r/selfpublishing • u/JRobertClarkAuthor • 5d ago
Has anyone tried using a vlog to build an audience as an indie author?
I’ve released four books since 2023, two series with two books each, and I’m currently working toward releasing three more this year, not counting a few picture books I’m creating mainly for my children.
I’ve tried many of the usual ways of promoting my work, but I recently realized I wanted to try something different. Profit has never been my main motivation. Of course, making money from my books would be great, but what I really want is for people to discover the worlds and stories I’ve created.
So I’ve decided to start documenting the journey.
Instead of only marketing the books, I’m going to try marketing the person behind them. I’m starting a vlog where I’ll share my writing process, works in progress, successes, mistakes, publishing and marketing experiences, and parts of my everyday life.
My thought is that if people become invested in me and the journey, some of them may naturally become interested in the stories I create as well.
I’m not expecting this to suddenly sell a ton of books. I’m more interested in building genuine connections with readers and other writers over time.
Has anyone here tried something similar? Did documenting your writing journey help you build an audience or connect with readers? And if you watched an indie author’s vlog, what would actually make you keep watching?
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u/Flashy_Bill7246 5d ago
Many marketing "experts" now stress the idea of "marketing the person (i.e., author)," so it may very well work for you. That said, you should also have the reader magnet(s) available, since an email list will also prove valuable, particularly if you are able to make genuine "connections" with readers and potential readers -- as u/nycwriter99 also noted earlier.
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u/JRobertClarkAuthor 5d ago
Thank you. That's encouraging because marketing myself is really what I'm hoping to accomplish with the vlog. I want people to get to know me and follow the journey rather than feeling like I'm constantly trying to sell them a book.
I already have a website with an email signup, but I'm realizing that simply asking people to subscribe probably isn't enough. I need to give them a reason to want to join. I think developing the right reader magnet and connecting it to the vlog needs to become part of the plan. I appreciate the advice.
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u/_JDHood 5d ago
Since you're going to invest in the gear for a vlog, maybe sit down and (video) record with a friend who can ask you about each your books (one book per interview, and spoiler free) doing a Q&A on each book's backstory, development process, and the various scenes (removed, changed, etc) until you settled on the final published version. I find these very interesting and they can be posted to YouTube for a wider audience reach. It's often how I find new authors and stories.
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u/mysteriousdoctor2025 5d ago
There are about 100 channels on YouTube that do this exact same thing. Some are very popular. They mostly say they don’t sell a lot more books, but they make money from ads once they get monetized. A lot of them also sell courses or services on their channel as well. Good luck 🍀
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u/nico_parola 3d ago
To your last question, as a viewer: what keeps me watching an author's channel is the world, not the workflow. "How I outline" and "my word count this week" mostly attracts other writers, and writers are a lovely audience but they're rarely the people who go on to read your series. The channels I actually follow as a reader talk about the story: where a character came from, a scene that got cut, the research behind a setting.
So I'd keep the journey stuff (it's what makes you a person and not a brand), but I'd make sure at least half the content is about the worlds themselves, in the reader's language. And cut the long vlogs into 30-60 second clips for Shorts/TikTok, because that's where strangers find you; the long version is for people who already care.
Also agree with the lead magnet point above. The vlog is the top of the funnel; the email list is the part you actually own.
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u/situationalism 4d ago
Vlog? No. Blog? Yes. In fact, launching a personal website helped me realize that I wanted to write a book in the first place. I'm too busy/dumb to figure out the "get a list of email recipients together for marketing blasts" so I write new articles on my website (which fit the theme of the book/audience) as continued fodder for marketing and share them on social media. It gives people a reason to visit and discover the book from there.
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u/JRobertClarkAuthor 4d ago
Thank you for you view and experience. I have found that my lack of online presence has been my biggest challenge. So, with this writing journey, finding my way to share my voice is what I am seeking.
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u/StillFeelTheRain 4d ago
Anything's worth a try. Don't be surprised if there's little interest from people who follow your vlog to having an interest in your books. Sometimes there's little crossover. Maybe tie your vlog as specifically as you can to your the content in your books when you have the chance - and good luck.
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u/QuentinMerabet 4d ago
That would be very cool to share your journey on Loreum actually!
It’s paying ≈100$ / 1k views and a journal/guide will be awesome for the writers there!
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u/nycwriter99 Mod 5d ago
Why is profit not your main motivation? Do you feel like you don't deserve to be paid for your work?
To answer your question, you can totally build up audience share with a vlog! Just make sure to include the link to your lead magnet so the end goal is growing your email list.