WEBVTT 1 00:00:04.760 --> 00:00:06.010 Stacy @ ProWritingAid: And let's see. 2 00:00:06.810 --> 00:00:09.459 Stacy @ ProWritingAid: we can see some folks joining us. 3 00:00:09.780 --> 00:00:10.770 Z.S. Diamanti: Weed. 4 00:00:14.650 --> 00:00:17.160 Stacy @ ProWritingAid: Oh, okay. Oh, wow! 5 00:00:17.190 --> 00:00:20.259 Stacy @ ProWritingAid: Hello! Everyone welcome in. 6 00:00:21.070 --> 00:00:34.849 Stacy @ ProWritingAid: I'm Stacy from providing aid. Thank you so much for joining us today. If you can see and hear me. Please drop your name and location in the chat. And I'll also share share some links for you in there as well. 7 00:00:38.370 --> 00:00:47.288 Z.S. Diamanti: Some Texas in California, some Wyoming, hey? There's my! There's one of my neighbors up there. Wyoming. Oh, Colorado, my people! What's up. 8 00:00:47.990 --> 00:00:52.319 Stacy @ ProWritingAid: Alberta, Scotland. Hello! From Texas. I'm from Texas, too. 9 00:00:52.800 --> 00:00:53.960 Z.S. Diamanti: Yeah. 10 00:00:54.610 --> 00:00:59.419 Z.S. Diamanti: some UK. Denver, Colorado. There's there's basically a number, a neighbor. 11 00:00:59.490 --> 00:01:03.153 Z.S. Diamanti: Broomfield. Okay, I know where all you guys are. Ontario. 12 00:01:03.520 --> 00:01:04.780 Stacy @ ProWritingAid: Yeah. 13 00:01:05.319 --> 00:01:10.080 Stacy @ ProWritingAid: Oh, it's always so exciting to see so many different people from around the world. 14 00:01:10.080 --> 00:01:11.130 Z.S. Diamanti: Oh, I know. Isn't that the code. 15 00:01:11.130 --> 00:01:13.709 Stacy @ ProWritingAid: Nice yeah. For sure. 16 00:01:14.940 --> 00:01:17.329 Z.S. Diamanti: Oh, more Colorado! Look at you guys! 17 00:01:19.760 --> 00:01:22.235 Stacy @ ProWritingAid: All day. You're getting lots of support from your. 18 00:01:22.510 --> 00:01:26.855 Z.S. Diamanti: Denmark. Oh, I know all my Colorado people showing up. 19 00:01:27.290 --> 00:01:29.079 Stacy @ ProWritingAid: Oh, that's so great! 20 00:01:31.260 --> 00:01:32.686 Z.S. Diamanti: How awesome. 21 00:01:33.400 --> 00:01:34.740 Stacy @ ProWritingAid: Okay? 22 00:01:35.230 --> 00:01:38.899 Stacy @ ProWritingAid: Well, before we get started, everyone, we just have a few 23 00:01:39.250 --> 00:01:40.600 Stacy @ ProWritingAid: keeping items. 24 00:01:44.570 --> 00:02:04.650 Stacy @ ProWritingAid: Okay, first, you can access your fantasy week replays by going to the Hub page replays for Monday through Thursday. Sessions are available for everyone on the hub as soon as they're done processing by Zoom, they will also be posted to our community page for all members to view by May third. 25 00:02:06.800 --> 00:02:23.109 Stacy @ ProWritingAid: All right, premium day details. Friday is our premium day for premium and premium pro members. Only. If you are a premium or premium pro user, you will. You will receive an email on Friday morning with instructions for accessing those sessions. 26 00:02:24.910 --> 00:02:41.960 Stacy @ ProWritingAid: If you're interested in upgrading so that you can attend premium day, we have an offer for for attendees this week for 25% off yearly, providing a premium and premium pro subscriptions. You can upgrade by Friday morning to receive access to the Premium Day sessions. 27 00:02:44.340 --> 00:03:02.310 Stacy @ ProWritingAid: If you like to keep the fantasy writing conversation going. We'd love to have you in our private online writing. Community joining is easy. You simply visit the link below and then log in with your pro writing aid account info. Then you can hop over to the live event, chat, to talk to other attendees 28 00:03:04.510 --> 00:03:14.720 Stacy @ ProWritingAid: and reminders for today. If you have a question for our speaker. Speaker. Please use the QA. Box. You can find that button in the center of your zoom screen 29 00:03:15.060 --> 00:03:20.640 Stacy @ ProWritingAid: if you like to chat with other viewers. Please use the chat and be sure to select everyone. 30 00:03:20.930 --> 00:03:33.829 Stacy @ ProWritingAid: Otherwise your messages will just come across to the host and the panelists. So links to you. Oh, links to your offers from pro writing aid, and our speakers will be available on the Fantasy week. Hub as well. 31 00:03:34.900 --> 00:03:39.179 Stacy @ ProWritingAid: All right. So with that being said, Let's go ahead. 32 00:03:39.230 --> 00:03:40.690 Stacy @ ProWritingAid: Let me stop sharing. 33 00:03:40.730 --> 00:03:49.242 Stacy @ ProWritingAid: and we will begin today we are joined by the magnificent, magnificent Zsia. Monty. 34 00:03:49.810 --> 00:03:53.134 Z.S. Diamanti: I'll be magnificent, too. I'll take it. 35 00:03:54.933 --> 00:04:06.086 Stacy @ ProWritingAid: Z is the award winning author of The Stone and Sky Series, an epic fantasy, adventure, and the result of his love for fun and fantastical stories. 36 00:04:06.510 --> 00:04:12.709 Stacy @ ProWritingAid: His short works have been published in magazines, literary journals, newspapers, and books. 37 00:04:12.810 --> 00:04:18.570 Stacy @ ProWritingAid: He went to college for a very long time, and has far too many pieces of paper on his wall. 38 00:04:18.679 --> 00:04:19.479 Z.S. Diamanti: Yes. 39 00:04:19.480 --> 00:04:29.730 Stacy @ ProWritingAid: He is a usaf veteran of operation, enduring freedom, and worked in ministry for over 10 years before pursuing creative endeavors. Full time. 40 00:04:30.210 --> 00:04:40.549 Stacy @ ProWritingAid: He and his wife reside in Colorado with their 4 children, where they enjoyed hikes, camping and tabletop games. So let's go ahead and get started. 41 00:04:41.530 --> 00:05:01.973 Z.S. Diamanti: Yes, Hello, everybody. I hope everybody's doing well. Thanks for your say, hey I I I appreciate it was an honor to have served it. That's that's always one of my greatest things is is having been. Being a veteran is is such a really crucial piece of my personal history and my family history that it's 42 00:05:02.360 --> 00:05:11.910 Z.S. Diamanti: It's it's a big deal for us, for sure. But let me go ahead. I I think I think, let me try and share this screen here and we'll get going. 43 00:05:12.880 --> 00:05:21.409 Z.S. Diamanti: I see. I saw lots of Colorado people in there. I'm so excited to see you guys hopefully. You guys can all see that awesome. It looks like it's going through 44 00:05:22.055 --> 00:05:47.749 Z.S. Diamanti: and I'll take my little bubble thing off of here. We got some slides to get through. If you guys are here, you're probably excited to talk about a reader magnets, which is something that's really exciting for me, because, I believe I truly believe that all my launches, especially my launch into my first novel, my debut novel, were really carried 45 00:05:47.750 --> 00:06:10.959 Z.S. Diamanti: and propelled because of the reader. Magnets I put in place, and, reader, magnets are so special for an author, I believe that they're actually part of a a crucial part of the process, the foundation that every author should have. Which is a newsletter every author should have that. You'll hear me say, readers, list 46 00:06:10.960 --> 00:06:28.380 Z.S. Diamanti: a lot because I actually like the term readers list a lot better than Newsletter Newsletter kind of has a psychological block to it where people are like, I don't wanna get a bunch of spam, whereas a reader's list sounds a lot more like you're a part of something that an author is putting together. So 47 00:06:28.720 --> 00:06:37.980 Z.S. Diamanti: without further ado. I say, let's just hop right into it. We got lots of things to do. I might have to just click it, I guess. All right, fair enough. 48 00:06:38.020 --> 00:07:04.630 Z.S. Diamanti: Oh, yeah, it's moving. Okay, here we go alright. So we've got lots of things to talk about. There's lots of information on this, and I know it's gonna feel like a fire hydrant. So I'm gonna try and get it to you as fast as possible, so we could get to the end. And we could do some QA. Stuff. But I'm also gonna try to make it not feel like a fire hydrant, if at all possible. So here's what we're gonna talk about. We're gonna talk about what our reader magnets. Then we're gonna talk about, what should a reader magnet do? 49 00:07:04.630 --> 00:07:23.750 Z.S. Diamanti: Then we're gonna get a little bit of like, get a little creative. We're gonna talk about different types of reader magnets that I've seen around in the industry. Then we're actually gonna use our imaginations. What authors getting to use our imaginations? Yay, and we're gonna get a little creative and try to come up with some reader magnets that'll work for you. 50 00:07:23.880 --> 00:07:48.673 Z.S. Diamanti: Then we're gonna get into some practical magic. This is the part where? Okay? I know how to do like I know what it's supposed to be. I have an idea for a reader, Magnet. But now, what do you do with it? What are you supposed to do? That will make the magic happen, and that's the practical magic. Then I'll give you some bonus tips which I think are really crucial to really ramping up the magic, and then we'll do. QA. And of course, at the end of this 51 00:07:48.950 --> 00:08:03.300 Z.S. Diamanti: presentation I've got tons of resources for you guys which you'll be able to access from the Hub later as well. So all the resources have links and other things. So I I tried to make it super easy for you to find all the things alright. So let's dive in. 52 00:08:03.610 --> 00:08:18.189 Z.S. Diamanti: Who am I? Well, that's a good question. If you guys do