3 fiction lead magnet ideas to help you attract more readers

A lead magnet is a digital gift you offer readers in exchange for their email address. Get ideas for novelists and learn how to create them.

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“Lead magnet” is a marketing term for the digital gift you give readers as an incentive to add themselves to your email list.

Think of it as an ethical bribe.

Unless you’re a successful, well-known author with a newsletter that attracts subscribers easily, you need this free, downloadable gift to motivate readers to subscribe to your occasional author updates or regular newsletter.

Book relevance and and reader appeal are key.

I use several lead magnets to encourage authors and others to subscribe to my free, weekly Build Book Buzz book marketing newsletter that delivers how-to advice to their inboxes every Wednesday morning. Here are the landing pages for a few of them so you see how this works if you’re unfamiliar with the concept or offer process:

• 5 Book Marketing Building Blocks e-mail course
• 5 First Steps to Getting Media Attention
• Top 5 Free Book Promotion Resources

Here’s the big question to ask yourself: What should I offer as my incentive?

Not an easy answer for novelists

That question is easier for nonfiction authors to answer than it is for novelists. Nonfiction authors can create quizzes, templates, infographics, cheat sheets, and samples, among other options. (If you write nonfiction, be sure to read “5 nonfiction lead magnet ideas.”

More often than not, if fiction writers are using any kind of lead magnet, it’s a novella, short story, or sample chapter.

But is that your only option?

Nope.

Here are a few suggestions for other “freebies” you can create for your ideal readers.

Fiction lead magnet idea #1: How to do something

Bear with me on this. It’s possible.

The author of The Language of Flowers could create a one-page illustrated guide to preserving flowers, with suggestions for how to use the dried beauties.

Because the main character is a caterer, Jane Green’s Saving Grace makes frequent references to foods that sound delicious. I wanted those recipes. I wanted them so badly that I searched for Green’s version of them online. No luck.

If Green had offered a collection of her caterer’s recipes as a lead magnet, I would have “opted in” — marketing-speak for “added myself to her list” — without thinking twice.

See how this works? Find a “nonfiction nugget” in your book and build around it.

Fiction lead magnet idea #2: Cheat sheet

If you write fantasy novels or science fiction with many characters with unusual names, consider creating a one-page PDF character guide with names and descriptions.

Have you thought about creating a map for your world? I love Louise Penny’s character-rich Chief Inspector Armand Gamache series set in the fictional Canadian village of Three Pines. After reading several of the books, I wanted a map of the village.

Thinking it would be a great lead magnet for fans, I Googled “Louise Penny Three Pines map,” and to my delight, found exactly that on her site. She doesn’t require email opt-in, but she could.

I’ve learned a great deal about the Italian Renaissance masters through Daniel Silva’s Gabriel Allon espionage series. Like Penny, he’s successful enough that he doesn’t need a lead magnet incentive to attract subscribers to his newsletter. But if he did, I’d welcome a Renaissance masters cheat sheet.

Fiction lead magnet #3: Your book’s first chapter

This is the go-to option for most novelists. It’s frequently recommended not because it’s the best option but because it’s the easiest to offer and implement.

It lets readers sample your storytelling and writing skills. Keep in mind, though, that the “Read sample” feature on your Amazon sales page does that, too.

If this is your choice, simply save your first chapter as a PDF file and set it up in your email service provider’s system for downloading as soon as people sign up for your newsletter.

If you’re a seasoned writer with an established fan base, consider going beyond this. Get creative with the first two options described above. You’ll have more fun with it, and so will your readers.

Creating your lead magnet

You can create an attractive, effective lead magnet with low-cost resources. I’ve used each of the following:

Fiverr

Fiverr is a freelance marketplace. After you create your free account, search for “lead magnet design.”

In general, I find that I get the best results when I give the designer an example of the type of look I’d like to have. Very specific instructions make a big difference, too.

If you’re not sure what you’d like yours to look like, add yourself to lots of email lists and download the corresponding lead magnets. When you find one that you like, include it in your design instructions.

Alternatively, scroll through the design samples offered by Fiverr designers to find something that resonates with your vision.

Canva

While Canva has a robust free level, if you aren’t familiar with it already, it will be your most time-intensive design option.

After creating your free account, decide what you want to create — a checklist, e-book, map, etc. Select “templates” in the middle of the left toolbar, and type what you want to create in the search box. You’ll get a nice selection of options and templates. (I always start with a template.)

Alternatively, select “templates” in the middle of the left toolbar, and scroll through the design type options under the search box. Click around each collection to find something that speaks to you.

I do a lot of clicking through templates when I use Canva, but I always find something that’s a solid starting point for the end product I want.

Designrr

I also use Designrr, a $27 web-based tool that lets me repurpose content I’ve already created into a range of end products. (To get the $27 deal, click on that option in the bar at the bottom of the screen at this link.)

When I wanted to create a special free gift for a conference I spoke at recently, I used Designrr to turn a blog post into a short report. The nerd in me enjoyed exploring the templates and imagining the many design options for the audience handout.

You’ll get a PDF as well as a URL that houses the PDF.

Getting subscribers

Collect email addresses by creating a lead magnet landing page — a dedicated web page that describes your newsletter and invites people to sign up. “Dedicated” means that page’s sole goal is to generate newsletter signups. For that reason, there’s no toolbar linking to other pages on your site.

Don’t expect readers to stumble upon it — send traffic to it constantly.

Remember to promote your lead magnet in your book, too. Reference it with the landing page link in both your front matter and back matter. Readers who like what you write will happily connect with you further this way.

And hey, if you want to brainstorm lead magnet ideas, join the Build Book Buzz book marketing group on Facebook and start a discussion. Tell us you’re looking for help with a lead magnet idea, provide your book title, and give us a short book description.

Let’s rally the troops to help!

Fiction lead magnet FAQs

What is a lead magnet and why do I need one as a novelist?

A lead magnet is a free digital gift you offer readers in exchange for their email address — essentially an ethical bribe. Unless you’re a well-known author who attracts subscribers easily, a lead magnet motivates readers to sign up for your newsletter or author updates.

Are fiction lead magnets limited to sample chapters or short stories?

No! While a first chapter is the most common option, novelists can also create “how-to” content inspired by their books or cheat sheets, such as character guides or maps of fictional settings.

How do I find a “nonfiction nugget” to build a lead magnet around?

Look inside your own book for practical or interesting elements that readers might want to explore further. If readers would search for it online, it’s worth offering.

What tools can I use to create my lead magnet?

Affordable options include Fiverr (where you can hire a designer by searching “lead magnet design”), Canva (a free tool with customizable templates), and Designrr (a $27 web-based tool that converts existing content like blog posts into polished PDFs).

Once my lead magnet is ready, how do I get people to download it?

Create a dedicated landing page that describes your newsletter and invites sign-ups, then drive traffic to it consistently. Be sure to include the landing page link in both the front and back matter of your book.

What are you using as an incentive to get people on your list? Tell us in a comment. 

(Editor’s note: This article was published in July 2018. It is updated and expanded.)