Terry Cordingley: Day 3: The Platform For Your Book

The previous chapter focused on your target audience.?? This one is going to focus on something that you should definitely know about.? You.

How many people do you know?? Not just your family, friends and co-workers, but people that know who you are, know what your area of expertise is, and know that you are an author, or at least know that you have been working on a book.? Do you know 10 people?? 100?? 1,000?

This is an important question, because these are the people that are going to be purchasing your book.? If fewer than 100 people know who you are or know anything about your writing, then you are starting your book marketing efforts from square one.?

Yet, many authors who don?t know many people, don?t network and in fact don?t leave their house much expect that when their book hits its release date it is somehow going to take off and sell thousands, if not millions of copies.? If you aren?t well-known the day before your book?s release date, you aren?t going to be well-known on your book?s release date, either.?

This illustrates the importance of the all-important buzzword in publishing:? platform.? Successful authors have a platform.? Authors who struggle to sell six books at a book signing event don?t.?

Think of some of your favorite, well-known and famous celebrity authors.? They all have a platform.? They may not have had one when they first started writing, but they certainly have one now.? They also didn?t create their platform overnight.? They worked at creating their platform over the course of writing an extensive body of work, doing hundreds of book signing events and working at it for years.?

Some authors have a built-in platform.? Joel Osteen is a good example.? His books have seemingly become bestsellers overnight.? Of course, he is not just an author, but he is also the pastor of a mega-church which has a weekly attendance of more than 43,000 people and is viewed on television by more than 7 million people worldwide.? That is Joel Osteen?s platform.?

Basically, an author?s platform is the thing for which an author is known.? It is the springboard from which an author can launch their book to make themselves and their book known to an ever-growing reading audience.? The following attributes will help you more clearly define your platform:

What is your area of expertise?? ??OK, so you aren?t famous, but you known for being an expert on something?? Don?t sell yourself short.? If you have worked for the IRS for the past 30 years and you have written a book about how to maximize your tax returns, you are a tax expert.? If you have a degree in history and you have done extensive research about the Revolutionary War, then you are a history expert.? People want to buy books written by experts.? Identify your area of expertise.?

How visible are you?? Do you write a weekly column for the local newspaper?? Do you frequently appear as a guest on radio programs to discuss your area of expertise?? Are you a well-known and respected figure in your field?? Do you write a blog read by 10,000 people every month??? If so, then you are a highly visible person with a platform.? If not, you have to drastically increase your visibility, pronto.?

Can you measure that visibility?? How many blog subscribers do you have?? How many high-powered endorsements do you have for your book?? How many awards have you won in your chosen field?? How many people watch your YouTube videos in which you discuss topics relevant to your book?? How many people visit your web site every month?? You may think a lot of people know you, but can you measure it??

Does your expertise and visibility relate to your book?? ??If you are the pastor of a 10,000-member church and you have written a Bible study book, then your platform definitely relates to your book.? If you sell insurance for a living and you have written a book about cowboys in the Old West, and nobody knows you do any writing, then you probably don?t have a platform, or your platform doesn?t relate to your book.

What makes you unique?? People are drawn to something they don?t see or hear every day.? If you have a unique story that will grab attention, that?s a big part of your platform.? ?

So what if you are publishing a book and you don?t have a platform from which to launch your book to millions of eager readers?? It?s pretty much game over, right?? No way!? The good news is you can start working on building your platform RIGHT NOW!?

While you can start working on building your platform right away, keep in mind it is going to take time to build an audience, and grow your platform.? This doesn?t just happen overnight.? When I first started writing my blog, I had a grand total of six readers.? That?s right:? six!? Now my blog has anywhere from 3,000 to 6,000 page views every month, and it took me three years to get to this point.? Don?t let that dissuade you.?? The fact remains you need a platform, and you are still going to be an author no matter how much time goes by.?

So how does one build a platform from scratch?? Here are the activities and tools that you?ll need to get things going:

Network, network, network.?? This isn?t about hard selling or annoying everyone you come into contact with about your upcoming book.? This is about building relationships, helping other people and building your circle of influence.? A great example of this is Timothy Ferriss, the author of the bestselling book ?The 4-Hour Work Week.?? Prior to the release of this book, nobody knew who Ferriss was.? Well, nobody except a few hundred of his best blogging friends.? Prior to the release of his book, Ferriss spent a lot of time networking with bloggers, commenting on their blogs, meeting them at blogging conventions and getting to know them.? By the time his book was released, he let his knew friends know about it, offered them interviews, excerpts to run on their blogs, etc.? It seemed like everyone online was talking about Ferriss? book, and it became a bestseller.? Think of networking as being a politician and running for office?and get ready to do a lot of handshaking.?

?Write a good, no?a GREAT book.? Your mom telling you your book is great is nice, but she?s supposed to do that.? She?s your mom.? A hundred members of your local writing group telling you that your book is the greatest thing ever is even better.? They?re more likely to mention the book to THEIR readers, or partner with you on future book signings. ?When the book is released, they may even write a review for you.? This is especially beneficial if these writers already have their own platforms and can influence their fans.? Just remember to pay it forward when you are approached by a new author down the road.

Speaking events.? Are churches, trade groups or local Rotary Clubs constantly asking you to come and speak to their members because they consider you a great public speaker?? If so, that?s a great piece for your platform.? Many well-known and bestselling authors got their start as public speakers.? Use those speaking events to get invitations to other events by letting the people in attendance you?ll come and speak to any other groups their members of, too (it?s that whole networking thing, remember?)? Once your book is out, you?ll also have something to sell to your audience once you finish your speech!?

Your online presence.? Every author that wants to be taken seriously as an author needs to have an online presence.??? You should have a web site, regularly post messages to your blog (writing quality content people will want to read), network on Facebook, Twitter, Linked In and any other place online where you can expand your circle of friends.?? Too often, authors set up a Facebook page or blog and think their job is done.? If nobody reads your Facebook page or blog then they aren?t doing you any good.? You have to promote those things, too.? Are you doing a speaking engagement?? Tell your audience they can get more information about you or your book on your blog or your web site, and they can keep in touch with you on Facebook.? Put the address of your web site on your business card, and don?t be shy about passing those out to people you meet.?

Keep in mind that you aren?t networking and communicating with folks just to beat them over the head with pleas to buy your book.? You are building a community; one that will get to know you, hopefully value your expertise and qualities as a writer, and ultimately WANT to buy your book even without the sale pitch.?

In short, having a platform isn?t just about what you know, but who you know?and how many people know you.? Some authors are uncomfortable putting themselves out there, but remember, YOU are the brand, and your book is your product.? The more friends and fans you are able to accumulate through your network and platform-building, the more readers you will have for your book.

?Coming up next:? Day 4 ? Your book?s marketing plan

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