Platform for pre-pubbed authors

Photo courtesy of Stock.xchng
 Platform and marketing go hand in hand. But when you're a lone writer, searching for that elusive contract or interested agent, marketing can seem like something far off down the road. However, establishing a web presence and a platform can give you a head start in the marketing game.

In the past, I've blogged about some helpful books for authors thinking ahead to establishing their platform. 



So along with those books, here are a few links to give you a better understanding of platform in the pre-published world:




If you're unpublished at this point, what are you doing right now that could help with publicity and marketing down the road? What do you hope to do in the near future? If you're already published, what do you wish you had done earlier on in your writing career?

7 comments:

  1. Nice post Debbie! As for what I'm doing (and no, I'm not published), well I think I have my little platform, however I'm not sure that my blog should stay the way it is forever. I'm happy with the content but not sure about the URL string and I'm also not sure about how I present my name. I don't have my surname up, even though people can find out what my surname is by doing some basic Googling or following at least one of the links on my page. ;) I also don't have a Facebook "author" page 'cause, well, I don't quite see myself as an author yet, having not published anything. So I guess you could say I'm holding back a little bit instead of going all out. I feel that I should probably wait to go "all out" until I actually have something published, even if that is self-publishing.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I'm working on building my blog and boosting my followers and readership. That keeps my plate pretty full right now:)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Thanks for the feedback, both of you! It gives me more to think about. I don't have an author page on Facebook yet, either. I probably won't until I have a contract, or maybe an agent.

    ~Debbie

    ReplyDelete
  4. Now those are some platform boots! ;)

    I'm working on building my blog readership and considering some speaking engagements. That's a lot to consider though! I don't really know how to get started on that, and the very thought overwhelms me. I don't have a facebook author page, either. Another overwhelming thought...

    Thanks for the great links!

    ReplyDelete
  5. You're right about it being overwhelming, Shelley! It would be so nice if some little fairy could do all of this for us!

    ~Debbie

    ReplyDelete
  6. Good questions, Debbie!
    In the last year, I have set up and work on a Pinterest, Twitter and LinkedIn account, although the latter has been left behind in the dust. I've also tried various posts on both my blog and Facebook accounts, to "test the waters." Also, the Writer's challenges have been an enormous boost to me, but I still have far to go. Thanks for asking...and providing more links. Love them!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Jarm, you're really working on your platform! It's a great idea to test out different things now, so you can figure out what works best for your situation.

    ~Debbie

    ReplyDelete

LinkWithin

Related Posts with Thumbnails