I have a confession. I don’t usually buy fiction at full price. I go to the library, look at garage sales, or borrow from a friend. If it touches my life in some way or I know the author I might invest in a brand new copy.
The other day, however, when I was in the mood for a good book I visited the bookstore. After reading a ton of book blurbs, they all started sounding alike. I defaulted to an author I was familiar with and whom I knew wrote quality stories.
Familiarity with your name influences the purchase of your book. The more places you get you and your writing in front of people, the more likely people will pause when they see a book with your name on it. And buy it.

Getting in front of potential readers is something you can do now. Well before the contract. Here are 5 ideas for building familiarity:

1.      Interact with potential readers and influencers on social media
2.      Write (articles, devotionals and stories) in offline markets
3.      Guest post on other blogs
4.      Write an ebook/PDF download to offer as free content
5.      Do reviews for others and post them
Action: Visit the social media sights of 3 of your favorite authors. Take note of what they are doing. Which of these things look like they would fit with your purpose?
When you go to the bookstore or library to find a good book, how much do each of the following affect your choice? Book cover? Back blurb? Author familiarity?

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