One of the best ways to make sure your book reaches a bigger and wider audience is to collaborate with popular influencers in your field.

They will promote your work to their thousands of followers and it can result in a significant increase in traffic and excitement for your new release. 

However, you’ll need to research the right influencers and then go about contacting them in the correct manner if you want the promotion to be successful.

Ideally, the influencer needs to have your target audience as their main following so that you are reaching the right people.

For example, if you’re promoting a horror story, there’s no point in enlisting the help of an influencer who predominantly talks about romance novels. 

Then, once you’ve found the ideal influencer, you need to know how to connect with them in the correct manner so that they will actually accept the deal you are proposing.

The whole process can seem a little daunting and scary, but don’t worry it’s actually a lot easier than you might think. 

The important thing to remember is to reach out directly. Getting a third party to do this for you on your behalf usually impedes the connection and relationship between you and the influencer.

The only time using a third party to reach out works well is when the individual already has a pre-existing relationship with the influencer. 

If you’d like to learn more about how to reach out to influencers for book promotion collaborations, keep reading! 

How To Reach Out To Influencers

Reaching out to influencers is all about the mindset in which you do it. You don’t want to go into this with a desperate mindset.

Don’t think of this as a request that you need to get your work into the world. This shouldn’t just be beneficial for you. 

Instead, see reaching out to influencers as more of a relationship builder. You want to add value to the influencer in the same way that they will add value to your life. 

Below, you’ll find my top tips and tricks in regard to enlisting the help of a popular influencer.

Keep It Natural 

While you’re definitely going to want to grab the attention of your influencer, you want to do so in a natural manner. 

While your first port of call may be to send them over a quick email, which I’m definitely not advising against, there are other options available too. Try engaging with them on their social media platforms in a natural and friendly way. 

At this point, you’re not commenting asking for help. This is not a good idea. Instead, try to start building a relationship with them. Comment on their content and let them know what you like, for example.  

If they recognize you as someone who has supported them, they may be more inclined to then support you when the time comes. 

Another option is to attend events where there is a chance for an introduction. Again, don’t be too direct at this point. You simply want to become a familiar face to this person. 

Make The Influencer Feel Valued

Remember how above I said you shouldn’t see this as a mindset as what can they do for you? Well, this is very important when it finally comes to offering the deal of a collaboration. 

Please never start a conversation with an influencer by asking them to do something for you.

‘Can you write a review?’  

‘Your audience will enjoy my book, can you share it with them?’ 

 It’s impersonal and they’ve probably already received hundreds of similar messages that they’ve likely ignored. 

The best way to go about it is to flatter and then ask for a contribution. Make them feel important and valued and then ask for some advice. 

‘I adore your content and am an avid fan. I am currently working on this myself and would love some feedback on how I could improve ‘XYZ.’

‘I’ve noticed that you use incredibly effective methods for ‘XYZ’ and would love to know more about how I could implement this into my work’ 

The trick is to flatter and then ask for help for something that is easy and effortless to say yes to. From there, things can move forward as you establish your relationship. 

Avoid Mass Emails 

Mass emails are so impersonal and, to be honest, just a little lazy. It’s very obvious to spot a mass email and no influencer is going to engage with this type of request.

This demonstrates that you don’t value the individual influencer which is the exact opposite of what you are trying to achieve. 

Keep in mind that the influencer probably has several hundred requests for similar collaborations every single day. An impersonal email that holds no interest to the recipient just isn’t going to be given the time of day. 

Researching the influencer and crafting an email that engages them and shows that you specifically want to work with them for their particular skill set is a much more effective way to go about contacting them. 

Send Something Meaningful To The Influencer 

Don’t think of this as bribery, because that’s not what we’re doing here. Instead, you’re actually just trying to grab their attention.

It’s a great way to set yourself apart from the many other businesses that are trying to collaborate with the influencer. 

What you send will depend entirely on your product. You could send a copy of the book with a letter, tasty treats, or something else that is quirky and stands out. 

This is where research on your influencer is imperative. Try to think about what they love and then send something relevant to both that interest and your product. 

Always Find A Way That You Can Help

You’ll want to tackle this in a less overt way. Please don’t ever message an influencer asking how you can help them. They don’t know who you are or what value you could add to their lives.

You’ll need to do a little digging and then present a solution to a problem they might not even know they have. 

I would recommend actively watching their podcasts or live streams to learn a little more about them. Make notes and pay attention to any complaints or struggles they may have and then find solutions for them. 

Final Thoughts

When reaching out to influencers, you really want to keep the mindset of what can I do for them? We already know what they can do for us. They already have their huge following and they will be well aware of their worth to you. 

But why should they help you? 

Essentially, we’re all looking for what’s in it for us, and that includes influencers. You want to show your appreciation for them, flatter them, and then ask for small favors that will get you easy yeses.

From there you can figure out how to add value to their lives and present your findings. 

Remember to try and stick out from the crowd and make your proposal the most intriguing and beneficial for the influencer.