Hosting a Reddit AMA (Ask Me Anything) is a fantastic way to build hype for an upcoming book and establish yourself as a thought leader. However, Reddit isn’t your average social media platform. It is a community-driven ecosystem with a high demand for authenticity. If you want to win over this discerning audience, you need a strategy. Here is how to prepare for, launch, and manage a successful Reddit AMA.
Drum Up Some “Good Karma”
Reddit’s communities love to use previous activity on the platform to help establish trust and confirm that a person is who they say they are. Before you venture into planning an AMA, it’s important that you are already a citizen of the platform. Ideally, you should have an active account for at least a month. And in this time, don’t just be a lurker.
Reddit values positive, active participants on the app so much that they have a karma system. This is a reputation score each user has, which is affected by how other users respond to their comments and posts. Gaining as much karma as possible on your account can be a massive asset, since some subreddits require a certain amount to unlock the ability to leave certain types of posts. Each user gains karma by receiving upvotes (Reddit’s version of likes) on their posts and comments. Be cautious about what you post, as downvotes will subtract from your karma.
Choose the Right Subreddit
Reddit is made up of thousands of micro-communities, so it can be hard to choose where to show up. It is helpful to familiarize yourself with the ones that may be relevant to you, not only as potential forums for your AMA but as places with rules loose enough to help you build karma before you do anything else. Here are some things to keep in mind:
- Don’t Overlook Niche Communities
Big platforms like r/IAmA can be attractive, but they’re easy to get lost in and may not deliver you the dedicated interest you want. Instead, it may be worthwhile to seek out subreddits that are more niche and targeted to your genre or area of interest. Not only will a smaller environment help with targeting the correct audience, but smaller subreddits may have more open posting privileges that can help you start to grow your karma and build rapport.
- Know Your Mods
When it comes time to plan your AMA, connect with the moderators first. This is where your karma comes in: They are the gatekeepers of the subreddit and they will likely need to verify your identity before you start answering questions for their community. Not to mention, each subreddit has rules that these moderators maintain and you’ll want to make sure you comply. The last thing you want to do is plan the AMA by yourself, only for the whole post to be taken down. And Reddit moderators are more of an asset to you than an obstacle. They know when their community members are most actively participating, and they can watch the post to remove any spam or trolling comments in real time.
Promote Before
After you’ve found your subreddit of choice and coordinated with the moderators, you can promote the AMA. An AMA is handled much like a live Q&A event, since you will be available to answer questions within a fixed period of time. For that reason, don’t just show up! Announce the event ahead of time so anyone who may be interested can ensure they’re available during the scheduled time slot and ponder their questions in advance. Posting about the event 24 to 48 hours in advance is usually sufficient. Be sure to include the date, time, and time zone. While keeping subreddit rules in mind, don’t fear advertising your AMA across your other social media platforms as well, so friends, family, and other supporters can join the conversation.
The AMA
Now that it is time to do your AMA, let’s walk through it step by step.
Step 1: Craft a Fun Hook
Open the post with a snappy introduction. Maintain a conversational, first-person voice and tell your audience about who you are. Rather than leading with a plug for your upcoming book, mention first your areas of expertise and what topics people could ask you questions about.
Step 2: Engage Seamlessly
In the first 60 to 90 minutes, try to answer as many questions as possible. If a difficult question comes up, use your judgment on whether or not to answer. If you decide to push forward, your candor can go a long way. Reddit’s audience values honesty and authenticity far more than a canned response.
Remember your main priority is to express your personality and show what you know. If you have an opportunity to share a funny anecdote from your book or the behind-the-scenes of making it, go for it! If you’ve spent time among this subreddit community, use their lingo when appropriate.
Step 3: Format Your Answers
A big wall of text is easy to ignore, so organize your longer answers with some visual standouts. Use bolding for emphasis and bullet points for lists. Drop any relevant links so readers can find more information.
Step 4: Sign Off
When you’re done, don’t just leave—edit your original post. Thank the community and add any final links to preorder your book or follow your other socials. If you’d like, you can mention that you might pop back in later to answer a few stragglers.
If you’re ready to leverage a Reddit AMA to boost your book’s reach, don’t do it alone! Connect with your publishing team. They can help you navigate the platform’s nuances and facilitate the right connections to ensure your session is a success.
Jacky Bethea is the Associate Manager of Author Development at Penguin Random House