10 Ways to Build Your Author Platform Online: Get Published, Sell More Books and Be an Online Superstar
When I ventured into the publishing world like an eager puppy in 2003, agents and editors asked me the same old tired question: “What’s your platform?” As one agent told me, “You need to have an audience of thousands that want to buy your book.”
Because the publishing industry, like so many others, cannot afford to take too many chances, authors are expected to come to the table with a ready-made audience. Determined to turn rejection into acceptance, I decided to take matters into my own hands. This recipe worked like a charm.
Whether you’re just starting out in publishing or you have dozens of books to your credit, having a platform is a sure-fire way to make agents and editors fall in love with you and to sell plenty of books. The quickest way to reach the finish line is to start on the Internet. Here are the steps to get started on your journey to publishing success.
1. Launch a Website: No matter where you are in the process, a website is a place to showcase your talents. Use yours to build an audience, share samples of your work, showcase your accomplishments and impress publishing professionals.
2. Host a Blog: A blog is essentially an online diary where you post brief entries (one to three paragraphs) about topics related to your work. This can be a wonderful creative outlet for a writer, not to mention a savvy promotion tool. Do it right and your audience will find you. You can peruse all kinds of blogs at www.BlogCatalog.com. To start yours, check out www.Typepad.com or www.Wordpress.com.
3. Publish a Newsletter: Build loyal fans for life by publishing an interesting electronic newsletter with content related to your book(s). My first newsletter went out to a whopping eight people several years ago. Today it goes out to thousands of subscribers. Get started with www.ConstantContact.com or www.iContact.com.
4. Form Online Partnerships: Find people who reach a similar target audience and look for ways to promote each other. You can publish articles on each other’s websites or newsletters, host an event or contest together or even share a blog. Be creative and pool your resources.
5. Get Some Experience: Write for industry publications and related websites to build your credibility. Writing opportunities are abundant on the Internet. Go out and find them.
6. Participate in Online Forums: Find online communities where your target audience looms and make a name for yourself by sharing information. If you really want to stand out, start and lead a group. A good place to start is groups.yahoo.com/.
7. Leverage Social Networking: Sites like MySpace.com, LinkedIn.com, Facebook.com, Twitter.com and countless others are ripe for finding and building an audience. Create an interesting profile and get active in social networking communities. The biggest cost here will be in your time so spend it wisely and identify the best opportunities to expand your reach.
8. Moderate Yourself: Everything you do on the Internet is subject to live on forever. Consider the image you want to portray and make sure everything you do and say reflects that.
9. Look the Part: Get a professional photo taken. Post it on all of your profiles so visitors can feel like they know you. You will also be glad you have that handy when a reporter comes along who can use it along with the profile they write about you!
10. Create a Bio: Many sites allow you to post a bio with your public profile. Make sure you have several versions of your bio readily available in short, medium and long formats. This will not only save you time in having to recreate it each time, but it will ensure that your message is consistent.
October 3rd, 2008 at 5:59 pm
Stephanie,
I just wanted to say how much I enjoyed your article. Your tips are right on and authors need to become more Internet-savvy if they wish to be successful. I’d like to add that if they can identify a niche market based upon their book’s theme and build expertise within that niche, their books will be viewed as a credential – which adds to their credibility.
Keep up the good work and come visit my site. I’d like your opinion on my new book marketing program “Authorpreneur 2.0″ which helps authors to use the Internet to brand themselves as experts.
All the best,
Michael
http://www.proauthors.com
October 7th, 2008 at 7:16 pm
Hello, My Name is Henry, My book is not about Helen Keller, its about My mother Helen Foy who is 94 years old deaf and blind who voted for her first time, my Book tells you how she became deaf and blind, she never could speak or hear, she once could see but lost her Vision at a younger age. This Book will be completed in March 09.
November 17th, 2008 at 5:38 pm
Hey Stephanie, I read your article wondering where I was on this grand scale of just starting up all the way along to being totally an online superstar. I’ve got a book (3 actually) and a website or two and a blog, and about to launch into social networking. Most of my sales have been person to person at fairs, festivals, rodeos (my books star a rodeo cowboy-bouncer on Austin’s 6th Street- turned private eye) where I have had a booth, but now I see the light. Get a website, get a blog, get known on the net. Anyway thanks for the 10 step program. I’m going to work it and work it hard, and then I’ll let you know where I am in a few months from now. Love, Denniger
November 19th, 2008 at 6:57 am
Hi, I like what you written about the internet but is it not a waste of time because the visitors are only curieus and not really fans of litterature?
I have a blog and unfortunatelly not very succesfull. In his book, “on writing” from Stephen King, he said: “writers just like to write in a little hole. not more.” Is succes not a question of chance more than selling yourself?