Four More Platform-Building Activities You Can Do NOW
Excerpted from 50 Ways to Build Your Author Platform. A FREE ebook from http://www.patriciafry.com
16: Participate in conferences.
There are conferences in practically every topic. These are great venues for getting exposure for your book, meeting members of your potential audience and getting ideas for additional books and articles. It’s also a terrific way to build on your credibility as an expert in your field.
Here are a few directories of conferences. Study the website for the conferences you want to attend. Discover what types of workshops/presentations they have and who their presenters are. Create a few workshop ideas and contact the organizer to discuss them.
Again, not only will you become known to your workshop attendees, but everyone who reads the promo leading up to the event, the program, the website information, will see your name in conjunction with the topic. And if you start appearing at conferences before your book is published, you can add this credit to your bio on the back cover of your book.
http://shawguides.com
http://www.allconferences.com
http://www.bevents.com
17: Talk about your book project every chance you get.
Even before your book is a book, talk about it everywhere you go. When someone asks you, “What have you been doing?” Or “What are you writing now?” this is a great opportunity for you to share your book idea on the spot. Not only will you likely get some feedback that could be helpful in writing or designing your book, it’s an opportunity to ask for a business card that you can add to your massive email list. (See below—# 18.)
18: Collect email addresses everywhere you go.
While your book is the topic of discussion everywhere you go, collect email addresses of those interested in the subject or who express an interest in your novel. You’ll use this email list in many ways.
For example, when the book comes out, send a mass email letting everyone know. If it wins an award, hits the 5,000 sales mark, gets a great review or if you are speaking somewhere, you can alert your friends, students, customers, colleagues and others who have expressed an interest in your book via an email announcement.
19: Continually put yourself out there with regard to your expertise or genre.
You don’t want people to forget you. You want to be noticed. You want to be fresh in their minds when they are considering buying a new novel to read or when they want more information on your book’s topic. That’s why it is important to keep submitting articles and stories, to show up at conferences and other events, to teach classes or conduct workshops every year and to get out and speak often.
Building and maintaining a platform is like the process of book promotion. It’s ongoing for as long as you want to be considered a novelist or an expert in your field.