Publishing your first book is a huge milestone—but what happens next can feel overwhelming. How do you find readers? How do you market your book when your audience is still small? And how do you start building an author platform that feels aligned with your voice?

If you're asking those questions, you're in the right place.

The good news? You don’t need to be perfect. You don’t need a massive launch team. You don’t even need a ton of followers.

What you do need is a willingness to play, test, and connect.

In this blog, we’ll walk through:

How to find and start building your audience
How to get comfortable marketing as a debut author
Why email is the most powerful middle-of-funnel tool
Ideas for your first reader magnet or newsletter opt-in

Let’s dive in!

Step 1: Start with Clarity, Not Perfection

Before you jump into growing your audience, take a minute to ground yourself in clarity.

Who is your ideal reader?
What genre do you write and what emotional experience does it deliver?
Why will readers connect with your story or your message?

You don’t need a 10-page business plan. But you do need to understand who you’re writing for and how your book fits into their world.

Clarity fuels content. When you know your audience, it becomes easier to post online, send emails, or talk about your book without spiraling into "I don’t know what to say."

Step 2: Focus on One Top-of-Funnel Platform to Start

Top-of-funnel is where readers first discover you. Social media is the most common method—Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Pinterest, and Facebook are all valid options. You don’t need to master them all. Choose one where you enjoy spending time and feel comfortable showing up.

Don’t overthink your content. Start with:

Behind-the-scenes posts (writing updates, workspace photos, inspiration boards)
Reader-focused content (tropes, vibes, book playlists)
Personal connection posts (why you write, what you love about your characters)

Remember: you’re not trying to go viral. You’re building trust. Consistency and conversation matter more than performance.

Social media will not be your main marketing tool in the long run, but when you’re starting, it is the perfect tool because it’s free and allows you to test out different things you'd like to discuss in your marketing.

Step 3: Bring Readers Into the Middle of Your Funnel

Your social media audience is important, but it’s not where the deepest connections happen. To move people from discovery to connection, you need a middle-of-funnel strategy—aka, your email list.

Your email list is where you:

Build a deeper relationship with readers
Share exclusive content and sneak peeks
Launch your book with intention and strategy

If social media is a cocktail party, your newsletter is the coffee date. It’s more personal, more direct, and more powerful.

Start your list ASAP. Even if it’s just five people, it’s worth it.

Step 4: Create a Reader Magnet

To encourage people to join your list, you need a lead magnet—something free and valuable that your readers will love.

Here are a few great reader magnet ideas:

A free short story set in your book’s world
A deleted scene or alternate POV
A character intro guide or trope breakdown
A "behind the book" bonus chapter or author notes

Make it something that delivers value and builds curiosity for your upcoming release. You can distribute it through BookFunnel or your email platform.

Step 5: Get Comfortable with Imperfect Marketing

Marketing feels hard when you’re trying to get it "right." But here’s the truth: the authors who build the strongest communities are the ones who allow themselves to experiment.

Try a new type of post. Send a messy newsletter. Test a different subject line. Play around with your reader magnet.

You’re not falling behind—you’re learning.

Allow yourself to show up imperfectly. Marketing is simply storytelling, and as an author, you already know how to do that.

Step 6: Keep Nurturing

Once someone joins your list, your job isn’t done. Keep showing up.

Send regular emails (monthly or biweekly is great to start)
Share updates, stories, reading recs, or bookish thoughts
Ask questions and invite replies

Your audience will grow the more you nurture it.

And don’t forget: showing up as yourself is the most sustainable way to market. That’s how you attract your right-fit readers.

Just Remember

If you’re launching your first book, focus less on being everywhere and more on being intentional.

You don’t need a big audience to make a big impact. You just need to connect with the right people, give them a reason to stay, and keep the conversation going.

Start with:

A top-of-funnel platform you enjoy (social media, podcasts, blogging, etc.)
A clear reader magnet (one that readers want as someone new to your world)
An email list you actually use (don’t email and ghost — you need to talk to them consistently)

And most importantly?

Give yourself permission to play.

P.S. Letters From Story Flow is your bi-weekly resource for authors who are ready to grow their careers with clarity and ease—without relying on hustle-heavy strategies that don’t feel like you.

If you're ready to build a sustainable author business, connect with readers, and get expert guidance that actually meets you where you are, click here to join me!

How to Build Your Audience as a Debut Author (Without Letting Perfectionism Hold You Back)

Step 1: Start with Clarity, Not Perfection

Step 2: Focus on One Top-of-Funnel Platform to Start