know me, you probably know me from either book talk or bookstagram. That's where most people know me from, but that wasn't always the case. 53 00:08:18.190 --> 00:08:46.649 Z.S. Diamanti: So about a year ago, nobody knew who I was. Heck. Most of my family and friends barely knew who I was. I had virtually 0 social media presence, I mean almost none, and even my family and friends were like, Hey, are you ever gonna post pictures of your kids and stuff like that? I just I had no social media presence at all because I just didn't use it on a personal level which made 54 00:08:46.962 --> 00:09:01.940 Z.S. Diamanti: it really hard for anybody to know me. So about a year ago, nobody knew who I was, and then not only that, but I had 0 books published. I had none a year ago, and guess what? I also had. 0 subscribers on my readers list. 55 00:09:02.240 --> 00:09:03.350 Z.S. Diamanti: Now. 56 00:09:03.740 --> 00:09:28.470 Z.S. Diamanti: now I am a multi-award-winning author of The Stone and Sky Series, a classic style, epic fantasy, adventure series. Think old school classics like dragon lance and forgotten realms. And I've heard people tell me that it's like it's like reading Lord of the Rings and and the hobbit for the first time like getting those same nostalgic vibes 57 00:09:28.470 --> 00:09:52.960 Z.S. Diamanti: of reading classic style fantasy like we remember reading from years back. And it's been so incredible because stone and sky has won nearly a dozen awards. It's I think it's been a finalist for several others. I also found out just the other day that I am one of the 3 finalists for Rocky Mountain fiction writer of the year, which is a huge honor. 58 00:09:52.960 --> 00:09:53.680 Z.S. Diamanti: I 59 00:09:53.680 --> 00:10:21.935 Z.S. Diamanti: did not expect this. If you had told me a year ago that some of these things would be in place. I I would have laughed at you because I was like still in the grind of building it all right. And now I've got 3 books out, and the fourth book, the the final book in the trilogy, is coming out in June fourth, and those have all come out in the last 6 months. Stone and sky came out August 20 ninth, which is a little over 6 months. I guess we're going on almost 7 months now. But 60 00:10:22.210 --> 00:10:29.670 Z.S. Diamanti: all of that has happened within basically the last 6 to 8 months. And so lots of amazing things happening. 61 00:10:29.730 --> 00:10:30.780 Z.S. Diamanti: And 62 00:10:31.440 --> 00:10:48.052 Z.S. Diamanti: now I you know, I'm getting invitations to come and speak at conferences like here a rope pro writing aid. I've got several others lined up for the rest of the year. I've got other author space collaborations with different companies and other 63 00:10:48.450 --> 00:11:05.629 Z.S. Diamanti: Softwares and other people who want to work with me because they know who I am now. And not only that, but we've got nearly, you know, 60,000 followers on social media and all the different random places. You know we've. But here's the really exciting thing. And this is, I think, what 64 00:11:05.730 --> 00:11:19.290 Z.S. Diamanti: really, what reader magnets can accomplish. We sold thousands of books in the last 7 months, which is crazy when you think about a debut author having no 65 00:11:19.290 --> 00:11:44.150 Z.S. Diamanti: books out prior. And now we have thousands of books out there which is just incredible, and I give a lot of credit for that to my readers list. And the reader magnets that I set up and set up in place before releasing stone and sky. Now, some of you guys will be like I follow you on Tiktok Dude. I seen your Tiktok. You sold over a thousand books just on the Tiktok shop, which is crazy, I know. 66 00:11:44.150 --> 00:11:59.499 Z.S. Diamanti: so cool. But we've sold thousands more that aren't on the Tiktok shop, which is so cool, and a readers list is such a vital part of that, because we see a lot of our sales happen after I send out a newsletter or a reader's list 67 00:11:59.500 --> 00:12:16.539 Z.S. Diamanti: update. So your readers list is so vitally important, especially because you wanna get readers who are about what you're about. So if you're about classic style, epic fantasy adventures. Those are the kinds of readers that you want to gather on your readers list. 68 00:12:16.640 --> 00:12:17.440 Z.S. Diamanti: So 69 00:12:17.870 --> 00:12:19.629 Z.S. Diamanti: let's talk about a reader. Magnet. 70 00:12:19.760 --> 00:12:41.960 Z.S. Diamanti: What is a reader? Magnet? Well, you probably know of some reader magnets which probably everyone. Okay, let's let's dial it in and see what a reader magnet really is. Okay. So a reader magnet, when we boil it down, is this, a reader magnet is something of value, something of value offered by an author 71 00:12:41.990 --> 00:12:44.000 Z.S. Diamanti: in exchange. 72 00:12:44.110 --> 00:12:45.150 Z.S. Diamanti: 4. 73 00:12:45.190 --> 00:12:52.660 Z.S. Diamanti: The permission and ability to contact the reader further. Okay, so it's something of value 74 00:12:52.780 --> 00:12:54.950 Z.S. Diamanti: that you're giving away 75 00:12:55.010 --> 00:13:03.589 Z.S. Diamanti: giving to somebody in exchange. They are going to give you their information, and that permission to contact them. 76 00:13:04.070 --> 00:13:09.349 Z.S. Diamanti: Let's look at it a little further. Alright. So a reader magnet really is. It's an incentive. 77 00:13:09.530 --> 00:13:34.990 Z.S. Diamanti: right? It is that thing that will entice somebody to actually join you. It's the last thing that convinces them to finally click that button and say, Okay, fine. I'm ready to be on your readers list. I'm ready to go. Let's let's do this journey together. I'm excited. Let me get that free reader magnet right? It's free. But really it's an exchange, and 78 00:13:35.240 --> 00:13:37.799 Z.S. Diamanti: that's what it is. It's a transaction. 79 00:13:37.810 --> 00:13:50.959 Z.S. Diamanti: Truly. You are giving somebody something something of value, and they are giving you something of value which your the value to you is you have the ability to reach out and communicate with them. 80 00:13:50.990 --> 00:13:54.389 Z.S. Diamanti: and their permission to do so. Which is 81 00:13:54.680 --> 00:13:59.099 Z.S. Diamanti: it creates, and it starts creating a trust bond between you. 82 00:13:59.280 --> 00:14:11.579 Z.S. Diamanti: It it is a transaction, and it can be revoked by either party. You can decide. I'm not gonna do, reader, magnet anymore or I'm not gonna do this as my reader magnet anymore. I'm gonna do this as my reader Magnet. Instead. 83 00:14:11.920 --> 00:14:14.959 Z.S. Diamanti: it's revoked by you. And now you're doing something else. 84 00:14:15.130 --> 00:14:23.959 Z.S. Diamanti: The reader. They can revoke it as well. They can revoke their part of the transaction. They can say, Hey, you know what? I don't want to be on your readers list anymore. 85 00:14:23.980 --> 00:14:27.080 Z.S. Diamanti: Okay, they unsubscribe. And you know what 86 00:14:27.200 --> 00:14:38.949 Z.S. Diamanti: the unsubscribe thing is scary at first I get it when you have, like no people on your readers list. It's like every unsubscribe you feel every unsubscribe, and it feels 87 00:14:38.950 --> 00:14:57.699 Z.S. Diamanti: terrifying when you have like 10 in one day. And you're like, No, what am I doing? Wrong? I loved you, and they're all unsubscribing right? And you just can't figure it out. I know, early on it hurts. But I'm gonna tell you that unsubscribes are not a bad thing. 88 00:14:58.050 --> 00:15:05.980 Z.S. Diamanti: A reader magnet is also a filter. What it does is it actually weeds out incompatible readers 89 00:15:06.000 --> 00:15:07.460 Z.S. Diamanti: think about it this way. 90 00:15:07.740 --> 00:15:29.389 Z.S. Diamanti: I have a brand new book that comes out, and it's say, stone and sky, right? I have this book, and people are going to pay money and take a chance on this book when they don't know anything about it. Sure, nothing but the blurb right? And those people may or may not like it, because maybe the blurb does not give them a 91 00:15:29.640 --> 00:15:34.149 Z.S. Diamanti: really solid vibe for what they're going to experience in the book. 92 00:15:34.680 --> 00:16:01.320 Z.S. Diamanti: What a reader Magnet does and actually hang on because they paid money. They're going to try and read it anyways, even if it's not their jam, and then they're probably gonna be mad if it's not their jam, and then they'll leave you a better review. I can't tell you how many times you'll see other authors with. Lots lots of I get them, too, but everybody gets them you'll get 1, 2 stars, and they're like, Oh, I didn't like this or that, or this or that, and then you're like, man, if you 93 00:16:02.580 --> 00:16:26.189 Z.S. Diamanti: probably see that the vibe was like, not what you were looking for. But but if you could filter out some of those people before they even get to the book that you're trying to sell people by getting them into a prelude or getting them into a prequel, or some sort of reader magnet. What you're doing is you're figuring out. And they're figuring out if you guys are gonna mesh together 94 00:16:26.190 --> 00:16:38.070 Z.S. Diamanti: in the long run they read some of your stuff they get. Maybe it's not my style. Maybe that's not what I was looking for. I wasn't really looking for hopeful, classic style fantasy. I was looking for more grim, dark, right 95 00:16:38.070 --> 00:16:49.350 Z.S. Diamanti: unsubscribe no big deal, hey? You know what? If you get an unsubscribe is much better than a one star? I hated this book. It wasn't anything like what I was wanting. 