How Authors Should Build A Platform

 

Writers must be tired of hearing they need a platform.  Literary agents and publishers are quick to tell promising authors that it is not enough to pen a quality book, on a timely and interesting topic, that appeals to a large pool of people. Writers need to understand that they have to clearly show how they plan to sell a book, which will come mainly by relying on their brand or platform. They must exhibit a commitment to dedicate time, money, and energy into securing book sales.

Authors fully know they need to have higher visibility, a bigger network of connections, and third-party validation in the form of testimonials and a media resume. So how do they go about getting or building a platform?

Here is a starting point: 

·         Establish an identity or persona for yourself – a tagline is needed

·         Be known in certain circles

·         Start locally, expand regionally and nationally

·         Write a blog, have a newsletter, tweet, and post articles on article-sharing sites

·         Network with influencers – online and off

·         Gain access to mailing lists

·         Always promote yourself to the news media

·         Post videos on video-sharing sites

·         Get testimonials even if you have to pay or trade for them

·         Be active in other groups and take a leadership position

·         Have your own podcast  -- and broadcast regularly on a You Tube channel

·         Develop your market niche

Areas to explore include: 

·         Speaking: from libraries, bookstores and schools to non-profits, churches, businesses.

·         Media: get interviewed by radio/tv/newspapers/magazines/newsletters/major websites.

·         Social media coverage: have other blog about you, interview you on their podcast, retweet your post, write about you or your book on Facebook.

·         Your own blog posts: consistent, frequent, quality content that you post and share.

·         Your own podcasts: interview others who will share your content or speak on relevant topics and post it on your own social media and elsewhere.

·         Your own posts on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, etc:  Post daily and network on these sites – increase your connections by the thousands

Building a platform means you are building a living resume, associating with people who can help amplify your message and brand and position you for greater book sales. It takes some skill, some strategy, and a lot of effort – but it is worth it. It is required if you want to succeed as a writer. Get going!

Learn, Grow, Succeed!!

How Authors Can Supersize Their Efforts – And Results!

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2020/10/how-authors-should-live-by-10x-rule.html

 

Why Every Author Needs A Cheerleader Or Coach!

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2020/10/why-every-author-needs-cheerleader-or.html

 

21 Guaranteed Ways To Market A Book

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2020/10/21-guaranteed-ways-for-successfull-book.html

 

Why Do Authors Commit Publishing Suicide?

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2020/10/why-do-authors-commit-publishing-suicide.html

 

10 Things Authors Need For Successful DIY Book Publicity

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2020/10/10-things-authors-need-for-do-  it.html

 

Authors Need to Know Why They Write

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2020/09/authors-need-to-know-why-they-write.html

 

Do Authors Take Responsibility For Book Sales?

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2020/09/do-authors-take-responsibility-for-book.html

 

Here’s How We Protect Free Speech On Social Media

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2020/09/heres-how-we-protect-free-speech-on.html

 

Is Today A New Year For Authors?

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2020/09/is-today-new-year-for-authors.html

 

How Do You Land A Book Publishing Deal?

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2020/10/how-do-you-land-book-publishing-deal.html

 

Brian Feinblum, the founder of BookMarketingBuzzBlog, can be reached at  brianfeinblum@gmail.com.  His insightful views, provocative opinions, and interesting ideas expressed in this terrific blog are the product of his genius. You can – and should -- follow him on Twitter @theprexpert. He feels much more important when discussed in the third-person. This is copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog ©2020. Born and raised in Brooklyn, he now resides in Westchester with his wife, two kids, and Ferris, a black lab rescue dog. His writings are often featured in The Writer and IBPA’s The Independent.  This was named one of the best book marketing blogs by BookBaby

http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs and recognized by Feedspot in 2018 as one of the top book marketing blogs. Also named by WinningWriters.com as a "best resource.” He recently hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo.

Embrace This Book Marketing Mindset Now

 

“I just want to write - -and not worry about marketing my books.”

“I have no interest in being on Twitter, but my book deserves attention.”

“I don’t enjoy public speaking. My books speak for themselves.”

“I wish the media discovered my book. It’s great.”

These are things authors have said. They love to write and are good at it. But they either don’t understand book marketing, don’t feel capable even if they are, lack the time, actually fall short on the skills to promote, or have little interest in marketing. Excuses? Reasons? Doesn’t matter. Aut5hors need to make sure their books are promoted and marketed often and well. Either they do it or outsource it. There’s not room for sitting on the sidelines and being book promotional agnostic.

The best way to market something is to do it often, which means the more you think about, discuss, and take part in marketing, the better you will be at it. You cannot just turn it on and off – marketing is something you are always doing.

When you meet people socially, such opportunities can lead to networking your way to book sales. The sooner you learn what people do for a living, who they know, and what ideas they have, the sooner you can determine how they can help you. 

Continually explore what others are doing – even if it is to market another book, service or product. Take an idea from one industry and apply it to your own.  Conversely, recognize that some things that work elsewhere would not be cost-effective for you to implement.

The more products, books, or services you have to sell, the better. And the higher the profit-margin, the more eligible you will be to experiment or try various marketing methods. 

