📣 “Engage More!” They Said. Cool... But HOW?”

You’ve heard the “magic formula” a hundred times:

“Just engage with like-minded creators!”
“Comment more!”
“Show up in the community and readers will follow!”

Right. Cool. Heard it.
Also heard that eating kale will make me immortal—but no one explains how to like kale either.

So this is me, figuring it out in real time, and showing you the exact recipe I’m using to go from “I post into the void” to “people are actually finding me—and buying books.”

I'm trying to get in front of readers who’d actually enjoy your weird, dark, hilarious, villain-infested stories. Not just anyone—MY kind of people.

That means I need to:

• Find creators whose content overlaps with my voice

• Engage on their stuff in a way that draws eyeballs

• Build slow-burn rapport that eventually leads to readers, followers, and community

Don’t skip this.

I write:

• Snarky, clever fiction

• With cyberpunk, fantasy, supernatural heists

• Featuring villains, cats, bourbon, and retro chaos

So I’m looking for people who love:

• Villain memes

• Indie authors with a dark/funny tone

• BookTokers who read morally gray characters

• Writers with deadpan humor

• Sarcastic life commentary

Ask yourself: “Who would love my books even if they didn’t know I existed yet?”

Pick a platform (Instagram, TikTok, Threads, X) and type in applicable keywords. For me that's something like:

• #VillainEra

• #SnarkyWriter

• #DarkHumor

• #FantasyHeist

• #IndieAuthorLife

• #WitchTok (seasonal bonus if your book has witches)

• #SarcasticQuotes

• #BookTokHumor

You’ll start seeing posts that feel like your people.

Now—don’t scroll past.

Before you engage, ask:

• Is their content funny, weird, or personal (not just promo)?

• Do their followers actually comment back, not just drop fire emojis?

• Would you enjoy reading this person’s stuff?

If yes—follow them.

DO NOT:

• “Haha 😂”

• “Love this!”

• “So true.”

That’s wallpaper. No one notices.

INSTEAD:

• Be witty.

• Add value.

• Make people curious about you.

Example:

They post:

“Writing a villain is easy. Writing a villain with a caffeine addiction and daddy issues? That’s art.”

You comment:

“Add a bourbon habit and that’s half my cast. Do they come with a loyalty punch card?”

Boom. You’re funny, on-brand, and interesting enough to check out.

Do this in 10 minutes per day:

• 🔹 Follow 5 new creators

• 🔸 Comment on 3 of their posts

• ⚡ Reply to 1 comment thread (even if it’s not yours)

Repeat 3–4 times per week. Schedule it if you need to.

• Did someone reply to your comment?

• Did they follow you back?

• Did someone DM you after seeing your comment?

Congratulations. That’s traction.

Later, you can naturally mention your books in DMs or your own posts. But lead with personality, not pitch.

You’re not going viral this week.
You’re building a tavern—and inviting the right people to pull up a chair.

So yeah, I’m learning as I go.
But every time someone says, “OMG your comment made me laugh,” I know I’m on the right track.

This is how you show up.
This is how they find you.
This is how you stop shouting into the void.

📌 Want to follow along as I keep doing this?
I’ll share the behind-the-scenes wins, fails, and lessons as I go.
TravisSivart.com
https://www.patreon.com/travisisivart
https://ko-fi.com/travisisivart