96 00:16:49.390 --> 00:17:06.899 Z.S. Diamanti: Trust me alright. So a reader magnet is an incentive. It gets people to click. It's a transaction. You're making a communication with a reader, and it's a filter, because well, you're probably gonna filter out some people who aren't gonna like your books, anyways. 97 00:17:07.560 --> 00:17:22.890 Z.S. Diamanti: because, believe it or not. I know every author hopes that every person on the planet is going to love their book. But frankly, that's not how it works right. There are going to be people who don't vibe with your books, and that's fine. It's better to catch them in your reader Magnet than it is later. 98 00:17:23.040 --> 00:17:27.929 Z.S. Diamanti: Alright! So what should a reader magnet? Do? We know what a reader Magnet is now? 99 00:17:28.150 --> 00:17:47.469 Z.S. Diamanti: But what should a reader Magnet do? Well, reader, Magnet really has 3 main jobs. And we're going to see these 3 main jobs several times over this presentation. They are very important. So I'm going to just throw them up here so you can write them down. 3 main jobs. Welcome new readers. That's one. That's job number one. 100 00:17:47.770 --> 00:17:50.170 Z.S. Diamanti: Set the Vibe job number 2 101 00:17:50.330 --> 00:18:13.100 Z.S. Diamanti: and encourage further engagement. Job number 3. Those are the 3 things that your reader Magnet, should be doing. So as we're coming up with ideas for, reader magnets, you should always ask these 3 things. Is this, reader Magnet going to welcome new readers? Is it going to set a vibe? And is it going to encourage them to 102 00:18:13.100 --> 00:18:20.790 Z.S. Diamanti: further engagement. Let's dive into these a little more. Okay. So welcoming new readers entices new readers. 103 00:18:20.790 --> 00:18:34.519 Z.S. Diamanti: A reader magnet entices new readers to click the button and join the readers list. That's why most of us have readers, reader, Magnets is, please, hey? If you join my newsletter, you'll get this, and it'll be awesome. 104 00:18:34.810 --> 00:18:49.679 Z.S. Diamanti: It's it's that last like enticement to get them to join the list right? And it welcomes new readers. You're not trying to get people who are already reading your books, I mean, if they are, and they join your Newsletter. Awesome, wonderful. But 105 00:18:49.920 --> 00:18:53.880 Z.S. Diamanti: really the whole point of it is to try to get new readers right 106 00:18:54.210 --> 00:18:55.280 Z.S. Diamanti: and 107 00:18:55.650 --> 00:19:03.677 Z.S. Diamanti: through. By being welcoming to new readers, it should be accessible to a new reader. There's a distinct difference between 108 00:19:04.300 --> 00:19:06.200 Z.S. Diamanti: a reader magnet 109 00:19:06.380 --> 00:19:20.750 Z.S. Diamanti: and a reader's bonus material. You can write all you want, reader, bonus material. Give them more of this character, give them more of that character, give them more of that character. But and and those are great things. 110 00:19:21.000 --> 00:19:43.709 Z.S. Diamanti: But, reader, magnets are specifically designed to welcome in new readers not somebody who knows all of your lore, not somebody who has read the entire trilogy, not somebody who knows all the facets in the magic system and everything else. No, no, no! This is to bring somebody in welcome a brand new person into your fantastical world. 111 00:19:43.770 --> 00:19:51.600 Z.S. Diamanti: So a reader Magnet is designed specifically to welcome new readers. Make sure you're doing that. 112 00:19:52.060 --> 00:19:54.549 Z.S. Diamanti: Second, it sets a vibe. Okay. 113 00:19:55.650 --> 00:20:00.550 Z.S. Diamanti: A reader magnet gives readers reasonable expectations 114 00:20:00.700 --> 00:20:07.050 Z.S. Diamanti: of what you of you as the author and your work. So 115 00:20:07.130 --> 00:20:09.920 Z.S. Diamanti: when you write something as a reader magnet 116 00:20:10.550 --> 00:20:20.840 Z.S. Diamanti: you writing a prequel, or you're writing a novella, or you're writing, whatever whatever your reader Magnet is. If you've written it, they get an idea 117 00:20:20.910 --> 00:20:30.630 Z.S. Diamanti: and an understanding of what to expect in the series. So, for example, my books are classic style, epic fantasy, adventures. Right? 118 00:20:30.630 --> 00:20:54.930 Z.S. Diamanti: My reader, Magnet is not gonna be a Western. I like Westerns. Sure. I like to read them, especially some of the old ones. Great. But I'm not going to give people an old Western novella as my reader Magnet, hoping to sell them my classic style fantasy book afterwards. It doesn't set up a reasonable expectation. So you have to set a vibe and set a tone. 119 00:20:54.930 --> 00:20:59.890 Z.S. Diamanti: If the if you give them a reader magnet that sets them up for more. 120 00:21:00.210 --> 00:21:09.340 Z.S. Diamanti: you're killing it, because what you're doing is you're setting a tone, and if they like your tone, if they like your style, if they like the vibe, they get good feelings about it. 121 00:21:09.470 --> 00:21:38.869 Z.S. Diamanti: Then you're on the right track, and you're already winning the hearts of the people before they even get to the book. And that's what you want to do. If you throw a Western at them and then say, Hey, buy my classic style. Fantasy! They're gonna be like, wait! What like that that that's not you threw a curve ball there. This is way out in left field. What's the deal here? So it sets up the tone and sets up the vibe for them, moving forward. That being said, if you are an author who writes several genres, okay. 122 00:21:38.950 --> 00:21:41.140 Z.S. Diamanti: set up a reader magnet for each genre 123 00:21:41.560 --> 00:21:46.589 Z.S. Diamanti: set it up so that they know what to expect when you're writing in that genre. 124 00:21:46.670 --> 00:21:50.250 Z.S. Diamanti: I know plenty of authors who are doing that, and it works beautifully. 125 00:21:50.870 --> 00:21:53.460 Z.S. Diamanti: then the last thing a reader magnet 126 00:21:53.480 --> 00:22:16.049 Z.S. Diamanti: has to do is encourage further engagement. It leaves the reader hungry for more. So total. If if you love Cliffhangers. This is your chance. Make your make your reader magnet. Have a cliffhanger. It gives them the vide and the tone, and they're getting that, and they're feeling pretty good. But, man, if you can encourage them going, hey? 127 00:22:16.130 --> 00:22:26.950 Z.S. Diamanti: And then there's more. And then dun dun dun they go. Oh, okay, there's more to this. I cannot wait to keep going more. I want more of this, so 128 00:22:27.350 --> 00:22:41.220 Z.S. Diamanti: it leaves them wanting more, and it leads the reader to the next thing, you can't just give them the taste and and get their tongue salivating, and then they're all excited about it. And then you're like, okay. Well, see you later. 129 00:22:42.570 --> 00:23:06.919 Z.S. Diamanti: and then they're just like, wait, wait, wait! How do I get more? No, no, you have to guide them. You have to lead them to the next thing, let me show you an example. So, my reader, magnets are 7 stories. I give away 7 free prelude stories about fantasy characters that you're going to meet in the Stone and Sky series, right? And it's 7 distinct stories about 7 different characters. 130 00:23:06.920 --> 00:23:24.130 Z.S. Diamanti: And each one follows those characters. And at the end of each of those epubs at the end of each of those Pdfs is a page that looks kinda like this that says, Hey, you've got more prelude stories on the way. I'm so excited that you're joining me on this journey. I hope you are loving it. 131 00:23:24.270 --> 00:23:33.039 Z.S. Diamanti: Keep an eye on your inbox. The next one's going to come right. Get excited about it. Keep them going, hey? This next story, this one's coming to you 132 00:23:33.640 --> 00:23:47.760 Z.S. Diamanti: at the end of every book at the end of every Epub and every Pdf. On those is a page that looks like this. For example, Nero. She is a Griffin guardian. She is one of the elite Griffin Guard. 