Get Known Before the Book Deal: A Platform Development Checklist Presentation
In regards to platforms, there are two ideologies: People who do have a great platform and don’t own it and people who are confused about platforms and wonder how long it will take to get one.
People write for two reasons: (1) to have a professional career and (2) writing to make money. Regardless of which two you may fall into, writing needs to be treated like a business. Questions you should ask yourself are the following: Why this book, why this book right now, and why this book by you specifically.
Although this may appear as a very dry way to look at writing because, as writers, we fall in love with words and our ideas, but at some point writers need professional distance and to look at each other objectively. This is important because ultimately what we want when an agent/editor reads or hears our pitch is that we want them to look at the book.
What is a platform? A platform is how visible you are, the size of your readership (a readership can be composed of website, blog, newsletter, etc.), public speaking, and writing workshop leader/teacher. Essentially, a platform is anything that makes you visible to your future readers.
Ultimately, the goal of building a platform is to become increasingly known.
Platform Checklist:
1) Expertise: Have you clarified your expertise? If you are writing nonfiction, you are putting yourself out as an expert. Your expertise is the things you “do.” Personal experience can be good for expertise.
2) Your Niche: Carve out a distinct niche among other work already published. Make it different. Give it a unique twist. Find a way to make your topic specific and narrow, especially with nonfiction. If there are other books in that topic, set your work apart by fulfilling a specific niche. Anybody can create a niche.
3) Audience Needs/Wants: It’s important to know who your first readers will be in your specified niche market (ie. commercial fishing families). Don’t write without an audience in mind. Editors/agents will want to have that clear idea of who the audience will be and if it’s big enough.
The above are the first three criterions you will need to start developing a platform. If you don’t have them, you must continue to work on those before you move on.
4) Current Industry Realities: Communicate with industry professionals with professionalism and poise. They count. Conferences are helpful in helping you develop this.
5) Take the Point of View of the Seasoned Gatekeepers: Be passionate about your writing, but it is also beneficial to step outside yourself and assess your strengths and weakness’ from the viewpoint of agents and editors.
6) Take 100% Responsibility: Do not expect someone else to make or break your writing career. Your career is in your hands.
7) Incorporating Input: Invite and incorporate feedback from the most qualified sources, including readers.
8) Staying Competitive: Keep your finger on the pulse of the ever-evolving publishing industry and respond in a timely manner. There’s always something new.
9) Future Trends: Keep your eye on future trends, but don’t forget to stay grounded in the moment. Try to keep up with all the trends.
10) Platform Growth: Allow your platform to be an integrated, authentic and organic process. It will build momentum and take fruit as time goes on.
11) Good Things Happen: Success happens in cloisters. Even if you feel that all you’re doing is giving, keep in mind it all comes back around. However, don’t give so much that you neglect your own progress.
12) Trust your Gut: The best way to approach your personal writing growth is take experience from many types of writers as possible, but use your gut to determine what works for you.
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Your One-pager:
This is your platform “at a glance.” Put everything on one piece of paper (visual on the left and bullet points on the right). Have your proposed statistics for your audience and don’t forget to include previous publications.
Make sure you communicate who you are whether it’s an online or print presence. What is your author name going to be? What will be your professional identity? People are going to know who you are as… what?
Some things to consider including:
Tagline: A tagline is a good way to plant who you are and what you are in people’s minds.
Mission Statement: Think about your values. Connect passion with what you do.
Client/student testimonials: If you have them, they are great to have your testimonials in writing and to share.
Christina Katz is the author of Get Known Before the Book Deal, Use Your Personal Strengths to Grow an Author Platform and Writer Mama: How to Raise a Writing Career Alongside Your Kids. Christina teaches e-courses on platform development and writing nonfiction for publication.
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