What’s a super fan and why would I want one? I asked myself as I went through my seemingly never-ending Inbox of writing-related emails.

I figured out the answer to my question when I met John Thomas, recently retired Chief of the Department of Public Safety at USC. He didn’t just like my book, Busting the Brass Ceiling: How a Heroic Female Cop Changed the Face of Policing. He loved it and felt a personal responsibility to help promote it in any way he could. Within a matter of days, he had organized an online panel, which would be focused on the book and sponsored by USC among others. He had also talked about the book to the LAPD Museum, which has offered to have me do a book signing as soon as it’s Covid-safe. And that’s just the start.

Now that’s what I call a super fan!

I know the Chief will push my book almost as hard as I do. He’ll talk about it. He’ll tell others to read it. He’ll review it on Amazon and Goodreads. He’ll likely join in any marketing venture that makes sense.

Not every super fan can pull the kinds of strings the Chief did, but they can be just as passionate, just as dedicated, and just as effective at getting the word out for you. So, what if you had more than one super fan? What if you had a super fan base?

Now we’re talking. But how exactly do you go about finding all those super fans? As Judith Briles points out in her article “Meet the Super Fan … the Secret Sauce Authors Want,” super fans are super readers. So, your first step is to figure out where those super readers in your genre hang out. She suggests that you:

• Actively follow popular blogs in your genre. That doesn’t mean just reading them. You’ll want to comment and integrate yourself into that community.
• Identify the best online reader communities through a Google search.
• Figure out the keywords and phrases used in your genre, as well as the top hashtags. (Hashtagify.me can help with the latter.)
• Go offline! Get involved in groups that focus on reading. Meetup.com can be a great way to find local groups that fit the bill.

In addition to presenting even more ideas on how to locate super readers, the article suggests ways to court potential super fans. My favorites include turning those potential super fans into beta readers who provide feedback on your manuscript before you finalize it, doling out bookmarks or other swag, and offering sneak previews to your writing. Since you might respond even more to her other ideas, I urge you to check out Briles’ “Meet the Super Fan … the Secret Sauce Authors Want” article for yourself.

Of course, if you’ve figured out your own recipe for that secret sauce, I hope you’ll share. I’d sure love a taste.