133 00:23:48.280 --> 00:24:16.980 Z.S. Diamanti: and she is part of the Talent Squadron, and in her story, in her prelude story she has to face off against the man she loves, and there we're left. We leave the readers with some tension, and there's some romantic interest and tension there, and they're like, but I want more. I want more. You leave them hungry. But then I tell them, hey, guess what? Don't you worry. Nero will return in the full length. Epic fantasy, adventure, stone and sky. 134 00:24:16.980 --> 00:24:30.810 Z.S. Diamanti: I give them a QR code if they can click on it, since it's a knee pub, they can click on it and go right directly to the page where stone and sky is, and you want this at the end of all your at the end of all of your reader magnets, because guess what? 135 00:24:31.030 --> 00:24:41.229 Z.S. Diamanti: Maybe that's where they fell in love with you, and you're writing, and they're ready to make that commitment right then and there. And now boop! They click, and they're right into where they can buy your book. 136 00:24:41.560 --> 00:24:49.790 Z.S. Diamanti: Maybe you don't have to wait a couple of weeks before you really get to know each other. Maybe they're ready to commit right then and there. So have that at the end of the book. 137 00:24:50.160 --> 00:24:56.210 Z.S. Diamanti: but also you can point them to different directions, too. So like this one is a page from the last 138 00:24:56.637 --> 00:25:23.432 Z.S. Diamanti: prelude story that you get in the welcome sequence. And it's about a dwarven warrior who puts together Glenn and team to go and capture a Garvock. Which is this panther like creature with bat like wings? That's what dwarves right in my series. All the different fantasy races have their own aerial combat and beasts that they ride so a lot of fun stuff like that. But 139 00:25:23.870 --> 00:25:53.570 Z.S. Diamanti: they that's the end. That's the last prelude story I have, and that's the end of the welcome journey. And so what I do is at the end of that book. I have a thing, hey? If you're enjoying the world of finesse, if you're enjoying the world of stone and sky check out this web page that I got. I got this a video where I talk about how I created the world and all sorts of fun stuff there, and there's lots of stuff there, and they go over there and guess what there's links to all the books that they can get, etc. 140 00:25:54.410 --> 00:25:57.850 Z.S. Diamanti: point them in the right direction. It leads them so 141 00:25:57.920 --> 00:26:03.329 Z.S. Diamanti: 3 main jobs for for your reader. Magnet 3 main jobs. Welcome new readers. 142 00:26:03.360 --> 00:26:10.219 Z.S. Diamanti: Set the vibe and encourage further engagement. Those are the 3 things that your reader Magnet should do. 143 00:26:10.770 --> 00:26:11.670 Z.S. Diamanti: Now 144 00:26:12.710 --> 00:26:22.179 Z.S. Diamanti: let's get a little creative. This is the fun part. So now we know what a reader Magnet is, and we know what it's supposed to do, but 145 00:26:22.200 --> 00:26:32.159 Z.S. Diamanti: like what like, what are we going to do for our reader, magnet. So let's get a little creative. This is the fun part, right? Authors getting a little bit creative shocker. We like to do that. 146 00:26:32.330 --> 00:26:49.400 Z.S. Diamanti: Who would have guessed. Alright. So one of the first things, one of the most common ones you'll see out there. One of the most common reader magnets, you'll see, is actually the first few chapters or sample chapters from your book, from the book that you're going to try to sell them at some point right 147 00:26:49.580 --> 00:27:02.619 Z.S. Diamanti: through the welcome journey, and this is great. It hits all the buttons right? It makes sure that you know it welcomes new readers, especially if you're starting from Chapter one. It gets them right at the beginning of the story. 148 00:27:02.860 --> 00:27:32.530 Z.S. Diamanti: It encourages them. Let's go back. It sets the vibe because they're gonna get a tone of your writing. They're gonna get a tone of your style for the rest of the book, and then it encourages them to continue assuming that they like it. And remember, if they don't like it, and they unsubscribe you're better off, anyways, because if they paid for it, they're probably gonna be grouchy about it. If they didn't vibe with it later on, and you're probably gonna get a bad review. So it's better to lose that subscriber. 149 00:27:32.530 --> 00:27:35.210 Z.S. Diamanti: Alright. So this is one of the most common ones. You'll see. 150 00:27:36.030 --> 00:27:37.250 Z.S. Diamanti: Here's another one. 151 00:27:37.340 --> 00:27:54.990 Z.S. Diamanti: Some authors will give away the first book in a series. Now, if you look at this, this is my series. You got Stone and Sky is the first book, then stone and Tide, stone and rowing comes out in June fourth, and then I you'll see the prelude collection. There, now, I I've only got 4 books in my Ca catalog at this point. 152 00:27:54.990 --> 00:28:14.770 Z.S. Diamanti: right? So me giving away the first book for Free is, that's a big sacrifice for me. At this point, however, authors that have a lot more books have a much bigger book. Catalog can do this and do it really effectively. I got a buddy. His name is Paul J. Bennett. 153 00:28:14.770 --> 00:28:39.579 Z.S. Diamanti: He has like 30 something books in 3 different fantasies series. He he has. He gives away the first book in each one, and the expectation or the idea is that he gives away the first book they get intrigued. They wanna continue the series, and then they buy the other 9 in each of the series. He's got a huge back catalog. So giving away that first book isn't as big a struggle for him 154 00:28:39.580 --> 00:28:42.629 Z.S. Diamanti: as it would be for somebody who has less books. Right 155 00:28:42.660 --> 00:28:50.920 Z.S. Diamanti: so. But you'll see this as a very common one for people who do for authors who do have a nice big back catalog to work with. 156 00:28:51.720 --> 00:29:08.410 Z.S. Diamanti: Here's a really cool one, and I think this one is a lot of fun, because what you get to do with this is you get to be extra creative and just add more to your book. If you think about how much you cut from your books when you're going through editing 157 00:29:08.600 --> 00:29:26.450 Z.S. Diamanti: rightfully. So you have to cut things out right. But as you cut things out. Think about what this could be like. What if I turn this into a story or something? What if this was like a pre cool story, or like this side story, like side adventure that readers could go on. That would just be super fun to do. 158 00:29:26.940 --> 00:29:48.850 Z.S. Diamanti: When I wrote Stone and Sky I had several characters that I loved so much. And I was like, I just want more page time with these guys. So I wrote prelude stories about them. I chose 7 of them. I went all in. That's what you see at the bottom. Here, you see all those guys, all the blue figures and stuff. I I made a whole bunch of them, and I turned them into prelude stories that I could give a way to 159 00:29:48.850 --> 00:30:11.349 Z.S. Diamanti: for free to people, and they get to know some of these characters and love them. And then, when they go and read Stone Sky, I've had so many people say it's like seeing meeting up with an old friend. I'm so excited right? This is where you can get really creative when you can do some short stories or novellas. I did a bunch of short stories that I ended up putting together my buddy Jdl Rosell, you'll see his right here. 160 00:30:11.810 --> 00:30:30.219 Z.S. Diamanti: It's the epic fantasy story bundle. So he's actually got 4 different series. He's a Ranger of the Titan Wilds legend of Tall, the Rune Wars, Saga and the Famine Cycle. Okay, and he wrote a novella for every single one of those that he gives away. And so one of, and that novella 161 00:30:30.400 --> 00:30:53.100 Z.S. Diamanti: gives people a taste and a vibe, and a tone for that series, but he gives them all 4 and lets you decide if you like any of them. Maybe you like this one, and you want to continue that series. Maybe you like that one. And you want to continue that series. Maybe you don't really like that one, because it's a little more grim, and you don't want to continue that series. No big deal. He gives you all 4 so you can choose, and you can continue on your path. 162 00:30:53.493 --> 00:31:06.529 Z.S. Diamanti: Choose your own adventure if you will. Right. So short stories and novellas are awesome for this, and it's just bonus extra content that your super fans later will be so grateful for. 163 00:31:07.120 --> 00:31:31.160 Z.S. Diamanti: Alright. Here's another really cool one is lore. And in world items. Okay? So I don't know about anybody else, but I might let me let me know in the comments, because if you're like me, you might be hungry every time you write a book. I don't know about you, but every time I sit down to write it feels like I'm hungry. And so my characters are always eating all the time 164 00:31:31.160 --> 00:31:55.270 Z.S. Diamanti: in my fantasy world. And maybe it also might be because I read a lot of red wall when I was young and nobody and nobody writes feasts like Brian Jack did I mean just brilliant, right? But like always food. And so what we ended up doing for me was, Hey, you know, with all the signed copies that we send out, and the boxes we put together in the Pr boxes and everything else. 165 00:31:55.270 --> 00:32:05.429 Z.S. Diamanti: I we were like, hey, let's make some of these food items like actual recipes like, let's make them in real life so that people can make these while they're reading the stories and have a great time with it 166 00:32:05.660 --> 00:32:14.349 Z.S. Diamanti: awesome. So we actually print those out. We print them on recipe cards and put them into boxes for the signed hardcover, or the signed copies right? But 167 00:32:14.530 --> 00:32:40.339 Z.S. Diamanti: think about it this way. You could totally. I could just. I've got them digitally. I could totally make those a bonus like material that could be a reader Magnet that could get them really excited about. Oh, my gosh! There's like recipes and stuff of this world that's so much fun, right? Totally an awesome idea. It's an in world. Item, okay, think about this. Maybe you like, maybe you're writing a fantasy mystery. Maybe you need to 168 00:32:40.340 --> 00:32:45.569 Z.S. Diamanti: put together a case, file some sort of awesome case, file that you 169 00:32:45.570 --> 00:33:06.819 Z.S. Diamanti: like inspects the psychology of of the criminal that your you know, Elf detective is trying to catch. Or maybe a scavenger hunt or something like that. Right? Okay, what about if you're a big lore guy? Okay, now, here's where we gotta be careful with the in world items. Okay? Because remember, we're setting a tone. So 170 00:33:06.820 --> 00:33:24.368 Z.S. Diamanti: if your reader magnet is gonna be lore heavy, if it's going to be the scribblings of an ancient wizard about this ancient religion that people thought was dead. But now there, it's coming back to fruition in this iteration in your series. 