Glossary
Reader magnet
Also called lead magnet, freebie
A reader magnet is a free book, story or guide an author gives away in return for a reader joining their mailing list.
Checked by Dario Griffo, founder of Lanternbee, on .
What it means
A reader magnet is the gift at the door. A reader sees an offer in your back matter, on social media or in a group promotion, gives their email, and gets the book.
A fantasy author might give away a prequel novella. A mystery author might offer a short case for their detective. A nonfiction author might give a checklist, a chapter or a short companion guide. A cookbook writer might send a free set of seasonal recipes.
The goal is not the free book itself. It is a reader who now hears from you when the next book comes out.
Why it matters when you sell direct
Your mailing list is where most direct sales start. A reader magnet grows that list, and the welcome emails that follow can point new readers to your store, a starter bundle or book one.
Readers who join through a magnet and then buy from you are the core of a direct business.
How Lanternbee handles it
You can give a book away from your Lanternbee store: choose Free as the price of a format. A reader adds it to their basket, presses Get it free and confirms their email address, then the book lands in their library and they get the usual delivery email. While doing that they can tick Send me news from your store to join your list.
What Lanternbee does not do: there is no separate sign-up page for a magnet, getting the book never requires joining your list, and there are no group promotions with other authors. If you rely on those, keep BookFunnel or StoryOrigin for them.
Readers can also join your list from the sign-up box in your store, a welcome email can greet them, and you can connect MailerLite or Klaviyo to keep your email tool in step.