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If you’re an aspiring author who doesn’t know what an author platform is, you might
While industry folks may argue that platform has always mattered, today it’s more important than ever
I acquired nonfiction women’s books for Seal Press over the course of eight years during the
In 2004, when I started, author platform was barely on our radar; by the time I left in 2012,
Many aspiring authors believe that platform is all about social media
Here’s what I was looking for as an editor and what I now try to help
Some of these factors, like personality and ability to execute, are difficult to gauge
But these very factors are why authors with popular blogs and established fan bases get book deals:
If an agent and an editor have a strong working relationship, oftentimes the agent serves as someone
Investing time and effort in your personal brand is crucial to your success as an author
If you’re asking, “What’s in it for me?” you should know the most important element
Knowing how you want to differentiate yourself will save you time too, because you won’t try
Personal brand management is about collecting and presenting the pieces that tell your story
Both of these authors garnered large advances on the strength of their platforms (which were not specifically
Andrea had almost no social media presence, no previous books, and not much by way of previous
She couldn’t showcase that she had a strong existing readership, either
He had a new fan in Oprah, though (contacts!), a huge existing readership, expertise in spades and
Just listen to this podcast from bestselling fiction author, Ramy Vance
Her expertise matters a lot — as do her contacts in the medical world
Fiction authors are scrutinized for the other aspects of platform as well: contacts, previous books, previous media,
Rather than feeling lost and unsure of what to try next, you can look at what has
For example, if you keep track of podcast downloads after sharing each episode on social media, you’
Whatever system you use to plan your marketing, make it work for you
If you’re a writer who wants to publish in any capacity, author platform can be a
For writers who are just beginning, it can feel like you’re coming really late to a
Remember that what you bring to the table already — just by being you — comprises a large part
With this you at least have a foundation, and possibly, with the right project, enough to land
But most authors need to start to layer on the rest of the components in order to
Remember this sometimes hard-to-swallow fact: getting rejections is often not about how good your book is, or
Your platform is an engine working for you to meet that goal, and all you can do
(Don’t look to the outliers to make a case for not attending to your platform, though
Platform-building is a fine balance between being authentic and pushing yourself outside your comfort zone as much
Earlier in the article, I said that social media isn’t the only piece of the author
And if your social media accounts prove your ability to execute over the years and show your
That’s why it pays to take social media and platform building seriously
**Editor’s Note** We’ve teamed up with Self-Publishing School to offer this free training on How
This is an updated version of a story that was previously published