#3 Do you Have an Author Platform??

Building My Author Platform (And Not Panicking About It)

So, I started my indie-publishing journey this week (in history (see previous post)). 🎉 And like usual, I immediately overwhelmed myself with way too much information. But don’t worry—I had a troll-sized piece of cake to calm down, rested, recovered, and got back to it.

One of the first things I did was start reading From Book to Bestseller by Penny C. Sansevieri, which talks about the importance of an author platform. In short, this is the online presence that helps readers (and publishing folks) take you seriously. And, uh… turns out I need to build one.

What Even Is an Author Platform?

According to the book, an author platform can include:

1. A website (bare minimum—aka what you’re reading now)

2. A newsletter (to gain reader connections)

3. Social media (at least three active platforms, apparently 😬)

4. Past books (uhhh… don’t have those currently but I will one day soon)

5. Speaking engagements & media mentions/appearances (ha. no. not from the get-go at least.)

And apparently, like the fine print on a fae contract, a strong author platform is essential for book sales. Especially in indie publishing, where you don’t have a big-name publisher shouting about your book for you.

Brainstorming Time: What Kind of Content Should I Make?

I knew I needed a blog and social media content and enough of it to create a backlog of posts to make this thing sustainable (cue stress sweat). But what on earth was I gonna write about that anyone would actually care to read???

Then I found this pin by Tim Stoddart: https://pin.it/6zCTpv68d (Follow him! He’s got some good advice on content creation.)

It said your content should either be:

• Useful

• Emotional

• Both

So, I started jotting down ideas for both blog and social media posts that fit under those umbrellas–and I made sure to choose things that tied into what my book was about and the brand I wanted to build (more on brand things later). 

What I decided on:

Useful Content

A blog series about how to make your author site and socials accessible. I learned alllll about this for work, so this one I’m confident I can do. And, as a fellow disabled human, this is a top priority for me when making my own author website. (More on this later.) 

Emotional Content

A social media post series on why I’m indie publishing A Little Less Invisible. (The short bites. Some serious. Some funny or irreverent. All tailored to my book and my journey). Things like:

Or

(Those are just mockups, but you get the idea. I also have NO idea if this will work, but I’ll report back one way or another once these go live!)

Useful AND Emotional Content

A blog series chronicling step-by-step how I’m indie publishing (the thing you’re reading right now!) Called Indie Publishing (While Chronically Ill) – A How-To, Maybe-Do-This, Oops-Definitely-Don't-Do-That Survival Guide where I document this journey–including my mistakes so you don’t have to make them.

What’s Next?

• Set up my first social media accounts for my author platform (deep breaths)

• Research social media management tools (Because I desperately need some organization in my life)

• Market research (to see the smart things other indie authors are already doing and learn from the greats)

• Avoid melting into a puddle of goo at all of the billion other things I need to do to market, publish, and launch a book?? (I’m definitely gonna need more cake)

Want to Join the Chaos?

If you’re also an indie author (or just here for the relatable meltdowns), subscribe to my newsletter! You’ll get updates on my journey, plus occasional existential publishing crises. But mostly, it’ll be fun. Probably.

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P.S. Am I missing any author platform things that you think are essential?? Let me know!