All authors hear the word "platform" from the day they start writing. Everyone tells them they need one, but no one hardly ever tells them how. The how part for me is the hardest thing to do. But here it goes.
1. If you want to be recognized by your peers, other authors, you have to get yourself out there. That includes social media, blogs, comments on other blogs and plain old word of mouth. It takes time, but if you are diligent and work on it every day, it pays off.
2. Do you do social media? Most of us have a Facebook page, but as an author, do you have an Author Page on Amazon? I'll admit that I haven't checked mine in a while, but you need to. One of my friends, a multi-published author, tells me she links every blog to her author page, Facebook and other social media pages. To be honest, I hadn't thought of linking my blog to my author page. I do link it to Facebook and Twitter.
3. Do you know how many friends you have on Facebook? I hadn't thought about that for a while, but I have a lot. Not all of them are regular followers, but I do get several comments from close friends. That's part of your platform. Try to post something on Facebook each day. You'll be surprised how many people will read what you write.
4. Talk to your friends. Word of mouth is the cheapest way to build up a platform. When you think about it, how much time do you spend with friends who have like interests? I find I talk a lot to friends about books. Several of them have become fans of the same authors I am. I've introduced them to a bunch of new authors and that has helped that author's fan base. One thing I tell authors when we sign the contract is to talk, blog and go on loops about their book. Start early. As soon as I send them a cover, I want them to start showing it and being proud of what they have done. No one can talk about your book like you can. You are excited and your voice and use of words show it.
5. Are you a member of writing loops? I'm a member of American Christian Fiction Writer's. We are a dedicated bunch of authors, both published and unpublished, who want to write Christian fiction. We have a loop, zones, teaching programs, conference and just about anything else you can think of that pertains to writing. This is one of the best ways to get noticed in the writing industry. Write on loops and have your signature line with your future and past books on it.
6. Write a blog. I've been reading Michael Hyatt's blog recently about platform. He has some very good things that should help all of us with our writing. When you write your own blog, link it to your Facebook, Twitter and Author Page on Amazon. Let people know what you are doing.
There is so much information out there about platform, and I encourage every writer to build a good platform, a good fan base. Find something you are interesting in doing and work that into your blogs. We all have our specialties. There are things we all do that can help us build a fan base. What do you do and how do you feel about platform? I may be all wrong about this, but I believe if people know who we are and what we do, we'll sell more books.
No comments:
Post a Comment