Skip to main content

BUILDING AN AUDIENCE: ESSENTIAL ADVICE FOR ASPIRING AUTHORS


 

At Jewel Publishers, I often ask clients looking to print or publish their books: What are your social media handles?

With their responses, I go straight to their profiles to assess their online presence, especially how they engage with their audience. These findings shape the guidance I offer, particularly for writers aiming to meet tight publication deadlines.

For those with a limited online presence, I usually suggest they hold off on releasing their books—unless they’re planning a launch backed by a strong network that can offset their initial expenses.

However, great books shouldn’t be confined to readers who can immediately provide financial returns through personal networks. Instead, they should reach a broad audience, and the only way to achieve that is by dedicating time to building a community ready to engage with their work upon publication.

Allow me to share an example:

Recently, I read a review of Economics with Uncle Tunde by Tosin Adeoti on Facebook (Read the review here). Intrigued, I checked Roving Heights for the book, only to find it sold out—not just there, but in other stores too.

Next, I looked up the author, Babatunde Akin Moses, on LinkedIn and discovered he had over 50,000 followers and years of writing experience in finance. It became clear that even if he printed over 10,000 copies, they’d likely sell quickly. Inspired, I ordered 20 copies for our store, planning to donate 10 because it’s a truly fantastic read.

Writers, I won’t lie—I want your business. But I also believe in a win-win approach. We can certainly move forward with printing or publishing, but I recommend we work together to build a strong audience for you first. This way, you won’t end up with boxes of unsold books stacked around your home or office.

I hope this resonates. Let’s make your book a success, together.

Shalom ✌🏾


Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Beyond Tribe and Religion: Why Nigeria Must Choose Righteous Leadership

  When we go to the hospital, we do not ask about the tribe or religion of the doctors, nurses, or other health practitioners before receiving the care we need. When we go to the market to buy our daily needs, we do not concern ourselves with the tribe or religion of the sellers. We simply get what we need and move on. When we rent houses or attend schools, we rarely pause to consider the tribe or religion of others. What remains stunning, however, is that during elections, politicians suddenly remind us of our differences in tribe and religion, using them as distractions from the things that collectively benefit us: healthcare, infrastructure, education, security, and good governance. Today at Mass, the Church marked Interfaith Week. The service was beautiful and deeply moving. Three Imams visited our parish and stayed through the Holy Mass. They were given the opportunity to address us as brethren, different in faith, yet united in many core beliefs: 𝐁𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐟 𝐢𝐧 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐆𝐨...

Bruised But Wiser: Lessons from Mistakes and Bad Decisions

  I read the story about a hunter who once caught a bird in a trap, but released it on the condition that the bird would give him three wise suggestions. The bird assured him that although it looked worthless, it had something valuable to offer. After gaining its freedom, the bird kept its promise. It said, 𝟏. 𝐍𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞 𝐚 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐠𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐨𝐧 𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐞. 𝟐. 𝐃𝐨 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐭 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐛𝐞 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐧𝐞. 𝟑. 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞. On hearing this, the hunter scoffed and said, “I practise these things all the time. I knew you had nothing meaningful to offer.” The bird then flew to a higher branch and replied, “If you truly understood what I said, you would not have released me. There is a precious ruby in my heart. You could have made a fortune.” Immediately, the hunter was filled with regret . He tried to climb the tree to catch the bird, but fell and injured him...

My Learning Today – 20th August : STOP GOING TO PARTIES AND EVENTS EMPTY HANDED. E GET WHY.

Your little gifts today may be the open doors tomorrow. My friend Musa was in my office when I got an invitation to our mutual friend Paul’s birthday party. The invite clearly stated: “Access card valid for one person only.” For over an hour, Musa quietly waited for his own IV, until he finally asked: “Paul never send my own IV oh, abi him no want make I come?” Awkward moment. Weeks earlier, Paul had told me he wanted the party to be very exclusive. When I checked his guest list, Musa’s name was missing. I assumed it was a mistake, so I asked Paul. Smiling, Paul explained: “I don’t want people who never hold parties and never bring presents. They are always the first to arrive and the first to leave, with nothing in their hands.” Let me not lie, he hyped me small. He said he couldn’t remember me ever attending his house or events without a gift, even if it was something little from Jewel Publishers (like mugs, t-shirts, sports jerseys) or gadgets from Jewel Multiservices (like laptop...