171 00:33:24.930 --> 00:33:50.860 Z.S. Diamanti: If you're lore heavy, then yes, sure go with the scribbling notes of ancient wizard. That would be a blast. However, if you're more classic style, epic fantasy, adventure, like I am maybe going lower heavy on your reader. Magnet isn't the best idea, because it doesn't fit the tone. It doesn't give them reasonable expectations. So that's where you gotta be careful. Okay, alright. So let's keep moving some more ideas. 172 00:33:51.250 --> 00:33:53.059 Z.S. Diamanti: Oh, here we go. 173 00:33:53.090 --> 00:34:06.339 Z.S. Diamanti: clicked on the clicked on the comments and lost my spot. Okay, here we go alright. Another idea. I have a friend who actually hired and commissioned a singer songwriter to write to record 174 00:34:06.470 --> 00:34:21.413 Z.S. Diamanti: a song for his book. He writes, Tim Fasciola, he writes, this awesome Greco Roman inspired fantasy book. It is, you know all about these these characters who have magic, and 175 00:34:22.120 --> 00:34:46.519 Z.S. Diamanti: they are gladiators, and they're living this life of slavery and going through this, and and is so cool because they they sing this song in the book right? And so if you listen to the audio book, the narrator sings the song. But then you'll also have this awesome, well-recorded production that is just so cool that you can give away to your readers. 176 00:34:46.520 --> 00:34:56.180 Z.S. Diamanti: and it really gives them a really neat idea. And vibe for what you're going to, you're really bringing them in to the world. Another thing on the recording side of things. 177 00:34:56.179 --> 00:35:03.870 Z.S. Diamanti: I actually give away audiobook versions of my preludes collection that I recorded myself 178 00:35:03.870 --> 00:35:28.600 Z.S. Diamanti: in my closet like, actually it was my wife's closet. I I took it blankets and hung them all up, and I got in there and made it studio nice and quiet. It was hot as anything in there, but I took over her closet for a week, and just recorded all of them, and then edited them and put them together. And that's a great reader, magnet for people who prefer audio books right? And 179 00:35:29.090 --> 00:35:45.159 Z.S. Diamanti: that's something that's easy for you to. That's well, it's work, but it's something that you can give away, because I have a professional narrator who has recorded the preludes collection, but in a different manner, and those are the ones that I sell right. 180 00:35:45.460 --> 00:35:46.320 Z.S. Diamanti: Alright. 181 00:35:46.660 --> 00:36:06.390 Z.S. Diamanti: One last idea. Digital art. People love art, especially in this world, especially with like Kickstarters and other things. People love character, art. They love awesome bookmarks and all sorts of stuff. You can do character art. You can do digital bookmarks. You can. You can. Even 182 00:36:06.390 --> 00:36:29.330 Z.S. Diamanti: if you design the bookmarks right? You can send them to people as a printable bookmarks. Right? You could send people these things, and you can make those kinds of things in canva, which is I think it's free, for I think you could have a free account on canva and make all sorts of stuff. But then you've got like, if you draw your map. 183 00:36:29.480 --> 00:36:37.259 Z.S. Diamanti: people love that stuff. You can totally give away free digital goodies as reader, magnets as well. So 184 00:36:38.160 --> 00:36:41.330 Z.S. Diamanti: all sorts of options that you can do there now. 185 00:36:42.710 --> 00:36:52.649 Z.S. Diamanti: everything that we make as our reader magnet should hit these 3 things, so go through the filter of these things. Well 186 00:36:52.690 --> 00:37:05.629 Z.S. Diamanti: does this reader Magnet welcome new readers? Will it actually welcome readers? Or do they have to know what's going on to actually get this? Is this not actually going to welcome new readers? 187 00:37:05.630 --> 00:37:23.119 Z.S. Diamanti: 2. Does it set the vibe? Is it gonna set the tone? Do they get it? Do they like? Are they getting reasonable expectations of what they're gonna see later on, and 3 does. It can encourage them to go further, engage further. Does it make them hungry and want them to keep going? And do you lead them in the right direction. 188 00:37:23.320 --> 00:37:37.259 Z.S. Diamanti: All of our reader magnets should go through that process all right. With that being said, take 30 s. If you haven't written down some ideas while we're going through that list. Write them down. Take 30 s to write them down. 189 00:37:37.640 --> 00:37:49.360 Z.S. Diamanti: If you're anything like me. If it doesn't get written down. It's gonna get forgotten. And I'm not gonna have it later. Okay, write it down so that it's there in front of you. And you could see it, and you go. Okay, I gotta do that 190 00:37:49.380 --> 00:38:12.569 Z.S. Diamanti: also. If you've already written one down sharing the sharing the comments right now, just blow up the comments with your ideas like, Hey, I have this awesome idea for my fantasy world, and it would be so cool if I could do this for my people. Oh, man, I'm almost done with my almost done with my map, and I can't wait to throw that in there. I see somebody said, a bonus chapter. Totally fun. 191 00:38:13.061 --> 00:38:20.737 Z.S. Diamanti: I'm going to use a prologue since it ends crazy. Awesome like reading coffee grounds. 192 00:38:21.640 --> 00:38:46.099 Z.S. Diamanti: there, there you go? Okay, yeah. All sorts of cool ideas, backstory bits from my main characters. People love those introductions to characters cost. Play my characters in my books. That would. That's interesting. That's an interesting idea, do you? I guess. How would you create that as a readers list or readers? Magnet, I suppose you could say, Hey, look! I've got designs and stuff 193 00:38:46.843 --> 00:38:53.209 Z.S. Diamanti: for you know, armor for cosplay armor and that kind of stuff, and I'll send you the designs if you 194 00:38:53.250 --> 00:38:55.239 Z.S. Diamanti: join my readers list. That's awesome. 195 00:38:55.935 --> 00:39:04.499 Z.S. Diamanti: Stories from Pov, from antagonist bloop. Blueprints of airships in my book. Totally cool yeah, character diaries, songs. 196 00:39:05.640 --> 00:39:24.009 Z.S. Diamanti: Yeah, if you're an artist, I'm a illustrator and graphic designer originally. So I'm with you. Love to draw stuff and send people that at all sorts of cool ideas that you can use and and do that I mean, the the possibilities are really limitless. 197 00:39:26.490 --> 00:39:27.309 Z.S. Diamanti: All right. 198 00:39:28.530 --> 00:39:47.290 Z.S. Diamanti: Alright! I think everybody's had 30 s to write down their items. So get your ideas on there. Now, let's get into some of the practical magic. Okay, so we know what a reader magnet is. We know what we're supposed like, what the reader Magnet is supposed to do. 199 00:39:48.360 --> 00:39:53.220 Z.S. Diamanti: and I've got an idea for a great reader, Magnet, that's going to do all those things. 200 00:39:53.420 --> 00:40:09.100 Z.S. Diamanti: Now, what do I do with it? Okay, the practical magic. Let's get into some of this stuff. Alright. So in order to effectively utilize a reader's magnet. You're gonna need 3 things. You're gonna need a sign up form one. 201 00:40:09.310 --> 00:40:28.569 Z.S. Diamanti: You're gonna need a delivery method. 2. And you're gonna need a welcome journey. 3. Let me go through these real quick. So you're gonna need a land, a landing page. That's where your signup forms gonna be, and it can be as simple as my buddy. Jdl Rosell's, where it's just like a single button. It says you get all 4 of these 202 00:40:29.248 --> 00:40:55.780 Z.S. Diamanti: prelude stories in one book. Click that button fill in your email and you get them boom done. It can be even more complicated like mine are where you go to this page, my free, fantasy fiction.com. You go there and you hit that page. And I've got a video where I talk about it. I'm like, I'm so excited in Ju like, bring you guys into this journey with me and check out these characters that we're gonna meet, and you know it goes through 203 00:40:55.830 --> 00:41:11.229 Z.S. Diamanti: like you're gonna go and hang out with. You're gonna go on a hunt with a huntsman and his falcon, and you're gonna go and investigate some mysterious disappearances with an Orc Mage. And you know it goes through all those things, and of course 204 00:41:11.730 --> 00:41:20.189 Z.S. Diamanti: it has an info receiver. So this is so vitally important. Every single one of these pieces that we need. 205 00:41:20.520 --> 00:41:26.319 Z.S. Diamanti: All of them require that we have an email management system. All right? 206 00:41:26.600 --> 00:41:30.350 Z.S. Diamanti: You email, most email management systems 207 00:41:30.390 --> 00:41:37.739 Z.S. Diamanti: have a way for you to create a form through their system that you can plug in to your website. 