How to Build a Reader Magnet Landing Page That Converts

A reader magnet is the free book, novella or prequel you give away in return for someone joining your mailing list. Most authors have one. Far fewer have a reader magnet landing page built to give it away properly. Just linking to a delivery service’s form from the back of a book leaves readers guessing what they’re actually signing up for.

This guide is about the page itself. It covers what goes on it and how to handle consent, then what happens next and where your readers come from. It assumes you already have a magnet and want it to pull its weight, ideally on a website built for authors where the page matches the rest of your brand.

What makes a good reader magnet landing page?

Focus. The page does one thing, so take off the site menu and the social icons, along with the list of every book you’ve ever written. A reader who turns up from an ad, a newsletter swap or the back of your book has already shown interest. Your job is to make the next step obvious.

Treat it as a short sales page with these parts, in this order:

1. A headline that names the promise.
2. The cover of the free book.
3. Two or three lines of blurb, written like a back-cover description.
4. The sign-up form and button.
5. A line of reassurance about how you’ll use their email.

Everything else is optional, and most things you might bolt on make the page weaker. If the book is enrolled in KDP Select, read the KDP Select terms first, because enrolled ebooks must be available digitally only through KDP for the whole enrolment period.

What should the headline and cover image say?

The headline

Say what the reader gets and what sort of story it is. “Get the free prequel to the Harbour Street crime series” tells a thriller reader the genre, that it’s free and that it’s part of a series. “Join my newsletter” tells them nothing at all. If you write in a recognisable trope or subgenre, name it. It helps the right reader say yes, and lets the wrong one leave.

The cover

Show the cover of the free book big enough to read the title, and make sure it looks like the rest of your series. If the magnet has a weak or mismatched cover, readers may judge your whole catalogue by it. A professionally designed cover for the freebie pays for itself in sign-ups.

The blurb

Write it the way you would for a retailer page. Open with a hook and the stakes, then add a line that sets expectations, such as how long the read is or that it works as a way into the series. A reader who knows the length and the tone is far more likely to open the file once they’ve downloaded it.

What should the sign-up form ask for?

As little as you can get away with. An email address, maybe a first name, is plenty. Every extra field costs you sign-ups. If you want to know which format a reader uses, ask after they’ve joined the list.

Make the button say what happens: “Send me the free book” beats “Submit”. Test the form on a phone, because most readers will arrive on a mobile. It should be visible without scrolling and easy to fill in with one thumb.

What do privacy and consent mean for a reader magnet?

If you email people from the UK, the rules on marketing consent apply to you, even if your author business is just you. The ICO’s guidance on email marketing says you must not send marketing emails to individuals without their specific consent, for example a ticked opt-in box. It also describes a limited “soft opt-in” for existing customers, which it says doesn’t cover prospective customers or bought-in lists.

A few things follow from that.

• Say what they’re signing up for. For example: “Get the free book, plus occasional emails about my new releases and offers.”
• Don’t lean on the soft opt-in for a free download. Ask clearly for consent, with a tick box if your form tool supports one.
• Put an unsubscribe link in every email and deal with requests promptly. The ICO says you should give people a simple way to opt out and keep a record of those who do.
• Link to your privacy policy next to the form, and check it describes what you do with email addresses.
• Be honest about who you are in every email, with your name and a valid contact address.

The ICO notes that this guidance is under review because of the Data (Use and Access) Act, so check its page for the latest wording before you finalise your form. This isn’t legal advice. If you’re unsure, ask a professional.

What happens after someone signs up?

This is where lots of sign-ups go to waste. The form should lead straight to a thank-you screen that tells the reader how to get the book, and the first email should deliver it within a minute or two. Explain how to open the file on a Kindle, phone or tablet, because trouble with delivery is the main reason a free book never gets read.

Then use the welcome sequence to keep your promise. Here’s a simple structure:

1. Email one: the download link, a quick hello and what to expect.
2. Email two, a few days later: a personal note about the series and why you write it, with a link to book one.
3. Email three: an invitation to reply, or a favourite fact about the world of the books, with a link to book two. Our guide to building an author mailing list goes further.

Keep the tone the same as your books. Readers who get to know your voice early are more likely to stick around once the emails slow down.

Where should the traffic come from?

Back matter

The back of your books is the most natural source of all, because the reader has just finished a story they enjoyed. Give a short pitch and a link or QR code to the landing page. A vague mention of “my newsletter” won’t do it.

Newsletter swaps

Swapping promotions with authors who write for the same readers sends warm traffic to the page. Ask them how many readers they email, and send them a short blurb and an image that suit their audience.

Ads

Facebook and Instagram ads offering the free book are one way authors grow a list. The landing page has to match the ad closely, with the same cover and promise and the same tone. Our guide to Facebook and Instagram ads for authors explains how to set them up.

How do you know if the page is working?

Watch what share of visitors sign up and how many of them open the first email. Change one thing at a time, such as the headline, the cover or the button wording, so you can see what made the difference.

How we can help

We run reader-magnet funnels for authors, starting with the landing page and form, then the welcome sequence. Our team began as the in-house team for the USA Today bestselling author Jack Cartwright, so we know how a page like this fits into a series launch. We can design and build it as part of your author website, with the branding and consent wording set up properly. For the wider picture, see how we market self-published authors. We agree a clear brief, scope and fee with you before any work begins.

Sources

• ICO: Electronic mail marketing
• Amazon KDP: KDP Select