During these next four days, I plan to blog about building your platform. Sure, you hear it all the time—“If you want to be a successful author, you need a platform.” But few people tell you how to create one.
On pages 102-105 in my book, The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book, you’ll get a lot of information on building a platform. And I’m here this week to offer up some step-by-step, day-by-day lessons in building your platform.
Today we’ll discuss your web presence. You hear from experts that, in order to properly promote your book, you really do need a website. It’s true. But even more than that, you need a web presence. Here’s what I suggest:
• Build a fantastic website that showcases your book in the most interesting, attractive and easy-to-navigate and understand way. Add a book trailer (video depicting your book) if you want and do a webcast at your site where you can be seen talking about your book. But avoid having so many bells and whistles that it takes forever to load your site. People will give up and go someplace else. And make sure that your visitors know immediately that you have a book for sale and what it is about. Do not be vague in your web presentation.
• Engage in social media. First and foremost, start blogging about the theme/genre of your book. You might also establish a Facebook account, sign up for Twitter and others. Share information and stories of interest to your readership.
• Get involved on other websites—those related to your book’s topic/genre. There are many levels of involvement you can pursue. Just become acquainted with the movers and shakers there through email communication (comment about their great site and some of the activities they have going on), join their discussion group and comment often, write for their newsletter, teach an online course for them, become their message board host or a member of their organization board.
• Leave your mark at many related sites. Get your book reviewed and/or showcased wherever possible at sites related to your book’s theme.
• Comment at blogs related to your book—other sci fi writer sites, or sites where they’re discussing parenting, pet care, horseback riding, etc.
• Include some of the appropriate organizations, websites when writing your blog posts—announce what they are doing, point up their current projects or just give them a plug. You will get more traffic to your blog and the organization leaders will appreciate you.
Tomorrow we will talk about building your platform through writing.