How To Design Your Author Platform
This is the first big step to take when marketing your books
This is the first big step to take when marketing your books
Most published authors have one or more of these goals in mind when they are ready to publish their book(s): 1) to sell a lot of books, 2) to be a best-selling author, 3) to become well-known or an industry authority because of the book. Whatever your goal(s), you will need to market your book and let people know that your book is available for sale. Whether you self-publish or have a contract with a traditional publisher, you need an author platform. As a matter of fact, most traditional publishers won’t even give you a contract unless you already have an author platform.
What is an Author Platform?
Your author platform includes everything that you do online and offline to let people know who you are and what you do. Your author platform is your primary marketing tool to enhance your brand visibility and make it easy for your target audience and for the general public to connect with you and your books.
There are several different components and elements you can add to your author platform, and the best time to build your author platform is before you start writing your first book. The second best time to build your author platform is now. Today. Choose at least one of the following items and start your book marketing journey!
Why do you need an Author Platform?
When I worked with writers who wanted to become published authors through my independent publishing company, Detroit Ink Publishing, I often found that they worked hard on writing their manuscripts, but gave much less thought to the process of marketing their books. Most authors who publish their books on Amazon sell less than 100 copies! Having a complete, comprehensive, and ever-evolving author platform will be your best book marketing tool so that you can achieve the goals you had when you decided to write a book.
With your author platform, you will be able to:
Make it easy for your ideal readers and everyone else to find your books.
Regularly attract and connect with new readers.
Engage and retain existing readers and turn them into fans.
Raise your credibility as an author.
Build relationships with influencers who can help you to promote your brand.
Sell more books more consistently.
The Top Five Social Media Outlets I Use Today
Social Media is My Most Effective Marketing Toolmedium.com
The Top Five Elements You Need to Build Your Author Platform
Knowledge about your target readers: who they are, what are their demographics, where are they located, what do they do professionally and recreationally?
A defined brand: to help people recognize you and your values and your voice, and to help people to find your website and your social media profiles.
A creative and functional website: this is where you can feature and promote your brand, promote and sell your books, boost your credibility.
A blog or a publication on Medium: this is where you can share your writing with the public, attract more people to your website, and even have two-way conversations with your readers and others who leave comments, as well as build relationships with other writers, influencers, the media, and authors.
An email list: this is your most valuable asset. Your email list belongs to you, and unlike social media outlets, your email list cannot be changed or taken down. By getting people to sign up for your list, you will be able to make announcements about your books and your related activities and have data about your readers that you cannot easily obtain elsewhere.
To sell more books, become well-known as an author, and set yourself up as an authority in your industry, you need to be constantly proactive in the ongoing marketing of yourself and your book.
By setting up and maintaining your author platform, day by day and step by step, you will find the success you desired when you first thought about writing your book.
About Us
If you would like to keep up with everything we’re doing at Detroit Ink Publishing (DIP) and our other group of companies Your Business Your Brand Creatively (YB2C), I invite you to sign up for our (almost) weekly email newsletter. We also offer an online author and book marketing course every quarter. You can join the email list here.