What an author platform is not
There can be some confusion around what exactly an author platform is or is not. Here are a few things an author platform definitely is not.
An author platform is not shouting endlessly on social media
Being the biggest attention grabber on social media will not, by itself, build you a platform. I see a lot of authors screaming endlessly, “Look at me! Look at my book!” This sort of desperate pleading for someone to please notice your book could far better be spent writing another one.
The only thing screaming about your book online will do is drive away every potential reader who has had quite enough of that, thank you very much.
I mute or block people who spam about their book with little to no other content. I bet others do too.
Your author platform is not 300 followers on whatever social media thing is hot right now
Sure, 50,000 followers might impress an agent or publisher, but if that audience cannot translate into book sales, what is even the point of having it?
If you feel you have a big following on social media, you can test just how useful it is by trying to get that following to join your mailing list. If they all do, then congratulations, unicorn. For the rest of us, we will see very little uptake. If your followers don’t want to be on your list, are they any more likely to rush out and buy your book?
Your author platform might not even be online at all
If your readership tends to be women aged 75 and over, there’s a good chance most of them rarely use the Internet at all, other than to maybe catch up with the grandkids. You might be better off learning what magazines they buy and getting yourself published there. You might even want to take out an advert in such a publication.
Strange as it might seem, your audience might be the type who would love an old-fashioned letter through the door. In which case, you should probably mail out a Christmas card each year with a voucher for half off one of the books in your back catalogue. Ditto for reader birthdays if you have that information.
Author platforms are not one-size-fits-all
What you need from your platform depends on a whole bunch of factors. Your readership demographics, any technical skills you have (or lack), and your existing body of work to name but three.
Just because lists, blogs, and social media worked for your favourite author, there is no evidence it will work for another one. You have to craft your platform around yourself and your readers’ needs.
Your platform is not a replacement for finishing another book
At the end of the day, an author platform is a tool for selling books. You can’t sell books if you never settle down and write one.
Whatever effort you put into your platform, put much more into your book.
Likes
Reposts