Many authors worry that building their author platform takes too much time and competes with working and writing a book.
Sure, that can be the case.
Yet, if you approach it correctly, platform building can become a superpower, providing your business with the boost it needs, especially during economically challenging times.
When I saw this comment from Cathleen Armistead on a recent blog post, I just had to share it with you:
What an incredibly helpful blog post! I first came across Lisa Tener’s work by accident while procrastinating on writing a book for nonprofit leaders. Her workbook, Quick Start to Kick Start Your Book, and a book concept consultation were game-changers for me.
This blog post is no different. The specific, practical advice on building an author platform gave me the push I needed to take actionable steps.
Since reading it, I’ve presented six proposals for relevant speaking engagements, three of which were accepted within just two weeks! I’ve also recommitted to regularly posting on my own blog and reached out to a nonprofit organization to contribute to their newsletters.
What’s been most surprising is how wrong I was to think building an author platform would detract from my work. It’s actually been the opposite. It’s made me more focused, strategic, and aligned in sharing my message. Thank you, Lisa, for another excellent resource!
What an incredibly helpful blog post! I first came across Lisa Tener’s work by accident while procrastinating on writing a book for nonprofit leaders. Her workbook, Cathleen works in the nonprofit sector where her company, Sunshine Nonprofit Solutions, provides strategic planning, development, and advocacy services. As you might expect, her industry has been especially hard hit by government spending cuts. She has seen many of her clients and prospective clients lose funding due to the vast changes in government support. By being proactive in her support of her clients and reaching out to both former clients and the broader community and networks, she’s having an impact on her own business and her clients’ and new clients’ successes during challenging times!
What’s your author platform-building path?
It’s easy to be seduced by the messages—often ads—you’ll find on social media, telling you how you can grow your following (or author platform) by a hundredfold or more, just by using the steps some expert took. Or taking classes that tell you how to sell more books. And sometimes these can be useful. But before you jump into the “shoulds” and one person’s supposedly perfect, foolproof method, take time to think about your big picture goals and vision:
Podcasts can be a powerful way to reach your future readers! Here I am with Candy O’Terry after recording one of the most compelling interviews of my career.As you grow your author platform or reach, in anticipation of connecting with and developing a community for your book, consider what else you want to accomplish. How does it relate to your business and work in the world? How can the two support each other?
- Where do your people hang out online and offline? Of those places, which appeal to you? You don’t have to be everywhere your readers go. You just need to find the relevant areas of overlap!
- What skills do you currently have? Which ones do you need to build to be successful online? Of those, which ones do you feel excited about building? Start there first. Remember, you don’t have to do everything. You just need to do what works for you!
- Some strategies work especially well for book sales and others are hit or miss, at best. Having a huge social media following may or may not work for you and your book. So think more broadly, as Cathleen did. Focusing on speaking is particularly effective, as people tend to purchase books at trainings, presentations, conferences, and other in-person gatherings. Other strategies that have worked well for me and my colleagues in supporting book sales are blogging and guest blogging, podcasting or guest podcasting, Amazon ads and leveraging organizational relationships, including bulk book sales (also called special sales or organizational sales).
Could you use the clarity offered in a book concept consultation to clarify the vision, audience, content, features and structure for your book? Or would you like support around how to seed business opportunities in your book? Contact me to explore.
Please share your insights, successes and questions in the comments, and I promise to respond!
I’d been encouraging 
In many ways, the agent’s advice wasn’t different from what I’d been telling my client, but it inspired her to dig deeper and be a bit more proactive with her colleagues at the nonprofit.
Pitch the organization to start your own podcast or column or to be a regular guest on an already established podcast, newsletter or blog: Starting your own thing on your own website can take a long time to establish and grow a community. But if you are already working with an existing organization (or work for them), this is an excellent opportunity to work with their already established community and grow more quickly. Just be clear about your agreements – how much will they promote the podcast or column? Is this sufficient for your vision and goals? You likely won’t be able to take your subscribers with you if you leave the organization, though some may follow. You can also mention your upcoming book and perhaps get a commitment that they will promote the book to your listenership or readership in additional ways (a solo email upon launch, for example, an ad for your book in the podcast episodes or posts).
There’s no one answer to this question, but writing very first thing in the morning works well for many writers, because your brain is still in that creative, relaxed mode you tap into during dreams. Access and flow can be easier. If you can’t write first thing in the morning, try different times of day and see what works best for you. And if your time is limited, find little bubbles of time— waiting in a dentist’s office, during your lunch break, after your kids go to bed—whatever time you can grab.
Did I answer your question? If you don’t find your writing or publishing question here, it may not have been clear to me what you were asking. See if you can clarify and re-ask! Thanks.
I am a book proposal nerd. I just love sitting out on my deck and digging in, occasionally looking up to see a monarch butterfly or two glide along the wind currents, or a hawk circle above.
Write a Better Book: By engaging with your audience ahead of time, you’ll get to test out your ideas and improve upon them. Not only that, but working on your author platform can give you lots of extra practice writing. Says
Get to Know What Your Readers Truly Want: You may think you know what you want, but whether you are speaking, blogging, teaching, podcasting, consulting or writing articles to grow your platform, you’ll learn from their comments and questions what most interests them. 
Enjoy the Exponential Effects of a Supportive Network. As you help others along the way, they’ll help you. New York City sex and relationship therapist Stephen Snyder MD, author of the acclaimed new book 
“In addition, the author of the Huffpo article contacted me, as did the owner of reSTART (one of the only tech addiction facilities in the country), and I’ve since joined their listserv which includes all the screen-time experts across the country. Normally my ideas gender resistance and defensiveness, so it’s been great to find this community, and of course it’ll help with the book too. They are already linking to my articles. And one of the experts is right here in Culver City, so he and I have been working together and may do some speaking together too.
Blogging Tip #2. Start Small and Experiment: You may have a longer term goal of blogging for a national news site or network. Starting with a blog on your own website allows you to experiment to see what readers respond to, what questions they have and what types of posts do well in terms of sharing and engagement. Starting with your own blog will also:
Blogging Tip #3: Think Big. After experimenting with your own blog, set a goal for one or two larger forums to approach:
Blogging Tip #4. Connect with Other Bloggers and Pay it Forward. If you want to eventually write for the 
Invite your blog readers to share their experiences, posts their questions or offer their own opinions. In this way you develop a tribe
In fact, I would still say, if you think you can interest a literary agent, that is still generally my recommendation if you want to traditionally publish. And, most of the time, to get a literary agent and get a publisher—in particular, a large trade publisher—one ingredient you need is a significant author platform (or online and/or offline following). However, the smaller and mid-size presses may not require quite as huge a platform—and could be a good fit for your book.
Tara Mardigan and Kate Weiler signed with 
Do your research and you can come up with a list of your own. Make sure the publishers accept queries and proposals without an agent (most do) and check their guidelines to include exactly what they ask for.
A client asked me today whether he should focus only on writing his book proposal or work on building his author platform at the same time. First, my advice to him, followed by my advice for you.
Here’s a great blog post, an interview with Literary Agent Regina Brooks that explains 
This interview with Martha Rhodes, author of 3,000 Pulses Later, explores many of the advantages Martha reaped in 
And just a couple of months after Kimber Simpkins self-published her memoir, Full, New Harbinger offered her a book deal, demonstrating that self-publishing can lead to a traditional book deal down the road–or even almost right away! 
