What is Reader-First Marketing?
Reader-First Marketing is a free weekly newsletter covering what's happening in author marketing right now. Each issue highlights reader trends and social media platform updates, among other things. All with an honest analysis about what's worth your attention and what isn't.
Why Reader-First?
The name Reader-First Marketing reflects the core premise that good author marketing starts with understanding how your readers behave.
The problem is, that a lot of author marketing advice follows the same pattern: here's what worked for ME selling MY book. Here's how I hit six figures. Here's MY strategy.
And look, if it worked for that author, great. But that's one data point from one book in one genre at one moment in time.
That's where I come in differently. Instead of handing you someone else's playbook, I help you understand your readers—what they respond to, where they are, what they want to hear, and how to reach them in a way that makes sense for your book and your genre.
Because the best marketing strategy for a cozy mystery book looks very different from the one that works for a literary fiction book. And both of them look nothing like what worked for that one dark fantasy author who went viral on TikTok in 2022.
What each issue covers.
There's no fixed formula, but every issue is grounded in the same approach: what's happening, explained clearly, with the reader's perspective built in. I read a ridiculous amount of marketing content across industries (not just publishing) and filter it down to what's relevant for authors.
Topics vary week to week and might include:
- Social media platform updates and what they mean for your discoverability
- Shifts in how readers are finding and talking about books
- Trends gaining traction and ones that are not worth your time
- What professional marketing principles look like when applied to books
- Honest takes on tactics that get more hype than they deserve
Every issue ends with something actionable and clearly explained, that you can evaluate for your own situation and try that week if it makes sense.
Get it in your inbox.
Reader-First Marketing goes out every week. Completely free, so you can spend your time writing rather than chasing marketing trends.
Want to know more about Josefine first? About the writer ->