How to Join an Author’s Street Team
Have you ever read a book and found an author you adore so much that you just want to tell everyone about them? You might be a great candidate for that author’s street team.
Street teams are a bit of a mystery to readers, because unlike ARCs, author street teams/hype teams have an even more exclusive aspect to them. There’s an application involved, and not everyone gets a spot.
I think there’s an assumption that you have to have thousands of followers on social media to receive the invite, or that there will be a lot of posting expectations. But the truth is pretty simple: authors want enthusiastic readers (regardless of their follower count) who love books and want to share their excitement with others.
I didn’t put together a street team for my debut, but with my second book, In a Desert Daze, I did. It was so enjoyable, and I really loved interacting directly with readers who were looking forward to the release. It was nice that I could provide them with some special perks, too! So I want to demystify what a street team is and let you know how you can join one as a reader!
Applications are currently open for my street team in anticipation of my upcoming novella.
If you’d like to apply, please head here.
What Is a Street Team for Authors?
So what is a book street team? Is it the same as a hype team? Some authors call them street teams, others call them hype teams…but they are, in fact, the same. And the goal is the same: the street team is a group of fans who support the author and/or promote their work, including upcoming releases.
Every author runs their Street Teams differently, but these are groups that are filled with enthusiastic readers and fans of the author and their work. The readers are often getting the word out by talking about the books or upcoming releases on their social media, and in return, they usually get perks like guaranteed ARCs, sneak peeks at character art, and more.
When it comes to the Street Team vs ARC Team, they aren’t the same, although there may be overlap. The ARC team is the group of people who receive early copies of a book in exchange for an honest review. If that’s more your speed, then I’ve actually talked quite in-depth about being an ARC reader and using NetGalley to read more books. ARCs are super important to indie authors, and automatic ARC approval is often a perk of being on an author’s Hype Team, but those are two separate things.
For authors, a hype team is honestly a lot of fun! With my In a Desert Daze Hype Team, I had so much fun sharing things with them prior to making the info widely known. They also got some extra bonuses that I didn’t share beyond the hype team, so they were truly my inner circle. You can’t beat that feeling as a reader who’s excited about an upcoming release and/or a diehard fan of an author.
What Does a Street Team Member Do for an Author?
I can’t emphasize enough that every street team will be different, but below are some of the things that authors may ask Street Team/Hype Team members to do:
Participate in cover, trope, or blurb reveals
Share the excitement about an upcoming release (aka yap about books)
Post a mood board, photo, or reel
Recommend a book to a friend
Add the book to their TBR on Goodreads
Share enthusiasm over books from an author’s backlist
Participate in fun challenges
Give their opinions
Celebrate on launch day with a release day blitz
A lot of authors (myself included) make participation flexible/voluntary for a book promotion team when it comes to sharing; other authors have weekly or monthly minimums where they expect readers to share or participate. Make sure you understand the expectations when you apply for a Street Team.
What Are the Benefits to Joining an Author’s Street Team?
So many readers I’ve met are simply excited to share an upcoming release with the world, but there are usually some tangible perks involved to being part of an author hype team. It will vary for every author since—you guessed it—every street team is different, but here are some benefits you might see:
Sneak peeks of what’s to come—including first looks at the cover, character art, and excerpts of the book
Bonus content that won’t be widely available
Deleted scenes that didn’t make it into the book
Early applications for ARCs or automatic ARC approval
Behind-the-scenes updates direct from the author
A community with other book lovers and fans of the author
Getting to vote and voice their opinion on certain aspects of the book or marketing
Giveaways of books or merch
Discount codes for the author’s store
Knowing that they helped an indie author succeed ❣️
The satisfaction of seeing a book grow from pre-launch to release day.
More personal, one-on-one access with the author
How to Join an Author Street Team
If you’re looking for an author street team application, you’ll have to look a bit harder than just finding their Instagram handle or their newsletter signup. Authors may open applications for their book launch team periodically rather than always having them open for new members. This means a little more searching sometimes, and a little patience until applications open. It’s worth it, though, if you’re looking for how to help your favorite author!
Here are some things to do if if you want to join a street team for authors:
Check the author’s site. Poke around on their website first to see if there is anything on there about the street team.
Join the author’s newsletter. Aside from my Hype Team, this is the first place I go to share info and updates. When I open up my street team applications, my newsletter list is where I go first.
Follow the author on social media. If they are opening up applications, they will most certainly share this on their social media pages. Check Instagram, TikTok, and/or Facebook for announcements.
Reach out to the author. If all else fails, feel free to reach out to the author using their contact form. They may be able to point you in the right direction or let you know when to expect applications to open again.
What are the Requirements to be on a Reader Street Team?
If you don’t have heaps of followers, that often doesn’t matter! In the age of influencers with thousands and thousands of followers, newbies or folks with smaller followings may feel like they don’t have a place on a street team. I can promise you that is not the case. Many authors like myself value genuine enthusiasm over your follower count. We know that word-of-mouth recommendations for books matter a lot, so we are very welcoming to smaller creators who want to be involved.
That said, I don’t let just anyone on my Author Hype Team. While follower count doesn’t really matter to me, there are some things I might ask on an author street team application before I approve you to join the team, like…
Have you you read any of my other books before?
Are there any content warnings or topics you prefer to avoid?
What are your favorite tropes?
What is your social media handle? (so I can see that you do talk about books online, regardless of follower count)
Do you support indie authors by being part of other street teams or is this your first time?
What country are you located in? (helps with swag, giveaways, etc.)
Are you comfortable sharing certain things about the release online?
Are you comfortable keeping exclusive content private until it’s publicly revealed?
Why are you interested in joining my author hype team?
Tips for Being a Great Street Team Member
If you really want to make us indie authors feel supported, being on the hype team is a big help. Here is how to be a standout street team member:
Support authors in a way that feels authentic to you. I love to see what readers create when it comes to images and what their reactions are to the things I share in a book hype team. That means adding your own unique style to whatever you share! What you share will mean more when it is true to you.
Meet deadlines when you can. If we ask you to share something on a certain day or around a certain time, do your best to stick to that timeline. Cover reveals and release days are usually the biggest ones, so make sure to mark them in your calendar as days to shout about a book from the mountaintops.
Respect our requests about spoilers. If we’re sharing something with you and we request you to keep it within the street team or to not share it before a certain date, please respect these wishes. We spend a lot of time planning out what to reveal and when, so we appreciate when our closest readers can help keep our secrets.
Communicate if your availability changes. If you are struggling to keep up on an author hype team for whatever reason, it is so much better to let us authors know rather than to simply disappear. If you need to pause for a while or exit the street team, then just let us know. We understand that our books are not the center of your universe. A heads up is much appreciated when you don’t feel like you can commit anymore or need a pause from author street team responsibilities.
Engage with other readers. Like, comment, and share on posts from other street team members. It helps boost visibility and builds a lovely indie author community within reader spaces.
Check the author’s guidelines regarding generative AI. I ask my own Hype Team not to use generative AI when creating promotional content for my books because I want everything shared about my stories to reflect genuine reader creativity. A lot of authors ask you to avoid using AI, so unless an author street team explicitly says this is okay, please don’t use it to create images or text for your posts.
Have fun! This is really what it’s about, imho.
FAQ
Is joining a street team free?
Yes. As a reader, you shouldn’t pay anything to be on a street team. You will gain access to certain perks and bonuses, and there may be expectations of your participation—but those are in the form of posting on social media and sharing enthusiasm for a book. You should not be asked to pay any amount to be on a street team.
Can I join more than one author street team?
Abolutely! Authors do not expect exclusive access to you as a hype team member. You can join as many as you’d like and can comfortably commit to. It’s better to be an active member of a few teams than to overcommit and feel overwhelmed.
Do I have to post on social media?
Every author street team requirements will be different. Some authors ask members to share posts regularly, while others (like me!) keep participation flexible without a posting requirement. Before joining, read the expectations so you know what’s expected of you.
What’s the difference between a street team and an ARC team?
An ARC is an advanced reader copy (or advanced review copy) of a book. An ARC team focuses on reading an advance copy of a book and leaving an honest review on or around release day. A street team is more of a community with the author—they share fun sneak peeks and info with you, and you share your excitement about their books with the world.
Can I leave a street team if I’m too busy?
Of course! Life happens, and most authors completely understand if you need to step away. If possible, just send the author or team organizer a quick message to let them know what’s going on. They’ll really appreciate the heads-up, and you’ll likely be welcome to apply again in the future if applications reopen.
Hopefully this makes how to be part of an author hype team much easier to understand! Joining an author’s street team is honestly such a meaningful way to support a writer whose books you love. Every bit of enthusiasm makes a difference, especially for indie authors—from cover reveals to simply chatting about the new release with a friend. Happy reading, and happy hyping!