Establishing Your Author Platform Before Book Publishing
Do you have...
- A strong author brand?
- A professional author site?
- A growing email list?
- An active online presence?
- Measurable goals?
The above are some things I believe you absolutely must have in place before publishing your book, especially if you’re self-publishing. Not everyone agrees with me. You’ll always find people who will tell you that they don’t believe in email lists, that social media doesn’t sell books, that an author website is self-indulgent, etc. I say to each their own, but if you want to give your book the best chance of sales, you should seriously consider having all of the above.
A strong and consistent author brand
You already have a voice as an author. The next step is to cultivate your online personality. Some authors choose to be themselves online, while some create a different persona or only show a particular side of themselves. You get to choose whichever path you want to take, and it’s totally normal if you want to keep your privacy. There’s no “right way” to brand yourself or a formula that works for everybody. The most important thing is to keep your brand consistent. Consider using the same handle for your URL and social accounts. Have a professional author headshot taken and use the same photo across all platforms. Make it easy for your fans to recognize you.
A substantial email list
Email is a more stable communication method, where you’re not subject to any other platform’s rules and guidelines or their algorithms. Email also gives you a wide reach and full control of your content. Having a newsletter creates a more personal relationship with your readers and is less likely to be ignored than social media posts. Services such as MailChimp (which is what I am using to reach you) make it easy to build and manage an email list.
An active online presence
Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, LinkedIn, the list goes on. These days, having an active presence on social media is no longer an option but a necessity. You don’t have to be active on all social networks, and it’s better to focus on one or two rather than spreading yourself thin across multiple platforms. So, which one is right for you? Consider who you want to connect with, and how you want to communicate with them. Facebook and Twitter have the largest communities of writers, but if you prefer other networks, give them a shot. If you’re more visual, try Instagram, Pinterest, or YouTube.
Set goals and track your progress
What is your goal with all of this? Are you hoping to launch your book as an Amazon bestseller? Or would you like to bump up an older title’s sales? Are you looking to connect with the writing and reading community for fun? Whatever your goal is, find a way to track it, otherwise, how will you know when you’ve reached it? Will you be happy when you have a 7-page website that ranks #1 on Google for your name? Or when you have 1,500 people on your mailing list? Or when you have 3,000 followers on Instagram? Or when your book sales double due to your efforts? Set goals so you can track your progress. I am rooting for you!
~ Nanda
Writers Conferences
- Sonoma County Writers Camp – April 24, Occidental CA
- Chanticleer Authors Conference – April 26, Bellingham WA
- Kentucky Writers Conference – April 26, Bowling Green KY
- Wisconsin Fellowship of Poets Spring 2019 – April 26, Eau Claire WI
- Write on the River Poetry for Everyone – June 26, 2021, via Zoom
- Western Reserve Writers’ Conference – April 27, South Euclid, OH
- Las Vegas Writers Conference – May 2, Las Vegas, NV
- The 2019 Writing Conference of Los Angeles – May 4, Culver City, CA
- ASJA’s 48th Annual Writers Conference – May 5, New York, NY
- The Loft’s Wordplay – May 10, Minneapolis, MN
- Washington Writers Conference – May 10, North Bethesda, MD
- Longleaf Writers’ Conference – May 11, Santa Rosa Beach, FL
- Lit Camp – May 12, Big Sur, CA
LA Literary Events
- On April 18 at 8 pm, in The Ripped Bodice in Culver City, Sarah Skilton will be reading an excerpt from her new book, Fame Adjacent.
- On April 20 at 5 pm, in Skylight Books in Los Angeles, Sally Rooney reads from her new novel Normal People with Karolina Waclawiak.
- On April 20 at 5 pm, in Gatsby Books in Long Beach, Writers Resist is hosting an anthology reading, and book sale and signing.
- On April 23 at 7 pm, Duncan Miller Gallery in Santa Monica, LARB Books will be hosting a Books Launch Party for their first five titles.
- On April 27 at 2 pm, in Skylight Books in Los Angeles, they will be celebrating Independent Bookstore Day with trivia and a book launch by Grace Talusan.
- On April 28 at 2 pm, on The Broad Stage in Santa Monica, Red Hen Press and the Poetry Society of America present a celebration of the figure of Orpheus, mythologized in poetry and music.
- On May 9 at noon12 pm, at the Powell Library Courtyard in Westwood, the annual UCLA Marathon Reading will create the experience of a live, crowdsourced audiobook.
- On May 14 at 7 pm, in Vroman’s Bookstore in Pasadena, Matthew McGough, in conversation with Michael Connelly & Miles Corwin, discusses and signs The Lazarus Files: A Cold Case Investigation.
