There are a million potential brand and influence-building platforms out there it seems, but the latest to catch my eye was Fable. What is Fable, you ask? Well, simply put, Fable is an app meant for creating and joining book clubs. Seems fun and full of possibility, right? Well, I definitely think it is, and I’ll tell you why below.
So, Why is Fable a Potential Brand and Influence Building Platform?
Fable is a newbie to the online book lovers and readers platform scene. At first glance, you may wonder what makes it different from GoodReads or BookBub? Well, though there are some similarities—you have a profile, you get to share and recommend your favorite books, just like those other platforms—the big difference is, you can join book clubs that interest you and even start your own!
This gives you the chance for more exposure online, to solidify your brand through how you interact and what you recommend. And can even bring you to tastemaker status if you’re not quite there yet. But if you are there, excellent! Then it’s another place where your fans and followers can connect with you and learn more about what makes you tick.
The Best Features of Fable and Why It Stands Out
Fable has a feature called Folios. Folio’s are themed lists and new ones are added each week. This not only gives viewers a quick overview of the creator and what they’re all about, but also why they’ve picked what they’ve picked. Folio books come with thoughtfully created discussion prompts so you and your readers have things to talk about throughout the book. These are curated by Fable partners (which you can apply for, but the way).
It’s a fantastic insight into authors you may admire, and a way to find new thought leaders and influencers you love. But as for Fable’s purpose, Founder and CEO, Padmasree Warrior is quoted in Publishers Weekly as saying:
“My dream is to build a platform where people can connect through stories and build their own book clubs,” Warrior said. “Fable is about how everyone can aspire to be Oprah or Reese Witherspoon.”
That sounds to me like there’s huge potential for this to become a big brand and influencing building platform!
Another awesome feature of Fable is that anyone can use its Reading Clubs. You can create a reading club based on what you’re reading, plan to read, or base it on a theme. And you don’t have to wait around for people to find it and join. You can share a link to your club (like on your social channels) and anyone with that link can join you!
How Reading Clubs Work
You can create and name your book club and its themes. This makes it easy for your audience to know if they’d like to join. This could work out really well for you if you know your core audience and what they’re all about. You can add books to your club as you go along.
This means brand and influence building potential if you stick to your themes! As a writer, it would be wise to choose books in your genre, or books that really resonate, but may be surprising to your audience. If you’re a thought leader (or aspiring one) it may be a smart strategy to make the theme reflect your area of expertise.
Some Other Neat Things About Fable
1- Fable works as an e-reader and social platform all in one. Books can be purchased directly through the bookstore and there’s quite a stock of them. Another bonus is that it’s not just a platform focused around best-sellers and of the moment content. It has a nicely curated list of options, from smaller books and non-fiction to the classics—some of which are free!
2- Because it’s an app, users can leave comments, share links, and have book-club related discussions all in one place! It’s very community-oriented it seems. Which means it’s a place to build community as well.
3- The platform also hosts online readings and other community-focused events, which I think is very cool!
4- Another big bonus of joining Fable now, while it’s still young, are the perks of being an early adopter. If you can get in there before it gets big and build your reach and influence, you’ll have an advantage over those that are latecomers, just like with many other platforms.
Is Fable’s Brand and Influence Building Potential Worth it?
Yes, the books you add to your list must be purchased via Fable. But, the thing is, I feel like this will lead to users curating books and creating clubs that are really important to them. You’ll choose more wisely what you want to feature and if you do it well, these choices will further solidify your brand.
A Fable account is free to start, but if you really want to join in on the action and have more access to bigger book clubs you may want to consider paying. The fee is only $69 annually, and to me that seems worth it if it’s a platform you feel you’ll get a lot out of. Plus that fee means more free books are available to you, which you can add to your Reading Club, or just read for yourself.
So, go check it out and let me know what you think in the comments. Maybe I’ll see you on there! And if I start my own club, I’ll definitely send you a link to join.
