What Makes a Great Reader Reach Lead Magnet?
Your mailing list is the most durable asset an author can own. Just you, your readers, a “new release” email that gets opened, and a book that is enjoyed.
Here's how a Lead Magnet works: we build a landing page for your book, we run the ads, and readers trade their email address for a free read: In this case, a downloadable copy of the book, novella, or chapter you want to share. The reader gets a book they'll love, you get a subscriber who already likes your work.
But there's a catch. These readers don't know you yet. They'll decide in about two seconds whether your book is worth an email address. This guide walks you through how to build an effective Lead Magnet landing page so you can make those two seconds count.
Your Book Cover
On your landing page (and in the ads pointing to it), your cover shows up small, on a phone, to someone scrolling fast. We call this the thumbnail test, and it's ruthless.
A cover passes when it signals your genre instantly. A reader should know “cozy mystery” or “billionaire romance” at a glance, before they've read a word. Genre signal is what makes the right readers stop scrolling. Check out this blog post on what makes book covers & blurbs convert to learn more.
A quick audit before you upload:
- Shrink your cover to postage-stamp size. Can you still read the title? Still tell the genre?
- Compare it to the Top 100 in your Amazon category. Does it fit in? (In covers, fitting in beats standing out.)
- Is the image crisp? Blurry covers kill trust.
Upload the highest-resolution version you have: jpg, jpeg, gif, or png, in the standard 6×9 ebook ratio.
Headline: Make the Offer
The headline sits at the top of your landing page, and its job is simple: tell the reader exactly what they're getting and what it costs (nothing).
Get the free ebook from Jane Austen
No riddles, no poetry. Remember, these readers arrived from a social media ad two seconds ago. Before anything else can happen, the page has to answer “what is this?” The headline is that answer.
A formula that works every time: Get the free [ebook / novella / chapter] from [Author Name]. Some variations:
- Download the free novella from Gabriel García Márquez
- Get Book One of the Lord of the Rings, free
- Claim your free copy of Pride and Prejudice
- Get your free taste of The Joy of Cooking by Irma Rombauer
Say “free” out loud. It's the single most persuasive word on the page, so don't make readers hunt for it. And use your author name where you can: the book is the gift, but you are who readers are subscribing to, and every impression builds your name.
One thing not to do here: get clever. The headline and tagline are a team. The headline makes the offer, the tagline makes it irresistible. If both are clever, readers can't tell what they're getting. If both are plain, nobody cares. Clarity up top, personality just below.
Tagline: Hook the Reader
The tagline is immediately above the sign up form for the reader. It is not your book title (that's already on the page). The tagline has one job: make a stranger curious.
An example of what we might offer for Pride & Prejudice:
Five sisters, one fortune, and the worst first impression.
Just a few words. It signals the genre, sets the scene, and shows off the author's voice. It's fun, which promises the book is fun too.
What works: a line of intrigue (“He wrote one sentence in a diary. That was enough.”), a tempting question (“Would you leave a warm house for a dragon & a wizard?”), or a genre promise with voice (“The dead stay for supper. The rain lasts four years.”).
What doesn't work: restating your title, generic offers like “Get My Free Book!”, or trying to summarize the plot. That's the job of the book description.
Keep it short and sweet - under 60 characters is ideal.
Book Description
This is a blurb, not a synopsis. Its job is to sell the experience in 100-150 words:
- Open with your strongest hook. One punchy line
- Introduce your protagonist and their problem. Someone to root for, a reason to worry, a reason to care.
- Add some intrigue. What happens if they fail? What's the reader in for?
- Close with the appeal. Genre, mood, comp: “A thought-provoking thriller for fans of Jay Caspian Kang.”
Skip the spoilers and the full cast list. And write from the reader's side (“she has 48 hours to find the killer”), not yours (“this book explores themes of…”). Readers are attracted to feelings, not themes.
Your Amazon blurb is a fine starting point. If it converts there, it'll convert here.
The Book File
Upload your book, novella, or chapter file as a PDF or EPUB. For many readers this file is their first impression of you as an author, so give it the same care as a retail release:
- Open it yourself, start to finish. Does the first page look like a first page? Does the last page look like an ending?
- Check the formatting on Kindle. That's where most readers will open it.
- Front matter: right title, right name, working copyright page.
- Back matter: a short thank-you and a link to the next book if you have one. These readers just joined your list. The back of this book is your first chance to turn a subscriber into a superfan.
Before your Lead Magnet goes live, we'll review the file ourselves to make sure it looks good, downloads well, and is ready for readers to enjoy.
Preview Before you Confirm
You can always hit “Preview Landing Page” on checkout step 4 to get a live preview of the page itself. If you update the details on the checkout, you can hit the link and preview again (you may need to refresh the page). As you review, think like a reader: If I landed on this page, would it make me want to read the book? If so, you're in a good spot.
Stuck on the copy? We've got you
Writing about your own book is famously harder than writing the book itself. If you get stuck - especially on the headline, tagline, or description, reach out to our team and we'll help you get your page converting, your list growing, and your readers reading.
Happy list-building!