If you do any sort of marketing for your job, you likely know what a Reader Magnet is. It’s also referred to as a cookie. Who doesn’t love cookies? If you are unfamiliar with the term a Reader Magnet/Cookie is a free item that you give to a person usually in exchange for their email address or to be put on their mailing list. It’s basically a thank you for signing up.
What you choose to give to the person in exchange for their email is up to you. Some give out checklists, how-to guides, maps, illustrations, etc. Authors… well, we tend to give out stories. In some cases, full novels.
Years ago I did this with my first book Pulled, but at the time, the book was perma-free and it wasn’t really a gift if the thing was already free to begin with, so I pulled it (pun intended) as my reader magnet and haven’t had one since. Until today.
I feel like anyone who is reading my blog has probably already signed up for my newsletter if they wanted to I’m also going to post that reader magnet/cookie in this blog post, because why not? I’m the boss here! I make the rules!
The overall goal of a reader magnet, in particular, is to draw a reader into a series or get them hooked on the author’s voice, characters, universe. The reader magnet should convey the tone of the type of books that they write, maintain a similar heat value if it is leading you into a series, and hopefully, if done right, leave you wanting more. Hence the word ‘magnet.’ The magnet’s job is to pull you in. (I swear, these puns write themselves.)
The magnet I wrote for this new series? I have no clue if it ticks those boxes. Honestly, this is my first real attempt at one: writing a story that I give away for free with the sole purpose of hooking a reader to my series/work. So, if you end up reading the magnet, and feel it doesn’t tick those boxes for you, I really would love to know. I want to create content that does what it’s supposed to do and I honestly can’t be the judge of it. I am far too biased.
With that said, I am giving you the reader magnet I wrote specifically to lead a reader into Where You Left Me, Vol. 1. Where You Met Me: Shawn’s story. The moments that lead up to where Vol. 1 begins.
Well, that’s all for now. I’m off to start writing Vol. 3 while draft 3 of Vol. 2 marinates in my mind some more.
Danielle/Dani Bannister, author and giverawayer of all the cookies!
Danielle Bannister, Author 