You’ve spent time developing your characters and building an amazing storyline. You’ve got that HEA locked down and the spice-o-meter dialed in just right.

That’s everything you need to be a successful author, right? 

Not quite. You also need (drumroll, please) readers! Specifically, readers who are big fans of your work!

We’ve talked before about developing a book marketing plan and creating online experiences to engage your readers. But interacting with your audience isn’t a one-way street! 

Ideally, you want your readers to engage with you just as much as you engage with them! The secret? Leveraging reader-generated content to build your relationship with your audience.

What does user-generated content look like when it comes to author and book marketing? And how can you make the best use of social posts, fan art, and reviews? 

Let’s dive in and find out. 

Harness Reader-Generated Content for Deeper Engagement 

User-generated content (UGC) can be the most powerful tool in your book marketing strategy. 

Because think about it…when you’re looking for your next read, where do you go? Are you browsing authors’ websites to decide if you want to pick up their latest release? Are you pulling up the NYT Bestseller List?

Probably not. You’re asking your book club besties for recommendations. You’re checking Goodreads. You’re scrolling BookTok and Bookstagram. 

You’re going straight to the best source of info about which books to read — other readers!

And that’s what your potential readers are doing, too. As important as it is to have a well-designed book marketing plan, that’s not the only thing you need to build a loyal fanbase.

You need readers to hype up your books! And when they do, you need to make the most of that reader-generated content by incorporating it into your marketing strategy.

Interacting with reader-created reviews, fan art, and memes gives you another way to engage with your audience and generate excitement for your work.

Fan Art: Bringing Worlds and Characters to Life

Because it’s visual, fan art is one of the most eye-catching forms of reader-generated content. Fan art allows you to see how someone else imagines the world you’ve created. 

It shows you how readers connect with your characters and how your audience views your work. 

And…it’s an excellent organic marketing tool! 

Instagram, Pinterest, and TikTok and filled with fan art that can attract potential readers. Of course, fan art may happen without you being involved at all — so think about the possibilities if you engage with those artists and their fans!

Here are some ways to leverage fan art in your marketing:

• Host a fan art contest.
• Share a “fan art of the week” piece on your social media (with the artist’s permission, of course).
• Like or leave a positive comment on an artist’s post of their work.

And if you find some fan art of your work that you don’t care for? That’s not the time to engage — just scroll on by.

Reviews: Helping New Readers Discover Your Work

Fan art is great, but it’s not the only type of reader-generated content you can use. Reviews are probably the most well-known form of UGC in book marketing — and usually the most prolific.

You might not get tons of fan art, especially when your book is new, but you’ll probably get reviews. 

And those reviews are powerful, whether their formal submissions on Amazon or Goodreads or informal reactions, like Bookstagram Reels or blog posts. 

Even a single positive review can put your book on a potential reader’s radar. A lot of positive reviews can push your book to the top of a reader’s TBR.

So, how do you ethically use reviews to market your book? 

• Encourage your audience to review your book or share their thoughts informally via social media.
• Thank readers for positive reviews and express how happy you are that they like the story.
• Politely respond to constructive feedback (if possible).
• Share particularly insightful reviews on your website, newsletter, or social media (with the reviewer’s permission).

And how should you react to negative reviews? It depends on the review. Constructive criticism? Be open to learning something. 

A hater or a troll? You guessed it — don’t engage. 

Even if a reader tags you in a negative review, you can still choose to ignore it. Or you can take the high road and just politely thank them for their feedback. 

The last thing you want to do is get into a public feud with a reader. So when in doubt, scroll on.

Other Types of User-Generated Content

Although reviews and fan art are the most readily available forms of UGC for authors, there are others. Social media posts, memes, cosplay, fanfic — there are so many ways that your readers can engage with your work. 

So, how can you incorporate these types of content into your marketing? Here are some suggestions:

• Ask readers to share a favorite quote from your books.
• Work with other authors to start a hashtag campaign.
• React (positively) to memes about your book characters.

Of course, it’s a balance. You don’t want to be constantly present in all reader spaces and give the impression that you’re spying on your readers. And it’s best to avoid soliciting ideas for future books or plots — you never want there to be any doubt about copyright or intellectual property.

It really comes down to respect. Engage with your readers in a genuine, respectful way, but make sure they also feel like they have the freedom to create and post things that you may not agree with.

Want More Guidance on Engaging With Your Readers?

Interacting positively with reader-generated content is a great way to build your author brand and market your book. That’s how you attract a loyal audience and generate hype for your next release.

But remember, you can’t rely on your readers to do all the work for you. You also need a solid marketing plan!

And that’s where we come in (or inn, if you will). Our One Bed Inn service gives you a comprehensive quarterly marketing plan for your book. That means a full content marketing plan with prompts, outlines, and tips to generate excitement for your next release. Book your spot at the Inn, and let’s get started!