In my last blog post, we looked at what an author platform is and why it is so important to you as an author. In this blog post, we will be continuing this by thinking about how you can create an author platform or build on an existing one. This does take quite a bit of time and effort; however, it can really help with selling your book and make things easier in the long run. We will start by briefly reviewing what an author platform is and what the benefits are.
The term “author platform” can be very loosely defined as your ability to bring sales based on the fact that people know who you are and will buy it because of this. For example, celebrities will have a large audience that they can use as a platform to sell their book. Having a platform is different from having authority on a subject – an expert in a particular niche has authority, but rarely has a large platform to sell to. Even if they are well-known and respected within their field, this does not necessarily mean that they will be able to sell many books without any mainstream appeal.
If you are pitching to publishers with a strong focus on your platform, you will need to give evidence of this. Explain where your work appears and how many people this will reach, as well as whether it is likely to be shared with more people. You can show evidence of this by pointing out publications where your writing has appeared or you have been the subject of an article, such as a review. If you have a website, give details of traffic and engagement. Similarly, a mailing list is a good example of your platform.
You will also need to show that your platform will target the right people to sell your book to. For example, if you are a travel blogger with a big online following, you would likely be able to immediately make several sales of a travel book. However, it is unlikely you would be able to mobilise your followers in the same way if your book focused on mathematics. Therefore, your platform needs to match your content.
Building an Author Platform
So, how can you build your platform? A good place to start is writing content independently. You can then publish this on your own website, blog or newsletter and establish yourself as a writer. Do bear in mind that this will take quite some time, most likely years, before you have a platform that will have much effect on book sales. It is best that this content matches the genre of book that you will later be publishing, as mentioned above. This ensures that you have readers that are interested in what your book will be about, as well as liking your writing.
There are some exceptions to this. For example, it is possible to mostly write nonfiction entertainment articles, but still have a link to your fiction book at the end. Enough people will have enjoyed your writing that they will decide they want to read more from you, regardless of the exact content. This is especially true if you are writing in a distinctive style or humorous way, as this should carry across to another genre. However, this won’t be as effective as having content in the same genre as your book, so do consider this when you are choosing what to write next.
A different method to build your platform is to pay attention to your professional network, maintaining existing relationships and making new ones. One good way to do this is to participate in events, possibly even taking on a speaking role. This will boost your visibility and help to build your platform. It also gives you the chance to get established as an expert in your field if you intend to write nonfiction.
Another idea you can try is collaborating with other writers in your genre or niche. This could be working together on a new project or you could each write a guest post for the other’s blog. The advantage of this is twofold. Firstly, it helps you to make new connections with fellow writers and build your professional network. This can help to boost your platform, as explained above.
Secondly, being featured in their blog or similar increases your visibility. If your content is good, it should get you some new followers that read the other writer’s work. Make sure your exchange makes sense; while you don’t want to have the exact same content, it is most useful if you cover similar areas, as you know their readers are interested in this.
Wrapping Up
I hope that this helps you to choose some ways to build your author platform, as this is generally a very worthwhile investment of your time. In my next blog post, we will be considering beta readers for nonfiction books, so come back in two weeks for that!
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