One thing I hear a lot from new erotica writers or those that just want to get started is that they don’t have any fans.
In fact, that was one of my main concerns when I first started out.
I literally had NO audience – which is to be expected when you are a “no name” author.
And if no one had even heard of my pen name who would actually buy my book?!
But here’s the thing you need to realize – almost all new authors have to start from scratch.
It’s exactly what I did when I started a new pen name on my latest project.
No one really comes in with a new pen name and has a legion of followers waiting to buy their every book.
Rome wasn’t built in one day.
It’ll take time to connect and develop your reader base.
But here are a few tips to help you build a rabid erotica fan base on Amazon.
1. Research!!!
First of all, you need to do your research.
Research Research Research!
Doing research is super important. You aren’t going to sell many BMWs to homeless people right?
NOPE!
That’s why you need to figure out what customers WANT and then write to that market.
Most people SKIP over this important process because it’s not “sexy” – but it is a big mistake!
When readers buy a BDSM book, they expect the author to write about certain kinks.
When readers buy a MILF book, they expect certain things to happen.
So if you really want to build your reader base, you need to know what your readers want.
And how do you do this? Well, you do it by reading a lot of books in the genre (specifically from top authors) and taking notes on the common themes.
Trust me, this labor of love is really worth it. I’ve had a few fans write to me before and say I basically “read their mind” when it came to my books!
2. Get your publishing schedule down!
The second thing you need to do is publish consistently.
Publishing consistently is super important. How do you think TV shows develop so many big followers? They CONSTANTLY air new episodes!
They follow a set schedule and release one new episode every week.
Being consistent is probably the hardest thing because real life can get in the way – your job, kids, dating, vacation, etc.
However, I promise that if you are consistent, you WILL build a following. It’s a matter of WHEN not If.
And this is something I realized a few months after I started publishing erotica on Amazon. The more I published, the more income I made.
Readers like authors who are consistent. Don’t publish 5 books over a month and then take 2 months off and then come back.
It’s much better to get a consistent publishing schedule down and get readers in the habit of buying your books every week!
3. Interact with your fans!
And the third thing to do is interact with your fans.
Sometimes people will email you for suggestions on plot points. Or maybe they want you to write a certain story.
Don’t ignore them! People LOVE getting mail from their favorite authors.
If you take their suggestions on story ideas, they will LOVE you forever. Seriously, I’ve done it before and have had people buy my books for months and years to come.
And even better if you have social media because you can interact with many fans at once. Give them a shout out once in a while and let them know what you’re working on.
An email list is also a great way to interact with your fans – although it is typically a bit more one sided (with you doing most of the talking).
But an email list is a great way to promote and market your content in addition to being a medium to connect with fans.
Building A Rabid Erotica Fan Base: Final Thoughts
Overall, building a fan base is difficult in the beginning.
However, it gets much easier down the road once you have a little success.
Don’t give up – if you build it they will come!
Readers, do you have any other tips to build a big rabid erotica fan base? Let me know in the comments!