10
Ways to Build Your Author Platform Online: Get
Published, Sell More Books and Be an Online Superstar
By
Stephanie Chandler
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
http://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.
About
the Author:
Stephanie Chandler is an author of several business and marketing books
including “The Author’s Guide to Building an Online
Platform: Leveraging the Internet to Sell More Books” and “From Entrepreneur to Infopreneur:
Make Money with Books, eBooks and Information Products.” She is
also founder and CEO of
http://AuthorityPublishing.com, which
specializes in custom publishing and internet marketing
services, and
http://BusinessInfoGuide.com, a directory of
resources for entrepreneurs.
For author and speaker details, visit
http://StephanieChandler.com.
*This
article can be reprinted in full provided the author
resource box is included with the publication.
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ARTICLE ~ AUTHOR PLATFORM ~ SELL MORE BOOKS ~ ONLINE MARKETING
