Writing Marketing Support — Getting Your Words Out

What Is An Author Platform and Do I Need One?

By now, you may have heard either other writers or people in the industry mention something called an Author’s Platform.  If you are seeking to market your writing to agents or editors or if you are seeking to self-publish you will need to build your own Author Platform.  For those of us who are lucky enough to be a Hollywood superstar or other type of internationally recognized celebrity– your platform has already been built.  If you want to write — all you will need is to attach your brand name–in this case– your name– and you’re good to go.  For the rest of us, you will need to use every possible tool to build a platform for your writing so that it will be read by the largest number of readers.  So, how do you begin?

Here are five easy steps to beginning the process of building your personal author platform:

1- Know Your Market.  What type of fiction do you wish to create?  Romances?  Thrillers?  Who would be most the most likely reader for your writing?  You may have the ability to have “cross-over appeal” between a number of groups– but you need to start somewhere when you market to your audience– so it is best to know your primary market.

2- Know Your Experience Level.  Are you a complete newbie to writing?  Have you published in a completely different area and now you want to “break into” something new– such as moving from nonfiction to fiction?  Are you an author who has already published, but your work has never really attracted the amount of attention that you believe it was capable of attracting?   This part is difficult, because you need to be brutally honest with those who will evaluate your work and with yourself.  It’s perfectly fine to be a novice– everyone has to start somewhere.  The more reputable places where your work has appeared the better.  This will increase your exposure and give you a better chance to get your words out.

3- Know Your Marketing Strengths.  There are so many ways that you can market your work that you will need to work to concentrate on a manageable number.  For example, are you a good public speaker?  Would your work be well served being your talking about it to potential readers– in particular book clubs?

4- Know How Technology Can Help You Get Your Words Out.  The more knowledgeable you are with using social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter–the better the likelihood that your writing will gain greater exposure.

5- Don’t Give Up!  One of the most important traits of successful writers is that they do NOT give up.  That is why we have also included the Writing Stamina section for SerialTeller U.  This willingness to keep going even when it feels like you are running out of gas will add to your chances of succeeding with your writing.

Please Note: Although SerialTeller is primarily for those interested in writing fiction, it is important to note that nonfiction authors also need to create their own Author Platform as well.  Many times, they will develop this platform through credentials such as being an expert in a certain field, having an educational background in the area in which they wish to write, prior publishing credentials, and a burning desire to get their words out to anyone who would be a potential reader for their subject matter.  This is not all that different from fiction writers.

Although it is arguable that fiction writers can be helped through having educational credential in the areas upon which their fiction is focused, more importance is placed on the fiction writer’s ability to create stories that are creative and possess a writing style that can readily attract readers.  But even if you are an incredible writer, you will still need to build a platform to build your readership base.