Your Writer Platform

Build your platform. Engage your fans. Sell more books.

The Writer’s Weekly Wrap-Up (Issue #12)

by

Writer's Weekly Wrap-Up (Issue #12)This post is part of a weekly series on YWP, aptly titled “The Writer’s Weekly Wrap-Up”.

Each Sunday, I will endeavour to provide you with a curated list of the best articles I have seen throughout the week that relate to building your platform.

The featured articles cover topics on book marketing and promotion, blogging, social media and self-publishing. (I may even throw in a few inspirational and fun posts, just so that it’s not all work and no play!)

Don’t Sell; Engage

What do your readers want?

What do you want as an author?

What can you share that your audience desires, and what will you receive in return?

Engagement develops from finding the common ground, the similar interests and the mutual needs between you and your readers.

This shouldn’t be difficult, forced or phoney–but real and genuine.

“Effective engagement is inspired by the empathy that develops simply by being human.”

– Brian Solis

So strive to include this simple premise of engagement in your efforts to build your writer platform.

Commit to your readers not only by developing yourself as a writer, but by sharing the most important and relevant parts of your growth with them.

Ensure that those that should be aware of your work, are.

Listen to–and acknowledge–their compliments, criticisms and interpretations.

Include your readers in the process of your artistic expression, and let them share the journey with you.

If you do this well, you will never have to ‘sell’ another book. [Read more…]

71 Ways to Promote and Market Your Book

by

ways to promote and market your book

Do you know the most powerful way to market your book?

Word of mouth recommendation.

It’s a free, highly credible, highly viral resource that helps to amplify your efforts to create interest and buzz about your work.

And all you really need for word of mouth marketing is a book worthy of sharing, and a way to get it into the hands of the people who will spread the word.

Sound simple?

Well it is simple, but not necessarily easy.

The devil is in the details, right?

Although the concept is simple, the implementation is going to require some time and effort, especially in the beginning.

However, with a good plan, you’ll soon reach a tipping point where your fans begin to market for you in numbers great enough to really impact your book sales.

How To Get Started

The best time to design and implement your marketing plan of action is before you even start writing your book. It takes time to build relationships, learn your readers wants and needs, and develop a base of rabid fans that clamour for more.

Grow your readership as you write your book, and when it’s time to launch your book, you’ll already have an invested and eager audience waiting.

Great advice, except my book is already written. Now what?

Even if you already have your book in hand, don’t panic! The process is still the same. It just may take a little longer to see the book sales come rolling in.

So, let’s skip past the year or two (or five) of blood, sweat, and tears that were required for you to write, edit, and polish your masterful novel, and assume that it is indeed worthy of personal recommendation.

The next step is to get your share-worthy work noticed and shared by the right people. Here are a few key things to remember:

  • Focus more on discoverability rather than selling. Your work is important, so help those who can benefit from it, find it.
  • Accept responsibility for the marketing and promotion of your book. Even if you choose to outsource some of the work, your book’s success depends on you taking action.

The Writer’s Weekly Wrap-Up (Issue #8)

by

Writer Weekly Wrap-Up 8This post is part of a weekly series on YWP, aptly titled “The Writer’s Weekly Wrap-Up”.

Each Sunday, I will endeavour to provide you with a curated list of the best articles I have seen throughout the week that relate to building your platform.

The featured articles cover topics on book marketing and promotion, blogging, social media and self-publishing. (I may even throw in a few inspirational and fun posts, just so that it’s not all work and no play!)

Unity and Independence

July 1st is Canada Day and I, along with my fellow ‘Canucks’, will be celebrating with BBQ picnics, parades, family and fireworks.

As many of my readers from the U.S. will also be frolicking in similar festivities–albeit a few days later-I thought I could squeeze in these helpful links before our productivity slides too far downhill! 🙂

Featured Articles

The Democratization of Publishing–Independence is Scary by Kristen Lamb at Kristen Lamb’s Blog

In her post, Kristen compares the changes in the publishing industry to leaving home for the first time. Is safety and comfort worth the limits placed on freedom and choice?

8 Important Questions to Ask Before You Publish Your Book by Carol Tice at Make a Living Writing

Carol outlines some basic questions every author should ask themselves before they publish, to help pinpoint when to publish and where to focus your marketing efforts. [Read more…]

Authors with Platforms Sell Books.

It’s that simple.

Get on the Insiders List to receive the free Quick Start Guide to Building Your Writer Platform, exclusive content via email, and instant access to a growing library of downloadable resources.