Building an Author Platform Wore Me Out

Four score and seven years...

Wait. How long have I been building that imaginary plywood stage called an author platform?

A long, long time! And you know what? It wore me out.

Yeah. It just tuckered this girl out.

You see, this is post 782. I've been blogging since 2008. Facebook? Yep. Twitter? Uh-huh. Google+, LinkedIn, Pinterest, YouTube, Goodreads? Absolutely.

I've been writing full time for seven years, studying, getting critiques, critiquing, honing my skills, attending conferences, pitching to editors, studying the industry. A girl can learn a lot about writing and the publishing industry in seven years.

But last fall I read Wendy Lawton's fabulous post, "The Trouble with Tribes" over at  Books and Such Literary Blog, and I sensed something needed to change. Wendy discusses the problem many authors have--their Tribe (and platform) consists of peers instead of readers.

Personally, I think aspiring fiction writers are smart to connect with peers. These are the people who will shout out your news and recommend your books to friends. Unpublished fiction authors have a tough time finding readers. After all, we don't have a book to sell.

But much of Wendy's advice rang true. We need to continue leaving our comfort zone to attract an audience. And that is what I've struggled with when the initial excitement of building a platform wore off. I settled for comfortable because I was too discouraged and tired to put myself out there.

I've been blessed. My platform has continued to grow on every site without tons of effort on my part. But I could do a better job of engaging readers.

The bottom line?

I'm pushing myself to make more of an effort on my social media sites. Brainstorming ways to kick-start my platform.

Why?

Because I'm persistent, and I believe in my books. I love writing. Writing isn't my hobby. Getting published isn't something that would be nice. It's my big dream, and I've sacrificed a lot to make it happen. I'm willing to sacrifice more.

If becoming a published author is important to you, you'll pick up the hammer and nails and build your platform, even when you're worn out.

How?

* Put small efforts in every day.
* Don't let your platform languish.
* Be generous.
* Nurture relationships.
* Freshen the look of your site every so often.
* And don't count on your platform to give you an edge with editors. It might, but it might not.

When the time comes to market your books, you'll need a web presence to do it. Think of building your platform as investing in your business. You can "save"  now by having your own system in place or "borrow" later by hiring web designers, paying for blog tours, or hiring a publicist. You might want to do both. It's good to have options.

If you're an aspiring author (or a published author), how do you stay motivated to build your platform?

Have a terrific day!

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Aspiring Authors DO Have Something to Offer

Every Friday I like to chime in on social media, and today we're talking about a major concern many unpublished authors have about starting a blog before they're published.


Aspiring authors get conflicting advice about blogging. It's a hotly debated topic, one which writers, agents, and editors have differing opinions. Since the publishing industry stirs many personalities together, there can be no one right answer. Ultimately, starting a blog is an individual choice and should be made with care.

The two worries I hear over and over from authors who haven't taken the plunge to build a platform are:

1. If I start a blog, what do I, as an unpublished author, have to offer?
2. How can I find the time to do all that social media stuff and still write? (I'm not answering this today, but time is a big factor in building a platform and should be considered before signing up for a blog, Facebook, Twitter, and any other site. Check out Jody Hedlund's When Social Media Becomes a Time Suck for advice on not letting it overtake your life.)

Honestly, I get sad--my heart actually hurts--when I hear that anyone would think an unpublished author does not have anything meaningful to offer. Yes, I know there are some uninspired blogs (or blogs still finding their sea-legs, as I like to think of them), but the vast majority of blogs I read are written by aspiring authors, and the posts make a difference in my life.

Whether I'm reading an author's opinion on a writing technique, a personal essay about her writing struggles, a funny breakdown of the Grammy Awards, or a quick two-sentence line that the author is busy and promises to be back next week, I'm connecting with that author. I'm reading in someone else's viewpoint, and I'm learning from it.

The aspiring authors' blogs I come back to over and over offer three valuable things:

1. Friendship
They follow me back, and even if we can't read each other's posts all the time, we chat on Facebook and Twitter to stay connected.

2. Support
We shout out congratulations to other bloggers, we interview our friends during book releases, and we reach out when life throws grenades.

3. Information

I've learned grammar tips, conference ettiquette, agent news, contest information, writing craft nuggets, inspirational quotes, motivational devotions, and any number of items that have helped me on my writing journey.

You have so much to offer.Please, if you are an aspiring author and you think you will have nothing to offer until you're published--throw that thinking out. Seriously, erase it. That's like telling a student in high school she shouldn't volunteer at the local hospital until she's finished with her nursing degree. Or telling an eight-year-old not to enter the fair with his art project because he's not a real artist yet.

Here's another fact--many of the blogs I started following two years ago were written by aspiring authors. Now they aren't. They're written by authors who have gotten agents, sold books, and entered the realm of published authors. Do they have more to offer now than they did two years ago? No. They have something different to offer now. How fortunate to have received their wisdom all this time!

What do you think? Do aspiring authors have anything to offer?

Have a fantastic Friday!

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