15 Favorite Ways to Develop Your Author Platform
Here are my 15 favorite ways to develop your author platform. Please use comments to add your own. And don’t forget to read my original post on author platforms below!
- Get credentials related to your specialty
- Join and participate in professional associations
- Create a website that demonstrates your expertise
- Publish a blog
- Publish a podcast
- Write and publish articles (online or in print publications)
- Publish an ezine
- Volunteer or do perform pro bono work
- Serve on committees and panels
- Teach — online and off
- Get quoted in magazines and newspapers
- Participate in social networks
- Give speeches
- Get on radio and TV
- Create a PR campaign — both online and off
What Is Your Author Platform?
The term author platform is popping up all over the place, but what exactly is an author platform? Essentially, your platform is based on your expertise. For nonfiction, this relates to the topic of your books. In some cases, your platform is obvious. For example, you’re a registered dietician and former athlete who writes books about sports nutrition. If you write about a topic that doesn’t offer specific credentials (let’s say you write travel books about the Pacific Northwest), you can still develop a platform. You’ll just demonstrate your expertise in a different way.
Some authors have a different challenge — they write about multiple, unrelated topics. This used to be a challenge for me. My main area of expertise is technology, particularly anything related to the web or online marketing/PR. But I have a wide variety of interests and didn’t want to be pigeonholed. If this sounds like you, it’s still critical to develop a platform based on your main expertise. Having a platform doesn’t mean that you can never do anything else. But you should choose one area of focus, design all your communications vehicles (website, blog, etc.) about this focus.
What about fiction authors? Your platform, obviously, should focus on your genre. It’s even better to focus on a smaller niche. For example, get known for knitting mysteries, literary novels set in pre-WW II Europe, urban chick lit, etc. Even if you do write outside your niche from time to time, having one will help differentiate you from all the other novelists in your genre.
The Key to Book Promotion Success: Have a Plan
One of the great things about online book promotion is that there are so many options. Websites, reciprocal linking, SEO, virtual book tours, blogging, podcasting, RSS, social networking, multimedia–so many different ways to market your book, each with its own spin and variations. If you’re like me, you keep a list of all the different ideas you think of to promote your books. Sometimes, it’s a very long list. So long that it can be hard to get going or know where to start. And so the list sits idle, with maybe a checkmark here or there, but essentally uncompleted.
To avoid being overwhelmed with the many options for promoting your book online, it’s important to have a plan. Go through your list of ideas and prioritize them. Or, if you’re looking for new ideas and how to execute them, check out my book The Web-Savvy Writer. From your prioritized list, create a monthly plan for online book promotion (or an annual plan, if you’re really ambitious). Schedule in time to enter blog posts, update your website, create that podcast, and more. Break larger promotion projects into chunks that you can list separately.
By having a plan, you’ll get much farther in your online promotion efforts–and reach your profit goals that much faster.
Three Easy Ways to Increase Your Book Sales¦ Fast (Tip 2)
Here’s another way to get the word out quickly about your book:
#2 Participate in Discussion Groups or Forums
Another quick way to spread the word about your book is through discussion groups or forums. You probably already know of several that reach your target audience. For example, many large websites have forums for their visitors. Also check out Yahoo! Groups and Google Groups for other possibilities.
Once you find the best options, start participating. Keep in mind that you’ll generate the best results by offering solid information rather than creating purely promotional posts. Be helpful and show your expertise, but let your signature do your selling.
For example, I frequently use the following signature when I post on forums related to publishing and writing, and rarely even mention my books in my actual post:
Patrice-Anne Rutledge
Bestselling Author (25 books)
Journalist (200+ articles)
Publishing/Book Promotion Expert
http://www.websavvywriter.com (download my free special report on author websites)
Get Creative to Get More Sales
Sometimes you need to think out of the box to generate buzz for your book in a crowded market. So start focusing on what everyone else is not doing, or at least what few people are doing, to promote their books.
What you’re aiming for is something that’s innovative, different, and bound to generate attention. Not something that’s so over the top it generates you another kind of attention — the negative kind.
To get you started, check out Maria Veloso’s site promoting her novel Midwinter Turns to Spring. Maria is also a songwriter and created a music soundtrack to accompany her novel. This clever promotional tactic has generated press because it was both unique and appropriate to what she was promoting.
Need Free Content for Your Author’s Website/Ezine?
Do you need content for your website or ezine related to writing, publishing, or book promotion? I have a variety of articles on all aspects of online book promotion that are available free of charge. Some are posted on the articles page on my website, but I have many more than aren’t online yet. If you’re looking for content, let me know.
Advice for Authors
Several months ago I read an interesting post on Seth Godin’s blog titled Advice for Authors. Some of his 19 tips represent common sense for all authors; others are more alternative. In any event, it’s an interesting read and will definitely get you thinking about your career as an author.
My two cents:
#5 — Absolutely. Focusing on your target audience is the best way to sell your books and online book promotion is the best way to find that micro-niche.
# 7 — I’ve actually had good luck with major publishers (23 out of 24 books), but I do agree there are times when publishing independently is a good business decision.
#13 — Bookstore signings didn’t work for me, but they may work for others. Personally, I got much more mileage from a virtual book tour.
A Bit of Self-Promotion: New PowerPoint Book Released
Yes, this is a bit of self-promotion. My latest book, Special Edition Using Microsoft Office PowerPoint 2007
The lesson for you? Promote your book everywhere you go, not just to your target readers. Don’t do a hard sell to an unsuspecting audience — just let people know about your book. You never know who might be interested. For example, an author I know mentioned her new book to acquaintances in her weekly yoga class and generated numerous sales (and no, the book wasn’t about anything even related to yoga).
Share Your Success Stories
To make this blog more interactive, I would like to start sharing reader success stories. Is online book promotion working for you? Did you generate good results from a particular online effort such as a new website, ezine, blog, or podcast? Do you have a killer video book trailer you’d like others to see?
In addition to sharing your experiences with fellow authors, this is a good opportunity to promote your own book as well!
Please feel free to contact me with your success stories and tips.
Create an Author Bio That Captivates Your Audience
A bio is a critical part of any author website, and every site should have one. Whether you are trying to reach readers, the media, or potential clients, people want to know who you are. Here are several tips for creating a bio that generates results:
- Consider a traditional bio (focusing on your professional and publishing credentials) if you want to emphasize your credentials. Most nonfiction authors fall into this category.
- Consider a narrative bio if you want to tell a story through your bio. The narrative approach works particularly well for authors of fiction or creative nonfiction.
- Focus your bio on your audience and the action you want them to take. If your goal is to sell books on financial planning (as well as fill your seminar seats and get hired for speaking engagements), your bio needs to reflect your expert qualifications as a financial planner. If you’re trying to encourage potential readers to buy your mystery novel, create a bio that piques the interest of a mystery fan.
- Create both long and short versions of your bio to suit different needs.
-
Get the Book on Online Book Promotion
The book called "brilliant ... indispensable ... and a must read" by publishing and publicity experts!
Print: Available Oct. 2008
Ebook: Available Now
-
Subscribe and Get a Free Special Report
Subscribe to the monthly Publishing Power newsletter and get the free special report Your Author Website: 21 Content Ideas for Profit and Publicity (a $5.95 value).
Subscribe
in a reader
-
-
Patrice-Anne Rutledge is a bestselling author of 25 books, technology and lifestyle journalist, and CeM- certified online book promotion expert.
-
Connect with Patrice
-