208 00:41:37.740 --> 00:42:06.730 Z.S. Diamanti: Very important. In fact, many of those management systems will also just develop a landing page for you which is really cool. Alright. So you need a info receiver. That's where people can. The readers can actually input their information. I like to get their name. And I like to get their email. Those are both really important, because you can actually set up in your emails that it shows their name like, Hey, you. And it actually, you know, it makes it more personal for them. 209 00:42:07.440 --> 00:42:14.890 Z.S. Diamanti: And then the email management system. Now, there are lots of email management systems out there. This could be a deep dive like crazy. 210 00:42:14.890 --> 00:42:38.130 Z.S. Diamanti: I'm just gonna tell you real quick. I use mailer light because it was a place where I could start for free and grow up to. I think it was like a thousand or 2,000 subscribers before I had to start paying, and then it it incrementally gets more. As you have more email subscribers, which, of course, if you have more email subscribers you should be able to afford, you know, a higher tier. 211 00:42:38.130 --> 00:42:48.769 Z.S. Diamanti: There are other ones where you can just pay outright, or they're more affordable. Send Fox is one that's pretty cheap. But like mailer light is one that can really make pretty 212 00:42:48.770 --> 00:42:55.870 Z.S. Diamanti: emails, whereas, like Sinfox really gets to the nitty gritty and just like, does the business right? So 213 00:42:55.950 --> 00:43:03.109 Z.S. Diamanti: you're going to need an email management tool for your sign up form, and you're going to need it for your delivery method. 214 00:43:03.310 --> 00:43:17.590 Z.S. Diamanti: You could try to send a whole bunch of emails through your Gmail. But it's not going to work a lot of times the gmail will have. I can't even remember what the what the cutoff is, but they won't allow you to send more 215 00:43:17.590 --> 00:43:34.559 Z.S. Diamanti: a emails at once. You. And not only that, but since it's coming from like a personal account, it will. I. I think Brian's right. I think it might be like 50 or something like that, but you can't send, so you can only send so many, and then what'll happen is is 216 00:43:34.740 --> 00:43:36.440 Z.S. Diamanti: it'll start getting flagged. 217 00:43:36.450 --> 00:43:50.723 Z.S. Diamanti: and then nobody will be getting your emails. So you need an email mail management tool to help you with delivery where you can send thousands of emails all at once, and people will be able to get it alright. 218 00:43:51.630 --> 00:44:17.640 Z.S. Diamanti: Other part of the delivery method. Okay, the next few slides are, gonna blow your mind because this is like worth its weight in gold. Okay, there are many file delivery methods, and there are some companies that you already know about. Probably book funnel is amazing, wonderful. But you do have to pay a subscription like a year. Annual subscription story is another file delivery system that you can use. 219 00:44:17.670 --> 00:44:24.689 Z.S. Diamanti: Basically your upload your reader magnets, and they deliver them right. These are very specifically for 220 00:44:24.780 --> 00:44:32.060 Z.S. Diamanti: Epubs and Pdfs, though so like written reader magnets. So 221 00:44:32.700 --> 00:44:47.589 Z.S. Diamanti: let me talk to you a little bit about Google drive real quick. You can actually make a direct download link for a file on your Google drive. Okay? Screenshot, this screen 222 00:44:47.590 --> 00:45:11.800 Z.S. Diamanti: screenshot this, save this. I know it's gonna be in the in the in the hub later and make sure you go back to grab it screenshot. This link, this link, is so important. This is a prefix link for a direct download for one of your files in Google Drive. Let me explain that a little more. Okay? So when you upload a file when you upload it. 223 00:45:12.355 --> 00:45:32.060 Z.S. Diamanti: Epub, for example, this is actually a link for one of my Epubs, you'll see the Google file. Id, that's the top link here, and you'll see that it says D, Slash. And then on the other side, it says, slash view the stuff in between. That is your Google file Id. So when you upload your 224 00:45:32.070 --> 00:45:38.400 Z.S. Diamanti: epub, Google will automatically generate a file Id for that file. 225 00:45:38.520 --> 00:45:53.659 Z.S. Diamanti: then you copy that file Id and paste it on the back end of this Google download. URL, prefix this one that I made you screenshot right here. You copy and paste that file number on the end of that. And what do you get? Is this direct download link? 226 00:45:54.110 --> 00:46:09.330 Z.S. Diamanti: So let's look at that a little bit further. Okay, Zach, I got my file in Google drive. How do I get my file? Id? It's not like something I just see in here. Okay, you click on the 3 little dots on your file. Then you click share. Then you click share. 227 00:46:09.700 --> 00:46:16.269 Z.S. Diamanti: This is important because you got to make sure that the general access for that file says, anyone with the link 228 00:46:16.340 --> 00:46:19.130 Z.S. Diamanti: is a viewer. Okay? So make sure it says that. 229 00:46:19.180 --> 00:46:21.290 Z.S. Diamanti: and then click copy 230 00:46:21.340 --> 00:46:27.260 Z.S. Diamanti: when you click, copy, link. You can paste that into an excel sheet, and I highly recommend that you do that. By the way. 231 00:46:28.090 --> 00:46:38.419 Z.S. Diamanti: save all these links in an excel spreadsheet. So you don't have to go through the process of, you know, re-clipping and repacing all the things together. 232 00:46:38.520 --> 00:46:40.420 Z.S. Diamanti: Excel. Just throw them all in there 233 00:46:41.470 --> 00:46:49.159 Z.S. Diamanti: in that in this copy link right here you'll be able to find your file. Id and Bam. It's that little red spot right there. Then 234 00:46:49.590 --> 00:47:16.359 Z.S. Diamanti: do exactly our. We just add them together, throw it on the back of the URL prefix, and you got your download link. Now copy that link for your button, and when you set up your buttons in your email, you just hyperlink that link to your button, and as soon as somebody clicks on the epub button it will start downloading right in the corner of their screen and bam direct download. Or 235 00:47:17.140 --> 00:47:40.013 Z.S. Diamanti: and if I I give away Epubs and Pdfs, I have both of those on my Google drive. And then I just create a separate link. Repeat the process for different file types. And then they just click whichever button they want, and it direct downloads it. Some people probably download both. I don't care whatever I was giving it away for them for free. I hope they love it. 236 00:47:41.480 --> 00:48:02.670 Z.S. Diamanti: So that Google download link thing is super super awesome, and it's totally free for you to do so if you are going into this process with no funds. And you can't afford a annual subscription for like book, funnel, or story origin, or something like that. Yeah, it's probably at the Google 237 00:48:02.670 --> 00:48:12.499 Z.S. Diamanti: drive is gonna work great for you. Okay, if you're a little bit confused by that, I highly encourage you to go back, grab the grab the presentation later. 238 00:48:12.500 --> 00:48:14.570 Z.S. Diamanti: And and just follow the steps 239 00:48:14.570 --> 00:48:21.879 Z.S. Diamanti: as I laid them out in the slides. And you'll be able to set up a Google direct download drive for you. Okay. 240 00:48:23.170 --> 00:48:31.010 Z.S. Diamanti: book, funnel and story origin have other benefits to them. And I can't get into that because we could be here all day. 241 00:48:31.180 --> 00:48:39.719 Z.S. Diamanti: Okay, the last thing that you need to have is a welcome journey. And this is going to happen with your 242 00:48:40.465 --> 00:48:42.010 Z.S. Diamanti: email management system. 243 00:48:42.430 --> 00:49:04.719 Z.S. Diamanti: A lot of the email management systems. Now have the ability for you to set up automations. Okay? And the automated system is you wanna set up an automated system for your welcome journey. What you want is you want. Can you guys see this? Hopefully? You can. So if you see this one, it's like triggers, right? So when somebody joins my mailing list through the form 244 00:49:04.780 --> 00:49:08.510 Z.S. Diamanti: hopefully that it it will trigger this 245 00:49:08.580 --> 00:49:26.790 Z.S. Diamanti: automation. It'll say, Hey, they just joined. Let's send them the first email with the first prelude story and so on. Then if they open the email 3 days later, the next one's gonna send out to them if they don't open the email, I'll send. It'll 3 days later, it'll say, Hey. 246 00:49:27.350 --> 00:49:43.119 Z.S. Diamanti: I noticed you didn't open the other email. Just wanted to make sure you got that first story. Here it is again they open that one bumps them back over to the other side of the automation, and it sends them an email every few days or so, and it continues to welcome them into the world. 247 00:49:43.590 --> 00:49:44.816 Z.S. Diamanti: Excuse me, 248 00:49:45.740 --> 00:50:09.579 Z.S. Diamanti: welcome journey. You want to be able to point them to what you want them to see in your welcome journey, point them to your social media. Say, Hey, you know I love one of the social medias I love to use is Instagram. And if you guys love Instagram too, that's one of my favorite places they engage on social media. Make sure I join me over there I would love to. I'm so glad you're joining me on this journey in our readers list. 249 00:50:09.670 --> 00:50:21.608 Z.S. Diamanti: you got something special on your website like, Hey, I did a video about how I love like, how I had so much fun creating my world and creating a map and everything else. Right? 