Final Thoughts
What I’m saying is don’t just grow “followers.” Instead find and connect with people you’d actually like to hang out with to discuss books and reading.
People who love reading the kind of work you’re writing. People who have interesting perspectives they want to share with you. People who are interested in the perspectives you’re sharing. People with whom you’d like to share snapshots of your life. And, yes, people who will eventually buy your books and tell everyone they know to buy your books too.
If you take a community cultivating approach, your number of “followers” might not be that impressive when you get started, but the quality of the relationships you build will make for a more rewarding and sustainable experience over the long haul.
This community approach can also help you connect with those people who Kevin Kelly calls your "1,000 True Fans" and David Gaughran calls "Superfans": the people who will support all your creative efforts and share your work with all of their networks too. (Read more about these two fan frameworks on the resources page).
And if you already have a large following (yay!), it’s not too late to think about how you can “cultivate community” and develop relationships with your people that are even more meaningful and long lasting.
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