I want to share something that would have saved me years of stress:
You don’t need thousands of readers to be successful.
You just need your readers.
That’s it.
When I first started publishing, I thought audience-building meant going viral. Huge launches. Massive social media followings. Overnight success.
But the truth?
Most authors build their readership quietly.
One reader at a time.
That reader leaves a review. Gives a recommendation. Tells their friend, “You have to read this.”
Slowly, your readership compounds and grows.
They keep coming back for the next release. They show up. They send you encouraging messages. They patiently wait for you to release the sequel to a book you published two years earlier.
Why?
Because they trust you.
They trust you to deliver a book that will make them laugh. Or cry. Or keep them awake until 3am because they promised themselves they’d stop “after one more chapter.”
If you’re starting from zero, here is my advice:
Start where you already are.
I started out with a few hundred followers. Then that grew to a thousand. Then a couple thousand more.
Over time, those readers introduced my books to other readers and, eventually, that turned into more than 20 million page reads across my books.
Not overnight.
Not because I cracked some secret algorithm.
Just because I kept showing up.
Keep posting.
Keep writing.
Keep sharing content, even if it feels futile.
You never know what will make someone stop scrolling and pay attention.
One of the biggest mistakes I made early on was trying to be everywhere at once.
TikTok.
Instagram.
Facebook.
Pinterest.
Threads.
A website.
For me, that’s Instagram.
That’s where I feel most comfortable. That’s where I’ve had the most success.
Sometimes I remember to update my website.
My Instagram posts automatically share to Facebook.
And if Threads didn’t intimidate me a little, I’d probably post there more, too.
But let’s be real.
If you’re self-publishing, you’re doing everything.
Writing. Editing. Cover design. Content creation. Marketing. Planning and plotting series.
It’s a lot.
So don’t burn yourself out trying to master every platform.
Find the place that feels sustainable and show up there.
Because success isn’t always page reads or review counts.
Sometimes success is finding your people.
The readers who understand your stories.
The readers who come back.
The readers who make this whole thing feel a little less lonely.
And when growth feels slow—and sometimes it will—remember this:
Small audiences become medium audiences.
Medium audiences become larger audiences.
Don’t skip the small part.
Build your audience the same way you write books.
One word at a time. One reader at a time. One story at a time