250 00:50:21.990 --> 00:50:30.849 Z.S. Diamanti: come, check that out. I'm so excited to, you know. Be able to give you some behind the scenes. Details about the creation process. Blah blah blah 251 00:50:31.240 --> 00:50:37.479 Z.S. Diamanti: special goodies, special things you got on your website, point them to the things you want them to engage with 252 00:50:37.810 --> 00:50:40.600 Z.S. Diamanti: and get excited about with you. 253 00:50:40.960 --> 00:51:03.389 Z.S. Diamanti: and then, of course, make sure you point them to the direction where they can actually buy your books. That's the whole point, right? You want them to buy books. So set up the reader magnets and set up the welcome journey so that it points them to the right direction right where you want them to go. Bring them on the journey with you. Your automated system is your wizard. 254 00:51:03.390 --> 00:51:14.879 Z.S. Diamanti: he, your automated system is the one that's gonna guide them on the journey right? So 3 practical magic things. You need the sign up form. You need the delivery method, and you need the welcome journey. 255 00:51:15.126 --> 00:51:16.360 Z.S. Diamanti: Know, that was a lot. 256 00:51:16.750 --> 00:51:25.839 Z.S. Diamanti: The the slides will be available so you can go back and look at them. I told you I'm trying not to make it a fire hydrant, but there's a lot to cover 257 00:51:25.870 --> 00:51:37.709 Z.S. Diamanti: couple of bonus tips, and then we'll get into Q&A real quick. All right. Bonus step number one, if it's long enough. It's if it's in written form, if your reader magnet is in written form, and it's long enough. 258 00:51:37.790 --> 00:51:50.390 Z.S. Diamanti: you can actually set it up and format it for printing my preludes collection. Okay, I did not expect that I was going to put all of the Preludes into a collection and then print it. 259 00:51:50.580 --> 00:52:00.629 Z.S. Diamanti: Happy accident. All my prelutes together made quite a nice little book, and sure enough, people who absolutely loved reading them for free 260 00:52:00.690 --> 00:52:23.050 Z.S. Diamanti: go, and they buy the physical copy because they want the complete set, and they want all the books together, and they want it to look so pretty, and they could see all the books together, and oh, my gosh! They're so awesome, and it's so cool! How many people are willing to go and buy a book that's filled with stories that I already gave to them for free and and 261 00:52:23.130 --> 00:52:30.100 Z.S. Diamanti: your super fans will thank you for it. I promise 1 one of my guy, one of my buddies. Michael R. Miller. 262 00:52:30.330 --> 00:52:32.530 Z.S. Diamanti: He did 2 263 00:52:33.010 --> 00:52:59.620 Z.S. Diamanti: he did 2 novellas, one for each of his series, and he put them together in one book, and made this beautiful book that people buy, and people will pay for. It's so cool, and it's such an awesome like. That is a totally awesome bonus tip. When stone and sky came out. I got so many orders for stone and sky preloads, collection and stone and sky together. I was baffled. I was blown away. 264 00:53:01.150 --> 00:53:11.910 Z.S. Diamanti: Start. Now, that's bonus tip number 2. Start now via social media. What? Now? Let me caveat that start as soon as you've got your reader magnet set up. 265 00:53:12.640 --> 00:53:32.180 Z.S. Diamanti: start talking to people about. Put it in your leak into your bio. Make sure that you have someone like somewhere you can point them to. If you're engaging somebody if I post about Dragon Lance, and somebody in the comments is like, Oh, my gosh! I love Dragon Lance. It was like my favorite book when I was younger, and I just loved the series. Blah blah blah! 266 00:53:32.240 --> 00:53:43.100 Z.S. Diamanti: And I can say, Oh, my gosh! I love it too! Do you still love classic style, fantasy. And if they go yeah, I love it still, and I go. Hey? 267 00:53:43.110 --> 00:53:56.369 Z.S. Diamanti: Simple, simple thing! Oh, my gosh! That's awesome! Have have you already grabbed my free fantasy stories in my bio. So it's the perfect way to jump into my fantasy world, and they go what? No way that's awesome. They go to the bio 268 00:53:56.390 --> 00:54:12.620 Z.S. Diamanti: boom. There's a button in my bio easy to find, and all of a sudden they're like this is so cool. Thank you so much. I can't tell you how many people on social media go. Thank you. This is so cool. I didn't even know you had this all because I just simple little interaction in the comments and 269 00:54:12.810 --> 00:54:13.939 Z.S. Diamanti: make it easy. 270 00:54:13.970 --> 00:54:33.559 Z.S. Diamanti: Have that button that is super easy for you to find in the bio. I think Stacy's got my links. If Stacy, if you wouldn't mind throwing the one that says zsdmi.com slash links that is actually my in my bio thing, and you'll see that I've got buttons like super obvious buttons for you to find all the things 271 00:54:33.660 --> 00:54:46.940 Z.S. Diamanti: super easy, right? It make it easy for everybody. So if you're on your phone, hit that little little link and you'll be able to see how I have mine set up. Make it easy for people. Okay, then check this out. 272 00:54:46.940 --> 00:55:11.780 Z.S. Diamanti: This I had to take the simple and the easy a step further. My problem is, my name is Zs Diamanti. Okay, people can't even say that right? I always have to explain like, say, like diamanti like, really get Italian with it, like really like diamanti. And people can't say that they can't spell that they can't. Looking up. Zoom zsdamonte.com is so difficult. So when i'm on podcasts and 273 00:55:11.780 --> 00:55:35.060 Z.S. Diamanti: other things, I I had to have something else. So I was like, Hey, free fantasy Fictioncom was a URL that was available for me. So I bought it. I pay like 20 bucks extra a year. No big deal. And, bam. Now I have something that's easy to point people to. Yeah. Get my free fantasy stories@freefantasy.fictioncom. That's where you can get started. 274 00:55:35.390 --> 00:56:03.049 Z.S. Diamanti: Make it easy for people, and the last bonus tip is, learn from others. Likelihood is, you have authors that you love. You have authors who are killing it in the space that you want to be killing it, and you have authors who have a similar vibe to what you are writing in your books, follow them, join their newsletters, see how their welcome sequence goes, and I'll tell you right. Now go, join my readers, list and 275 00:56:03.050 --> 00:56:29.719 Z.S. Diamanti: borrow everything. I don't care. You take notes. Say, he sent me this first prelude on this day he sent me the second prelude, like 3 days later. He sent me this. Look at the text of the of the email and go, yeah, I copy all of it, rip it over here and fix it so it'll fit your vibe. What you're trying to accomplish with bringing people into your fantasy world. Learn from others 276 00:56:29.790 --> 00:56:43.530 Z.S. Diamanti: seriously. I mean, there's nothing better than learning from others. I I learn from others all the time. I can't. How many other authors did I mention in here? So I mean seriously 277 00:56:43.690 --> 00:57:07.158 Z.S. Diamanti: follow authors who are doing it and learn from them and what they're doing and utilize it. Retool it, of course, for your own vibe. Don't send people. My! Don't send people, my reader Magnet, send them your reader Magnet, right? So that's the last thing I'll leave that up there. There's a bunch more resources. And actually, I've got 278 00:57:07.650 --> 00:57:30.152 Z.S. Diamanti: she already Stacy sent the link in the bio where you can find my Youtube and all sorts of stuff. I've got tutorials and stuff on there. But again, I've got a bunch of resource links and stuff in this one. Go ahead and find those in the hub later. I know it was a ton of information, but I I want us to get into some of the questions. I don't know how much time we've got. What do you think, Stacy? 279 00:57:31.200 --> 00:57:33.330 Stacy @ ProWritingAid: I think we have time for about 280 00:57:33.720 --> 00:57:35.010 Stacy @ ProWritingAid: a couple questions. 281 00:57:35.010 --> 00:57:39.440 Z.S. Diamanti: Okay. Alright, alright! I'm here for it. I tried to get through it all. It's a lot I know. 282 00:57:39.620 --> 00:57:40.519 Stacy @ ProWritingAid: Good job. 283 00:57:43.480 --> 00:57:46.227 Z.S. Diamanti: Alright. Let's see why we got here. 284 00:57:48.030 --> 00:57:54.690 Z.S. Diamanti: What I think of sub stack. I think sub stack is a great option for a lot of people who are trying to do 285 00:57:57.470 --> 00:57:58.500 Z.S. Diamanti: I think 286 00:57:58.520 --> 00:58:01.746 Z.S. Diamanti: it's cool. It's a little different than a reader magnet, though. 287 00:58:02.453 --> 00:58:07.956 Z.S. Diamanti: Alright! Let's see what else we got. What can I do? If younger, me set 288 00:58:08.680 --> 00:58:14.799 Z.S. Diamanti: not so great online footprints. And I'm a completely different person now, trying to avoid 289 00:58:15.040 --> 00:58:16.990 Z.S. Diamanti: that getting dredged up? 290 00:58:17.419 --> 00:58:26.290 Z.S. Diamanti: Yeah. Author branding is a huge thing. If you can come in really starting fresh start with a new PIN name start like. 291 00:58:26.290 --> 00:58:48.319 Z.S. Diamanti: I mean, it's I. When I was a kid I moved around all the time I've moved over 30 times, and it felt like every time I moved. I got a fresh start right, and some people call me Z. And some people call me Zack, and some people call me Z. Depending on where you're from, and you know, you get a fresh start with a new pen name. Just go. Just give it a try. 292 00:58:49.026 --> 00:59:11.370 Z.S. Diamanti: Let's see, how do you balance the time required for marketing and socials with the time actually required to write. Yeah. So one of my things is, I'm pretty solid about my writing time happens in the morning. My business time happens in the afternoon. I do have the habit of when I'm in the middle, like when I'm really close to the end of drafting a book, or I'm like 293 00:59:11.370 --> 00:59:29.210 Z.S. Diamanti: in those revisions. And I'm like, really at the end, I will actually end up spending a couple of weeks just writing like ignoring the business stuff. I I mean, I catch up a little bit, but mostly I have to catch up after I'm done drafting. So there's always a couple of weeks of 294 00:59:29.210 --> 00:59:38.026 Z.S. Diamanti: peer drafting and revisions, and then a couple of weeks of pure business to catch up at the end, and then I get back into a healthy cycle again. 295 00:59:39.200 --> 00:59:44.960 Z.S. Diamanti: How can you grab the publisher's attention, especially when you're an unknown author seeking help to get your book 296 00:59:44.970 --> 00:59:51.080 Z.S. Diamanti: out there. That's a great question. I think one of the things. So 297 00:59:51.775 --> 01:00:16.949 Z.S. Diamanti: I've I've been approached by publishers that have reached out to me about doing projects for them on a contract basis which is pretty awesome. But I I I think there's no substitute for hard work, and actually really getting things done and really pushing and working hard to put good books, good quality books out there that people will enjoy. And then man 298 01:00:16.950 --> 01:00:36.000 Z.S. Diamanti: like I know the nd life is is different, but in all reality a lot of the things that you have to do in the indie life you also have to do marketing wise on the traditional publishing side anyways. So if you can prove that you're willing to do the work on the Ndi side. Usually. 299 01:00:36.440 --> 01:00:38.460 Z.S. Diamanti: that's that's a big help. 300 01:00:38.930 --> 01:00:42.259 Z.S. Diamanti: Let's see, is there a way to create a reader magnet 301 01:00:42.380 --> 01:00:48.519 Z.S. Diamanti: for middle grade readers? Yeah, okay, so that's really interesting. So one of the things that you can do is 302 01:00:49.020 --> 01:00:58.050 Z.S. Diamanti: specifically tailor. Your reader list towards parents because they're the ones that are going to buy your 303 01:00:58.605 --> 01:01:17.710 Z.S. Diamanti: your books right? For so, for example, my own before high school, none of my kids had email access whatsoever. Right? So, middle grade. You, you wanna reach those kids. But you're not reaching those kids. So if you really target parents and target like. 304 01:01:17.710 --> 01:01:29.879 Z.S. Diamanti: Hey, read this fun story with your family with your kids in your reader Magnet, that changes the game, because then you're actually getting the attention of people who will actually buy it. Right? 305 01:01:30.180 --> 01:01:30.950 Z.S. Diamanti: So. 306 01:01:32.330 --> 01:01:48.820 Z.S. Diamanti: And you can get really creative with that you get is, think about recipes, too, like, imagine telling a parents, hey? You can make these recipes with your kids while you guys enjoy the book together. I mean, how awesome is that a family that cooks together stays together right? 307 01:01:49.380 --> 01:01:54.628 Z.S. Diamanti: I'd love to hear your advice on, reader, magnets for? Okay, yeah, that's middle grade. There you go. 308 01:01:56.140 --> 01:02:10.109 Z.S. Diamanti: Does a reader magnet have to be professionally edited, even if you're working with a very low budget, hey? That's a really great question. I think that your reader Magnet should go through significant edits just like. 309 01:02:10.493 --> 01:02:34.810 Z.S. Diamanti: your book goes through significant edits. Because and and in fairness, your reader, Magnet, is a lot shorter, so the cost for it should be a lot less than the cost that it would be for your full length novel. So I I think so, because what are you doing? Remember, it sets the vibe, and it sets the tone. If people are going through your reader magnets and it's riddled. 310 01:02:34.810 --> 01:02:55.620 Z.S. Diamanti: I mean, just completely riddled, and they can barely get through it. Of course, every book has. You know, grammatical errors. My reader. Magnets have errors that I look at and go dang. I wish I fixed that, you know, and then I gotta fix them later. Right? But I I agree. I think you should put us. They should go through edits like 311 01:02:55.700 --> 01:03:07.579 Z.S. Diamanti: like your full novel. I think it's important. You probably can get away with one less edit. But I definitely think it needs to go through edits at least. 312 01:03:08.076 --> 01:03:14.139 Z.S. Diamanti: Get other eyes on it. It's important. Let's see, can you use? let's see. 313 01:03:15.100 --> 01:03:24.450 Z.S. Diamanti: ideal personas. Okay, what's exactly the difference between reader magnets and ideal personas? Ideal audience of readers. 314 01:03:25.256 --> 01:03:40.279 Z.S. Diamanti: Your reader, magnets should be tailored to the people that you want to read the like by the books that you want to sell period. Can you insights to how your world works as 315 01:03:40.520 --> 01:04:05.470 Z.S. Diamanti: a magnet? Okay, for example, in my world that I'm writing, I have different races. Could I use this to say, what race would you be in something like that? Yeah, I love that idea. So again, my reader, Manga has, you know 7 different stories. I've got a story about dwarves. I've got a story about a halfling wagoner who's just jovial and so much fun. I and this talks a lot. I've got. 316 01:04:05.470 --> 01:04:28.630 Z.S. Diamanti: I've got you know, one about an Elven Mage. I've got one about an Orc Mage. I've got one about A human huntsman, Falconer, like, I mean, just go for it, have fun with them and introduce people to those races. And yeah, you can use it as a part of your welcome journey is hey? Which one like? Which one would you want to be in like, for example. So 317 01:04:28.630 --> 01:04:37.230 Z.S. Diamanti: my humans, my humans in stone and sky ride griffins right. The griffin guard right? So awesome. The humans ride griffins, the orcs 318 01:04:37.820 --> 01:04:47.830 Z.S. Diamanti: ride wyverns right, and the elves ride pegaside, and the dwarves ride those panther-like creatures with bat-like wings. If you think about it. 319 01:04:48.170 --> 01:05:01.290 Z.S. Diamanti: I could at the end of my welcome journey. Say, hey, now that you've gotten to meet some of these characters and some of these different races. Which flying creature, would you want to ride? Totally awesome, right? So much fun. 320 01:05:01.410 --> 01:05:03.269 Z.S. Diamanti: And people love that kind of stuff. 321 01:05:05.083 --> 01:05:06.170 Z.S. Diamanti: Let's see. 322 01:05:06.960 --> 01:05:11.140 Z.S. Diamanti: is it a good strategy to make your reader magnet the first couple of chapters of the book? 323 01:05:11.390 --> 01:05:13.270 Z.S. Diamanti: Or is it more effective. 324 01:05:13.590 --> 01:05:18.069 Z.S. Diamanti: It's to be distinct. I think it's more fun 325 01:05:18.160 --> 01:05:26.710 Z.S. Diamanti: for the reader magnets to be something distinct, and it also gives the added benefit of 326 01:05:26.740 --> 01:05:38.300 Z.S. Diamanti: maybe your current readers and your current fans also wanting to join your mailing list, even if they're already fans. Well, now you get to email them directly as well, so totally worth it. 327 01:05:39.603 --> 01:05:51.190 Z.S. Diamanti: I see Stacey popping back in here. We must have run out of time, but awesome. I so many good questions. I'm sorry if I didn't get to everybody's questions. Seriously. 328 01:05:51.190 --> 01:06:11.605 Z.S. Diamanti: I you got the links here. Let me put it back onto that one. If if you wanna hit me up on social media, or whatever ask me more questions. Send me a message. I don't care. Use that QR. Code. Find me glad to. Glad to chat more about these things. So sorry if I didn't get to do questions. 329 01:06:12.700 --> 01:06:26.060 Stacy @ ProWritingAid: Thank you so much. This is such a great session. Oh, my goodness! I'm taking notes for myself. Oh, wow! This is great! I went ahead and I put your links in the chat for everyone. I'll go ahead and do that again. 330 01:06:27.460 --> 01:06:29.100 Stacy @ ProWritingAid: Alrighty. 331 01:06:30.090 --> 01:06:56.400 Stacy @ ProWritingAid: there we go. Okay, and we just wanna give you a big thanks, Zia Monty, for generously spending your time with us. And as always, everyone you can find the replay to this session and the other sessions in the Fantasy writers. Week Hub. You can find the links again in the chat now, and we hope that you can join us in our next session, so catch you all next time. 332 01:06:56.400 --> 01:06:58.770 Z.S. Diamanti: Awesome thanks for having me guys see you later. 333 01:06:58.770 --> 01:07:00.909 Stacy @ ProWritingAid: Chris. Bye, bye, thank you all.