If you only make $5 per book and this is all that you have to sell, it would be hard to justify spending $3,000 per month on advertising – but if you can win a certain number of customers who may each end up spending hundreds of dollars with you, it may pay for you to spend money on something that could yield enough customers to justify the expense. 

Marketing mindfulness is a state of being. You are always thinking of things from the perspective of sales. You see ad slogans in your dreams, you envision your next five blog posts while driving home from work, you read trade publications or search the Internet while waiting online for a restaurant table, and you enter the topic of your book into conversations with others in hopes they will react with a favorable idea. 

You almost have to obsess over your book in order to make it successful but avoid becoming so obsessed that you conjure up dreams of grandeur. Don’t fantasize about being a best-selling author but do spend time visualizing concrete steps to take to actually generate sales. 

Success is a frame of mind. If you are always open to opportunities to grow you will either find them or create them. So what does opportunity look like? It means being ready to convert a chance meeting into a long-term relationship and taking an idea and putting it into action, and to commoditizing a resource, an idea, an experience, or a relationship. 

Once you know what it is that you really want to accomplish, set a realistic plan, timeline, and resource needs list.  Then execute and go for it. You may just succeed -- or at least enjoy the attempt to do so.

The Marketing Mindset That You Must Adopt

• Seize upon an opportunity – or create one.
• See things from many perspectives and always look for a marketing angle to work.
• Engage in empathetic listening.
• Turn words and ideas into action.
• Commoditize a relationship but always do something for another.
• Anticipate, initiate, follow through.
• Seek honest feedback and then do something with it.
• Always look for growth and a chance to expand.
• Constantly generate new ideas without a limiting filter.
• Remain positive and upbeat.
• Invest time and money in the short-term in order to produce a long-term pay-off.
• Survey current events news, marketing conditions, and industry trends.
• You must see opportunity in everyone, everything, and every event.
• Never stop thinking of ways to market.
• Success is a numbers game – try enough things enough times and you will break through.
• You never stop at a win or a moment of success. You need a continuous series of victories to help counter dry spells.
• Look for ways to get others involved – people you can hire, trade with, partner with, get referrals from.
• Set benchmarks for success and raise them with every win.
• Think big – imagine what can be.
• Think ‘first’ – be a pioneer by leading.
• Think new or unique – doing the same as others will not yield spectacular results.
• Balance your time, energy, and resources needed to execute ideas against their potential gain in sales and publicity.
• Look to turn everything you do or touch, person you meet, or situation you are into a profitable opportunity.
• Ask for favors, deals, and help from anyone and everyone.
• Think long-term, not just short-term.
• Develop relationships, not just sales.
• Know “NO” can be a delayed “YES” if you change your offer and your approach and try another day.
• Believe in the significance of what you do.
• Do not be shy about pursuing what you want.
• Constantly test ideas, approaches or markets and tinkering with the formula for success, No singular way works for everyone, nor will it work all the time or for a sustained period. Keep changing in a changing world.
• Be perceived as an expert who has something of value to share.
• Learn from everyone and everything – never dismiss a chance to improve your knowledge.
• Be assertive, even aggressive.
• Hustle, but do not con: Be quick to react, take initiation, and seize moments to sell but do not lie, bullshit, or seek to confuse someone on the facts.
• Learn from mistakes but do not throw out the baby for the bathwater.
• Copy what works for others but try to improve upon or personalize it.
• Know few things sell themselves and even world-class brands need to remind others of what they offer.

Now get the hell out there and market your books!!!

 

Learn, Grow, Succeed!!

How Authors Can Supersize Their Efforts – And Results!

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2020/10/how-authors-should-live-by-10x-rule.html

 

Why Every Author Needs A Cheerleader Or Coach!

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2020/10/why-every-author-needs-cheerleader-or.html

 

21 Guaranteed Ways To Market A Book

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2020/10/21-guaranteed-ways-for-successfull-book.html

 

Why Do Authors Commit Publishing Suicide?

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2020/10/why-do-authors-commit-publishing-suicide.html

 

10 Things Authors Need For Successful DIY Book Publicity

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2020/10/10-things-authors-need-for-do-  it.html

 

Authors Need to Know Why They Write

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2020/09/authors-need-to-know-why-they-write.html

 

Do Authors Take Responsibility For Book Sales?

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2020/09/do-authors-take-responsibility-for-book.html

 

Here’s How We Protect Free Speech On Social Media

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2020/09/heres-how-we-protect-free-speech-on.html

 

Is Today A New Year For Authors?

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2020/09/is-today-new-year-for-authors.html

 

How Do You Land A Book Publishing Deal?

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2020/10/how-do-you-land-book-publishing-deal.html

 

Brian Feinblum, the founder of BookMarketingBuzzBlog, can be reached at  brianfeinblum@gmail.com.  His insightful views, provocative opinions, and interesting ideas expressed in this terrific blog are the product of his genius. You can – and should -- follow him on Twitter @theprexpert. He feels much more important when discussed in the third-person. This is copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog ©2020. Born and raised in Brooklyn, he now resides in Westchester with his wife, two kids and Ferris, a black lab rescue. His writings are often featured in The Writer and IBPA’s The Independent.  This was named one of the best book marketing blogs by BookBaby http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs and recognized by Feedspot in 2018 as one of the top book marketing blogs. Also named by WinningWriters.com as a "best resource.” He recently hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo.

