How to Create Book Bonus Content That Your Readers Will Love
Dear Evergreen Authors:
It seems like a lot of authors that I follow are posting bonus content for their books on social media or author website. Is this something I should do for my book?
Good question!
In our opinion, the more extra content you can create for your book, the better. But you don't want to just create content and let it sit there.
That content can be used in many different ways, all of which can lead people to your website and book, along with rewarding loyal readers who can’t get enough of your work and want more.
So yes, we do recommend creating bonus content for your book because it’s a great free marketing tool, and readers enjoy it.
Plus, bonus content is SO simple for authors to create because you already have everything you need (check out my list below of bonus content ideas to see how easy it is for you to do!)
10 Bonus Content Ideas Your Readers Will Love
A bonus chapter or short story related to your book.
An added illustration like a map of your book’s world.
Book Club discussion questions.
Teaching materials and sample lesson plans.
Deep-dives into the historical research that went into writing your book if it’s in a certain time period, or of any other related research you think your readers will find interesting.
Behind the scenes content of your writing process.
For fiction this can be character profiles, background and information that isn’t in your books.
For non-fiction, think quizzes, super short workbooks that focus on a single problem you can help them solve, or events on social that let them ask you questions around a specific topic for 30 minutes.
Rough drafts of your book-in-progress.
Bonus videos where you read small sections of your book.
Put those extra pieces of content on your website, pin them, post them, boost them, and see how many new followers you can find, or as a way to reward your loyal readers who are hungry for more content from your book.
Want more simple book marketing ideas this?
One of our most frequently asked questions is for templates authors can use to market and sell their work. We totally understand, you’re a writer—you just want to write instead of spending all your time marketing (us too!)
That’s why we created this super handy PDF guide with our favorite book marketing templates for authors:
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Book press release templates
Speaker sheet templates
Sample email pitches to libraries, book stores & gift shops
Kickstarter scripts for crowdfunding a book
Sample emails to request reviews & endorsements for your book
…and so much more!
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