Clubhouse for Authors

A Primer

How authors can leverage the new social platform Clubhouse for visibility and drive more sales.

Have you heard about the new social platform called Clubhouse? Have you been thinking about joining and wonder how you can use it as a writer or publishing professional?  There are over 10 million people on Clubhouse right now, and authors and publishing professionals can leverage the audio platform to get more visibility, aim for more success, and drive more book sales effectively. 

This week in my newsletter I interviewed the host of Write That Book club on Clubhouse, Mindy Gibbins-Klein (you may know her as The Book Midwife).

Mindy and I are also hosting a Clubhouse event at 10:30 am EST (7:30am PST) this Friday so you can get a feel for how it works. You can join here.

Miral:  What is Clubhouse?
Mindy: Clubhouse is an audio app that gives people (iPhone and iPad users only at the moment) a chance to speak and listen to others. The exciting aspect to it is the ability to jump into conversations and be invited to share in front of people you might never get to meet otherwise. No matter what your interests are, there's bound to be a Clubhouse room where people are discussing that topic! You can also start a room anytime you like, invite people and get other audience members involved. And this is all free of charge!

Miral:  Why should an author be on Clubhouse?  
Mindy: In addition to speaking about your topic in various rooms, you may also be invited to do a 'pitch' or let people know about your products and services.

Free publicity - yay! The key, as with any platform, is to keep it brief and don't just sell constantly. Add value, teach something, share your story and then mention that you have a book. 

You also get a bio page as part of your profile, and you can mention your book title there also. Finally, if you are trying to build your Instagram following, you will definitely get more followers by connecting with others on Clubhouse, as Instagram and Twitter are currently the only links you are allowed to use.

Miral: Tell us your best Clubhouse (CH) tip for authors?
Mindy: It's kind of mentioned above where I said, 'Don't just sell constantly.' Use it to build relationships; follow others, be interested in what they are saying and what they have to offer. Take the conversation to a one-to-one chat on the phone or Zoom, where you can explore potential collaboration opportunities. In other words, be strategic and not simply transactional, as no one wants to be sold to, right?

Miral: Thanks, Mindy, for that awesome overview.

Have questions? Or want to keep the conversation going and network. We invite you to participate in our Clubhouse event this Friday at 10:30am EST (7:30am PST).

Join our Clubhouse event this Friday by clicking here.

If  you looking to explore some clubs, I personally like the following clubs for authors on Clubhouse. 

·     Write that Book (Mindy’s club) 

·     The Author Hive

·     Writer on the Storm

·     Audiobooks

·     Publishing Professionals

·     The Author Platform

·     Black Women Write 

·     The Storyteller Club

Hope to see you on Friday so you can put some of those tips into action and network!

Keep Calm and Write On!

Miral Sattar