experiences.
Current marketing strategies and practical tips are frequently shared which help authors to stay updated on real-world approaches to successfully reach their readers.
6. Choose the Right Marketing Approach: Fiction vs Nonfiction
Most of the book selling tips are the same for fiction and nonfiction books, such as building an author brand, joining related communities etc. The main difference lies in the audience persona and the strategies you build to reach these two different audiences. Some of the most important factors that distinguish fiction and nonfiction book marketing are discussed here:
Platforms
Platform selection plays a key role in reaching the right readers. Authors should focus their promotional efforts on platforms that align with the nature of their book and the preferences of their target readers.
Platform for fiction books
Fiction books thrive on interest based platforms where emotional storytelling, visuals, and short-form content dominate. Platforms such as
- TikTok
- Facebook Reels
These platforms allow fiction authors to share quotes, scenes, moods, and themes that spark curiosity and emotional connection. These platforms help readers feel the story before they even open the book.
For non fiction books
Non fiction books perform better on information based platforms where readers actively look for knowledge and practical guidance. These platforms include
- Medium
- Book-reading communities and
- Discussion forums
On these platforms, readers are more receptive to long, thoughtful and problem-solving discussions, which makes them ideal for nonfiction authors to share their work.
Author’s Online Presence / Website:
Besides choosing the right platforms, authors must also shape their author identity differently depending on whether they write fiction or nonfiction.
For fiction writers
The author brand should focus on emotional connection and relatability. Readers are drawn to fiction authors who appear empathetic, relatable, and deeply connected to human experiences. The goal is to show that the author understands feelings, struggles and the emotional worlds readers live in.
For nonfiction writers
The focus shifts toward credibility, experience, and authority. Readers want to know why they should trust the author’s perspective. The more consistently a nonfiction author shows expertise and real-world understanding, the more confident readers feel about investing in their book.
Type of Content
When you promote a fiction book, content should focus on emotion, mood, and connection rather than explanation.Short-form, visually engaging content works best, such as:
- Reels
- TikTok videos
- Short snippets from the book
- Engaging one-liners
- Quotes
Content that communicates how the book feels, helps readers see themselves in the story and builds a strong emotional pull toward the book.
Nonfiction
For nonfiction books, content should be value-focused. Readers respond well to content that demonstrates the author’s knowledge and the practical benefits of the book. It can includes
- Short educational videos
- Case studies
- Articles
- Blog posts
- Podcasts
- LinkedIn posts
- YouTube videos
In simple terms, fiction content invites readers to feel, while nonfiction content invites them to learn. Authors who keep this core concept in mind while marketing their books are more likely to attract the potential readers.
7. Collaborate with Daastaan
Daastan provides genuine support to authors. With a mission to put a book in every reader’s hands, Daastan works closely with debut and struggling authors to give their books the limelight they deserve. Its professional team guides authors in building a strong online presence and promotes their books across both online and offline platforms. By marketing your book on the right channels, Daastan maximizes visibility and ensures it reaches the right audience at the right time. This way, the demanding work of marketing and promotion is handled by experts, while you focus on your creative craft.
Conclusion
The process of finding your very first readers is less about aggressive selling and more about showing up where your readers already are. By building an online presence, joining the right communities, and understanding the difference between fiction and nonfiction marketing, authors can create trust before asking for attention. When your strategy aligns with the purpose of your book, you attract readers who find your book worth reading and these are the ones who will become your loyal supporters in the future.
