Starting a Street Team

Starting a Street Team Every writers dream is to find as many readers as possible, but finding readers takes valuable time away from writing. The idea having an army of readers working to promote your book sounds too good to be true. But, is it? You can develop your own street team to grow your readership. But how? This is what I learned from my first street-team: Start a closed Facebook group for your street team. Use this group to promote your book before its release and during the first week. They in turn share on their own social pages. Send an invite to as many of your most active followers/fans as possible to join the private group. We like thinking we are on the inside of something. It is fun to connect with other readers who really like the authors work. Update the street team on the progress of the release, give date and goals, i.e., 100 verified reviews on Amazon in the first week, etc. Â  They are going to buy/read anyways, you are just asking them to do it quickly. I read the last book in one day (release date) and had my review posted on the second day. Encourage them to ask friends and associates to read/review as a favor, etc., share the goal of 100 reviews needed for a favored author. The idea is that people flock to a blockbuster movie, and this is no different, plus they get the enjoyment of reading! Books are always better than movies. Provide your input/commentary on posts Encourage one person to take the lead. They will keep the group on target without you having to do everything. Â  A short Good morning post to the group each morning acts as a reminder to the others to reach out in some way. Consider giving your galley copies to the group to read and post reviews on Amazon, Barnes Noble, Goodreads, Facebook, Twitter, and more. They can pass them on to other reader/reviewers to help your pre-and post-release numbers. Let your publisher know if your street team members belong to NetGalley so they can download a copy of your book to read and review. Post frequently to the street team group leading up to the book release (one month before the release through the end of the first week) to give encouragement/praise. Encourage them to post photos, advertisements, and promotional ideas on their private social pages, too. Add any of the other things you have already been doing to promotebut make the group the first audience for your ideas, etc. It is a fluid group that will adapt to any ideas you share. Marketing our work is the hardest part of being an author, but it is not impossible. Using a street team will make that much easier. You will make a few new friends and connect with more readers who love your work. Isnt that our goal, after all, expanding our readership?