Book Promotion · My Thoughts · poetry · Writing

A Lead Magnet—What’s That? And Why Is It Important?

Larada Horner-Miller
Marketing strategies - lead magnet

A lead magnet in the book marketing industry plays a key role, but what is it? And why is it important? I’m creating one for my four-book poetry series.

Lead Magnet Explained

“For authors marketing their books, giveaways (which we shall refer to as ‘lead magnets,’ for reasons that will become clear) work on multiple levels. They will:

  • Make readers more aware of your work and your ‘brand’;
  • Operate on the psychological principle of reciprocity — people innately wish to “pay you back” when you give them something for free; and
  • Give you access to their contact details.”

https://www.ingramspark.com/blog/how-to-create-an-irresistible-lead-magnet-to-market-your-book

Lead Magnet for My New Poetry Series

As I have listened to my book coach, Derek Doepker, and book coaching group, I realized I needed a lead magnet for my new poetry series. In the book industry, the lead magnet is usually is an e-book.

At first, I was going to make Book #1 of this series (the one I’m about ready to release) the lead magnet and have it FREE to entice poetry readers to join my email list. But another poet in our book coaching group gave me an idea—she created a chapbook as her lead magnet.

So what’s a Chapbook?

A chapbook is “a small book containing ballads, poems, tales, or tracts.”

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chapbook

A chapbook’s size varies, but usually isn’t more than forty pages.

“From where would this chapbook come?” I wondered one day as this idea took root and sprouted. I have enough poetry I’ve written and more for the three other books in this series. Could I grab some from those three books not finalized yet? I needed a theme—something to organize this chapbook around!

Then it hit me! As an English teacher, I taught a poetry unit each year and wanted to grow as writer/teacher. So in 2002 & 2003, I attended poetry classes put on by Continuing Education, affiliated with University of New Mexico. These classes stretched me as a teacher/writer and ultimately as a poet later.

What a great theme! The teacher becomes the student! So, I sat in those six weeks classes and at time wondered—what was I doing! I had never been a poet who wrote rhyming poetry or formatted poetry. These classes focused on formats and forms. I had embraced Free Verse as my poetry of choice for writing. In this class, I felt challenged, stretched and wondered about my creations. The teacher encouraged me; my fellow students did, too, so it was an affirming experience. That’s why I wanted to feature them in this chapbook.

Help Me Select My Chapbook Title

Because you support my writing, I want you to have a part of the selection process for the title to my chapbook. Remember, it’s a short chapbook featuring poetry I wrote for two poetry classes I took.

Here’s the title possibilities:

  1. Two Poetry Classes, One Lesson: A Teacher’s Poetic Enlightenment
  2. Two Poetry Classes, One Insight: A Teacher’s Journey to Poetic Enlightenment
  3. Chalk Dust and Stanzas: Lessons from Both Sides of the Desk
  4. Chalk Dust and Stanzas: Lesson from the Other Side of the Desk

Help me decide! I like all of these choices. Make a comment in the Comments section and identify which title you like the best by the number.

Finally,

this chapbook will be the lead magnet for my four-book poetry series and will be permanently FREE on Amazon as an e-book. I will let you know when it’s available—probably next week or so!

Historical Fiction & Family Saga Book Giveaway!

This giveaway expires October 9, so jump on it today!

https://booksweeps.com/giveaway/historical-fiction-family-sagas-giveaway

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Published by Larada Horner-Miller

Larada Horner-Miller is a poet, essayist and accomplished multi-genre author who holds a bachelor’s degree in English, with a minor in Spanish and a master of education degree in Integrating Technology into the Classroom. She is the accomplished author of eight award-winning biographies, historical fiction, memoir, and poetry works and three audiobook’s plus three self-published cookbooks. Her most recent book, Was It a Dream?: Navigating Life’s Journey Through Poetry is a finalist in the Global Book Awards. As is our book released last year, Hair on Fire: A Heartwarming & Humorous Christmas Memoir. Horner-Miller has also been a past national presenter at the Women Writing the West Conference and is currently the creator of Memoir Workshops for others who want to share their family’s legacies through words. Larada and her husband, Lin, enjoy being nestled in the mountains above Albuquerque, New Mexico, near the village of Tijeras. When not writing books, this passionate, energetic, and enthusiastic woman loves to spend time kicking up her heels at square dancing gatherings, traveling, knitting, and reading. As co-manager of her family’s southeastern Colorado ranch, she enjoys spending time exploring her family’s historic ranch and reminiscing with her brother and his children about their mom, dad, and granddad.

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