Here’s The Difference Between Struggling & Successful Authors

 

What do successful authors do that most authors do not?

 

Honestly, after working with thousands of authors and talking to many thousands of other authors whom I did not work with, the one trait seems to come down to attitude.

 

Yes, attitude.

 

It dictates your motivation, your thinking, your connections, and your actions.

 

Can one really change their attitude?

 

I think so, to a degree, but it certainly is hard for some. They get used to thinking things are a certain way, accept them, make excuses, and get stuck working in a box that limits them, but should they be open to changing their mindset, their views, and their ideas, they will break through.

 

What are some of the things an author can do when it comes to developing a better attitude?

 

1.      Have a can-do spirit. Look at a situation and believe you have the capacity to change or improve it. Know that you make a difference and can perform at a higher level.

 

2.      Be opportunistic. See opportunity everywhere. Make your own opportunity. Don’t wait for an invitation to the party – you can be the party. Turn problems into opportunities.

 

3.      Have faith that you will figure things out. Authors need to thrust themselves into their careers, writing more books and promoting them better. They will not run through roadblocks but they should have the confidence in themselves to know that they will overcome challenges and seize opportunities.

 

4.      Say yes to the possibilities, not just the probabilities. It is easy to prioritize and pursue what is achievable – the low-hanging fruit. That is fine. But don’t stop there. Reach further and higher. Turn a possibility into something attainable.

 

5.      Act with courage and conviction. Show confidence, not fear. Act out of a sense of righteousness and beliefs. It is okay to be a friend or feel you are alone and exposed. Keep pushing your agenda. Others will embrace it.

 

6.      Embrace change. No one likes change, especially when it is thrust upon us and we love something or need to do things differently just to get the same results. But change can mean taking on new things, meeting new people and experimenting. It pays off!

 

7.      Welcome a challenge. Don’t run or hide from what needs to get done. Take ownership of it and get beyond it.

 

8.      Declare your mission and vision. Have a foundational principle or purpose that drives you and measure everything against that. You are on a mission. Share it with others. Have a vision of how things could be. Then, use it as a roadmap to actually get to where you want to be.

 

9.      Challenge traditional ideas. History and tradition have value. So do new ideas and new ways. Be willing to shake things up and disrupt the status quo.

 

10.  Have goals and keep supersizing. Never get complacent or think just because you hit one benchmark that you’re done. Keep reaching for more and you’ll get there.

 

11.  Take action over thinking. Yes, plan, analyze, and research. Act on sound advice and the right facts. But act. Don’t delay to ponder. There is a time for debate and brainstorming. Then act. Again and again.

 

12.  Take risks. Yes, put yourself out there. Spend time or money without a guaranteed return. Try a new approach that may fail. Say things that are controversial. Being reserved or complacent, or playing it safe, gets you nowhere.

 

Lastly, measure your results. Examine what works and do more of it. Dismiss what is not working. The formula for success comes down to your attitude. Are you optimistic or pessimistic? Will you act on your heart’s beliefs or sideline your chance to grow? 

 

You choose. Now.

 

 

Learn, Grow, Succeed!!

How Authors Can Supersize Their Efforts – And Results!

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2020/10/how-authors-should-live-by-10x-rule.html

 

Why Every Author Needs A Cheerleader Or Coach!

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2020/10/why-every-author-needs-cheerleader-or.html

 

21 Guaranteed Ways To Market A Book

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2020/10/21-guaranteed-ways-for-successfull-book.html

 

Why Do Authors Commit Publishing Suicide?

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2020/10/why-do-authors-commit-publishing-suicide.html

 

10 Things Authors Need For Successful DIY Book Publicity

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2020/10/10-things-authors-need-for-do-  it.html

 

Authors Need to Know Why They Write

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2020/09/authors-need-to-know-why-they-write.html

 

Do Authors Take Responsibility For Book Sales?

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2020/09/do-authors-take-responsibility-for-book.html

 

Here’s How We Protect Free Speech On Social Media

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2020/09/heres-how-we-protect-free-speech-on.html

 

Is Today A New Year For Authors?

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2020/09/is-today-new-year-for-authors.html

 

How Do You Land A Book Publishing Deal?

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2020/10/how-do-you-land-book-publishing-deal.html

 

Brian Feinblum, the founder of BookMarketingBuzzBlog, can be reached at  brianfeinblum@gmail.com.  His insightful views, provocative opinions, and interesting ideas expressed in this terrific blog are the product of his genius. You can – and should -- follow him on Twitter @theprexpert. He feels much more important when discussed in the third-person. This is copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog ©2020. Born and raised in Brooklyn, he now resides in Westchester. His writings are often featured in The Writer and IBPA’s The Independent.  This was named one of the best book marketing blogs by BookBaby http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs and recognized by Feedspot in 2018 as one of the top book marketing blogs. Also named by WinningWriters.com as a "best resource.” He recently hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo.