What is a reader magnet?
- Free content given for newsletter signup.
- Common formats: novella, prequel, short story, themed guide.
- Fiction length: 8,000-25,000 words; nonfiction: 5,000-15,000.
- Conversion rate: 25-40% from landing page.
- Built once, used indefinitely.
A reader magnet is free content (usually a short novella, prequel, short story, or themed guide) given to readers in exchange for newsletter signup. Most indie authors create one reader magnet — 8,000-25,000 words for fiction, 5,000-15,000 words for nonfiction — and use it indefinitely as the newsletter funnel. Conversion rates from landing page to signup: 25-40%.
Chapter i·Why it matters
Reader magnets are the highest-leverage newsletter tool in indie publishing. Authors with strong magnets build 1,000+ subscribers in their first year; authors without one struggle to reach 500. The magnet is built once and produces returns for as long as you publish in the genre.
Chapter ii·What to include
- A short free work: novella, prequel, short story, themed guide.
- Length: 8,000-25,000 words for fiction, 5,000-15,000 for nonfiction.
- Delivery via email tool (ConvertKit, MailerLite) or BookFunnel.
- A landing page driving signups.
- Genre fit: same subgenre as your books.
- A "next book" tease in the back matter.
Chapter iii·Example
A debut romance author writes a 14,000-word prequel novella as her reader magnet. She delivers it via BookFunnel from her website signup page. Year-one signup rate: 32% of landing-page visitors. The 1,840 subscribers she builds before her debut launch convert at 27% on launch day — driving 497 launch-week sales.
Chapter iv·Related questions
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