Why should I bother to build an author platform when I could be writing more books? It’s a common question many aspiring authors ask.
I’m even asking it myself as I write this post. Why am I bothering to build an author platform?
Because I know it works.
Here’s why:
ONCE UPON A TIME THERE WAS THIS AUTHOR….
Me. Who used to teach aspiring authors how to build their author platforms. My classes sold out within days of advertising where I’d show up and taught as I made new friends. All while I buildy author platforms for individual authors afterhours.
It was my side-gig that was a lot of fun. I’d meet new authors, excited about their first book at the start of their amazing new careers.
Their excitement was infectious to be around.
It’s also a good thing I loved talking about the author platform. I’m obsessed with it, especially when I can see the possibilities of what an author platform could do for an individual author’s future.
Until Covid crashed our party, and we were all sent into lockdown.
BAD-BAD-COVID!
Not to belittle this horrible time we’ve all been through, not just as authors, but people with families. It was scary.
Bookshops closed.
Writer’s conferences cancelled.
Book tours weren’t happening.
And we all learned the art of being patient as we tried to not panic while buying toilet paper off the black market.
For me, I scored an insanely large waiting list of requests to build author platforms and to consult one on one. With Covid travel restrictions stopping me from attending classes, I scored Zoom travel miles crossing countless time zones at all hours of the night.
I was being pulled in a dozen different directions over the one topic: The Author Platform.
WHEN YOU CRASH YOU BURN & BINGE, BABY.
Somehow, Netflix and I became besties!
To which I wholeheartedly blame the overwhelm of work requests to build author platforms. It made me want to buy more ice cream and binge on those big dramatic telenovelas!
*Sniffs and reaches for more tissues*
That’s when I dug out all of my teaching materials, the lecture notes, the handouts, and the checklists I’d supplied to students and blended them into a creative cocktail that became a series of books that I called The Author Platform Series.
Which means I’m an author. For real.
I’m not an overnight industry specialist, either. I have been teaching and building author platforms for aspiring authors, including my own, for the better part of a decade now.
It’s only since Covid and my need to break my Amazon Prime addiction—because I got bored with Netflix—that I now share the good stuff with you. No matter where you are, and in your time zone too.
THIS AUTHOR PLATFORM STUFF WORKS!
I know this stuff works when it comes to building an author platform because…
I’m an international bestselling fiction author. Betchya didn’t see that one coming!
But wait there’s more…
Every one of my books has made the bestseller lists on at least two different continents.
And I absolutely, completely, and totally suck at paid advertising! I just don’t do it.
But I do owe it all to my author platform which helped me find my fabulous fiction readers.
BUILDING AN AUTHOR PLATFORM CHALLENGE BEGINS:
So now I’m taking a double dose of my own medicine by building an author platform from scratch—for this site theauthorplatform.com!
I’m kinda puttin’ my money where my mouth is.
What’s worse — I’m not calling in any favours from my author friends or past students to help me promote this either.
I’m telling no one.
I’M GOING NAKED LIKE A NEWBORN INTO THE WILD WORLD OF THE INTERNET!
Eww… what sort of vision is that!?! *cringes*
Anyway, with this experiment, I am going to build an author platform like I’m a band new author.
Technically that statement is true as I’m a new non-fiction author who has just finished writing a series of books about the amazing topic of an author platform. (told you I was obsessed with this subject.)
And like every other aspiring author asks when they finish their first manuscript: “Now what do I do?”
Well, lemme drag up a chair and say: “This is where you start building an author platform, my friend.”
I just forgot how freaking scary it is starting from scratch and talking to the void.
But here I am.
And there you are.
Welcome to the author platform party, my friend. Stick around while I wrestle with my grammar and blog about this journey of building an author platform.
