I’ve had some very exciting news recently (more to follow soon), but in the meantime I’d like to share something I’ve been playing with recently, related to my experiments with author swag and author merch: how to use NFC stickers on your books.
At Author Nation 2025 I attended a session by Stuart Grant, who mentioned NFC tags might be useful for authors. I found the idea intriguing, so I bought some stickers from Amazon. I got 100 for less than £10. (Just do a search for “Programmable NFC tag”, or “programmable NFC sticker”.)
Below is a quick TikTok post that I made, showing what I did with my very first sticker. The video demonstrates one way that authors could use an NFC tag/sticker. The idea here is that you could place a sticker inside the cover of a book, which then instantly takes readers (or potential customers) to a specific website that you pre-programmed onto the sticker:
The moment my phone went “bing” and automatically opened that webpage, I was very excited! I agree with Stuart Grant that this technology could be really useful for authors and artists.
Let me explain what’s going on, and why you might want to try this yourself.
What is an NFC sticker?
NFC stands for Near Field Communication — which is pretty much what it sounds like: an object that containts technology that can pass information to a phone or other device, if the object and phone are close enough to each other. In practice it means if you place your phone over the sticker, it automatically opens a webpage. The webpage is one you have already pre-programmed into the sticker. No app required to read it, and the customer doesn’t need to point their camera at an intermediate QR code. Basically just tap and go.
In the video, I put my sticker inside a journal. But it could go into any physical book, the back of a painting, inside a greeting card, on a bookmark. Basically anywhere you can stick a small sticker, really.
So… How Could an NFC Sticker Help You Make Money From Your Books or Artwork?
Here are some ideas for ways authors and artists can use NFC stickers:
- In-person networking: You know you’re going to be wearing a lanyard…so, put a sticker on the back of it! The same goes for bookmarks, business cards, or flyers. As long as someone’s phone has NFC capability switched on, you’re providing a completely frictionless way to visit your website.
- Selling at live events: If you’ve sold out of copies, give the potential customer a link to your online shop — instead of losing that sale entirely, you’re sending them somewhere they can still buy.
- Bonus content: Readers and collectors love feeling like insiders. Put an NFC sticker somewhere inside the physical book, which leads to a special recipe, extra illustrations, a soundtrack…
- Make reviews effortless: Reviews drive further sales! At the end of a physical book, include a tag that links directly to your Goodreads or Amazon review page, making it as easy as possible for the reader to leave a review.
- Build your mailing list: If someone has already bought a physical item from you, they’re a warm lead. Fix an NFC tag on your book or artwork, offer a discount or a free resource, then lead them directly to your mailing list sign-up page.
- Adding value to artworks: For artworks, include a link to a “How it was made” video, showing the customer exactly how their piece was created.
- Making money from secondhand sales: At the moment there is almost no chance for authors or makers to receive any money from any of their works that are sold to other buyers after the first customer. But what if your book or artwork had a sticker attached to it, leading directly to your website with its Kofi, Patreon, or similar link?
- Further commissions If you are an artist or a non-fiction author, include a sticker in your artwork or book. If someone sees your work on a friend’s wall or bookshelf, they can hover their phone near it to be taken to the commissions or contact page of your website, or your portfolio/gallery page.
- Linking to video clips: Whether you want to demonstrate a painting technique, a martial arts move, or how to pronounce characters’ names, NFC stickers can take readers straight to the relevant video, without them even needing to type in a website address. This gives added value to the book/object, so your audience perceives it as being worth more.
- Adding interactivity: For a Dungeons & Dragons or similar adventure, the sticker could include a link to a handy app for rolling dice, or for generating monsters or other foes. Again, this is adding something to the reader experience that most other authors/makers don’t even know about, let alone consider adding to their own works.
Every physical object you sell or give away is essentially a tiny billboard. An NFC sticker gives that object another dimension. Even your conference lanyard or sales table can become an exciting, interactive display. The stickers create a fast, easy connection between the person holding your work and wherever you want to take them.
How do you get started?
NFC stickers are inexpensive and widely available online — I picked up my first set of 100 for less than £10. Programme them using a free app on your phone, and you can update the destination URL at any time. Many YouTube videos show how to program the stickers, and of course you could ask a friendly AI for instructions. (Or keep an eye on this site, and I will be putting up a how-to article, soon!)
The idea might sound technical – until you actually try it and realise it takes < 10 minutes and costs very little.
If you’re an author or artist looking for low-effort ways to connect your physical work to your digital world, NFC stickers might just be one of the most underrated tools out there.
Have you tried NFC stickers in your creative business? I’d love to hear how you’re using them — drop a comment below.