I hear from some of you from time to time and it seems that most of you are in the process of writing books. Are you also building on your platform? Do you know the steps to take toward establishing and adding to your author’s platform? Do you even know the reasons you need a platform and why it should be in place even before your book is a book?
Ideally, of course, you have spent the last 5, 10, 20 or 30 years becoming known in the field/genre you are writing in. Most people, however, do not think of this as they merrily live their lives. Most of us turn to writing only after pursuing other career and lifestyle goals. For many, writing a book is an afterthought of life, not a primary part of it. So what is a new, first-time author of fiction or nonfiction to do when they don’t have a platform to stand on? They must build one. How?
For Nonfiction:
• Write within your area of expertise. If you’ve been in this field long enough, you have a built-in audience.
• Become even more widely known in your field or interest by conducting workshops for your peers, writing articles for appropriate trade and consumer magazines and getting involved in websites dedicated to this topic—in other words, position yourself as an expert.
• Create your own website full of resources for your audience.
• Establish a blog related to your topic and post to it often.
• Volunteer within your field of interest.
• Establish programs, contests, fairs, etc. related to your subject and get some press so others know what you’re doing.
In other words, get out there and become known among your book’s target audience. And do this BEFORE you publish that book. Once the book comes out, you’ll be busy promoting it. Now is the time to be develop your platform—establish your audience.
For Fiction:
• Dig out the stories you’ve been writing over the years, clean them up and start submitting them to appropriate magazines. You may be surprised by how many magazines and newsletters publish fiction. Study Writer’s Market. Look at the literary and little magazine category, of course, but also go through each and every consumer and trade publication to locate those that use fiction pieces. For regular reports on where to sell your fiction stories, join SPAWN (Small Publishers, Artists and Writers Network) http://www.spawn.org The SPAWN Market Update (posted in the member only area of the SPAWN website) is full of such opportunities.
• Write and submit new stories in your book’s genre. It is more important that you acquire a following than that you meet some sort of self-imposed deadline for completing your novel.
• Get involved in websites related to the genre of your book—I mean get active—become known as the author of some good romance stories, science fiction, thrillers, mysteries, or?
• Apply to conduct workshops within your genre at appropriate writers’ conferences.
• Establish workshops, writers’ retreats, etc. locally for other writers of works in your genre.
• Create an active and interactive website and blogsite for writers and readers within your genre.
Whether you write fiction or nonfiction, sign up today for my new Platform-Building online course. Check it out here: http://www.matilijapress.com/course_platform.htm
And if you are new to the big world of publishing, be sure to order my latest book, Publish Your Book, Proven Strategies and Resources for the Enterprising Author. It’s in print and on Kindle.