81% of consumers must trust a brand first before they ever consider buying from it, and readers are consumers, just like authors are brands.

“People buy from people they know, like, and trust” may sound cliché at this point, but there’s a reason marketers have repeated it for decades: it works. Most indie authors don’t struggle because their books are bad. They struggle because they launch to an audience of strangers. In this week’s episode, we’re talking about one of the biggest mistakes authors make before publishing — waiting until launch week to start trying to get readers’ attention. By then, the Amazon algorithm is already watching, readers are overwhelmed with content, and shouting “my book is out now!” into the void rarely creates the momentum authors hoped for.

The good news? There’s a far better way to approach book marketing, and it doesn’t require going viral, becoming an influencer, or constantly selling to people online. In this episode, you’ll learn why building genuine relationships with readers long before your launch can completely change your publishing career, how loyal reader communities are created, and why showing up to launch day with an existing fanbase can dramatically impact your visibility, sales, reviews, and long-term success as an indie author.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

· Why you must become friends with your readers first

· How to connect with your ideal readers organically

· What to do once you connect with them to build relationships

· How to nurture the relationships you’ve started and build a fandom

· When you need to start this strategy and how to do it

RESOURCES & LINKS

Learn More About Me: https://christinakaye.com/

Free Resource: https://bit.ly/430ToqZ

Book a FREE Session: https://hello.dubsado.com/public/form/view/69634d3f7a5de72a93761652

My Etsy Shop (The Bookish Swag Shop): https://thebookishswagshop.etsy.com

Find Me, Follow Me, DM Me on These Platforms:

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@christinakayeofficial

Substack: https://substack.com/@christinakayeofficial

Facebook: https://facebook.com/christinakayeofficial

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ChristinaKayeOfficial

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christinakayeofficial/

SUBSCRIBE & FOLLOW THIS SHOW

If you enjoyed this episode, follow and/or subscribe to Write! Grow! Launch! wherever you listen to podcasts, so you don’t miss future episodes on successfully self-publishing, profitably launching your book, and building a sustainable indie author career…without burnout or BS.

Episode Title: Finding Your Audience and Build a Super Fanbase!

Episode Summary

If you don’t know who is actively looking for books like yours and are far more likely to buy your book, you’re shouting into the void, and that never sells books!

Most indie authors don’t struggle because their book isn’t good—they struggle because they skipped the step of building an audience before they hit publish. In this episode, I break down why spending at least 90 days finding and understanding your ideal readers is non-negotiable if you want your book to succeed. I explain how platforms like Amazon evaluate your book’s performance during the first seven days after launch—and how little to no activity can signal to the algorithm that your book isn’t worth promoting. The good news? This is completely fixable when you know what to do ahead of time.

I walk you through a simple, strategic process to identify and connect with your readers using three powerful research methods: analyzing book reviews on Amazon to uncover reader expectations, studying reader behavior and conversations on TikTok and Instagram, and diving into niche-specific reader groups on Facebook. You’ll also learn how to organize your findings and turn them into a clear Ideal Reader Avatar so you can write, market, and connect with confidence. This is the foundation for building a loyal fanbase that’s ready and excited to support your book before it ever launches.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

· Why you can’t sell books to “everyone”

· How the book marketing industry works in 2026

· How to figure out who will actually read your book

· How and where to find your target audience

· What to do once you find your target audience

RESOURCES & LINKS

Learn More About Me: https://christinakaye.com/

Free Resource: https://bit.ly/48rXprJ

My Etsy Shop (The Bookish Swag Shop): https://thebookishswagshop.etsy.com

Find Me, Follow Me, DM Me on These Platforms:

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@christinakayeofficial

Substack: https://substack.com/@christinakayeofficial

Facebook: https://facebook.com/christinakayeofficial

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ChristinaKayeOfficial

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christinakayeofficial/

SUBSCRIBE & FOLLOW THIS SHOW

If you enjoyed this episode, follow and/or subscribe to Write! Grow! Launch! wherever you listen to podcasts, so you don’t miss future episodes on successfully self-publishing, profitably launching your book, and building a sustainable indie author career…without burnout or BS.

If your book blurb isn’t written perfectly (and correctly), you’re losing readers, not to mention money, by the minute!

Your book blurb isn’t just a summary of facts. It’s your sales pitch, and if it’s not doing its job, your book isn’t selling. Too many authors think they’re supposed to summarize their plot in great detail and/or show off their amazing ninja writer skills. But nothing could be more incorrect! Your blurb needs to be written in a certain way with your target audience and their expectations in mind, otherwise, you’re missing out on potentially thousands of book sales.

In this episode, I break down exactly how to write a compelling, high-converting blurb that grabs attention, hooks your ideal readers, and makes them need to click “Buy Now.” You’ll learn what a blurb actually is (and what it’s not), the biggest mistakes indie authors are still making, and the simple but powerful structure I use to turn casual browsers into buyers. If your book isn’t selling the way it should, there’s a very good chance your blurb is the missing piece. And I’m helping you fix that today.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

· What a blurb is and where it is used

· The importance of nailing your blurb

· Why your blurb is THE key factor in sales conversions

· The bestselling book blurb template I teach my clients

· Tips on how to make your blurb “chef’s kiss perfect!”

RESOURCES & LINKS

Learn More About Me: https://christinakaye.com/

My Course (The Bestselling Indie Author Playbook): https://bit.ly/49HT4AB

My Etsy Shop (The Bookish Swag Shop): https://thebookishswagshop.etsy.com

Find Me, Follow Me, DM Me on These Platforms:

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@christinakayeofficial

Substack: https://substack.com/@christinakayeofficial

Facebook: https://facebook.com/christinakayeofficial

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ChristinaKayeOfficial

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christinakayeofficial/

SUBSCRIBE & FOLLOW THIS SHOW

If you enjoyed this episode, follow and/or subscribe to Write! Grow! Launch! wherever you listen to podcasts, so you don’t miss future episodes on successfully self-publishing, profitably launching your book, and building a sustainable indie author career…without burnout or BS.