Building an Author Platform: Why It's Essential and How to Do It
Building an author platform has become an essential part of establishing a successful writing career in today’s digital age.
An author platform encompasses your online presence, audience reach, and influence as a writer. It not only helps you connect with your readers but also plays a crucial role in attracting literary agents and publishers if you are pursuing the traditional publishing route.
In this post, we will explore why having an author platform is vital, provide practical steps on how to build one, and discuss the best platforms for authors to use.
Why is an Author Platform Important?
Let’s face it - readers are not short on options when it comes to books. They are inundated with choices. For you and your book to stand out, having an author platform is essential.
So let’s lay out what’s included in an author platform.
Establishing Your Brand Identity
This is so much more than picking a color palate or creating a logo. An author platform allows you to define and showcase your unique brand identity as a writer. It helps you convey your writing style, genre, and themes that will attract your ideal readers. Through consistent branding across different platforms, such as your website, social media, and author bio, you can leave a lasting impression on readers and industry professionals.
Engaging with Readers
An author platform serves as a way to engage directly with your readers. Social media platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook provide opportunities to interact, share updates, and build a community around your work. By fostering meaningful connections and responding to reader feedback, you can develop a loyal fan base that supports and promotes your writing.
Attracting Industry Attention
If you are going for the traditionally published route, take note! Literary agents and publishers often seek authors who have a strong platform and a dedicated audience. A robust online presence demonstrates your ability to market and promote your work, making you an attractive prospect for traditional publishing deals. By showcasing your platform metrics, such as website traffic, social media followers, and engagement rates, you can increase your chances of securing publishing opportunities.
So now that we know what an author platform is and why it’s important, let’s walk through how you can create your own author platform.
How to Create an Author Platform
Your author platform is really the foundation of your marketing - it’s how you are going to create awareness and visibility. Marketing isn’t about sales - that comes later. Marketing is about creating connections and building community. So step into your author platform with that in mind.
Step One: Build an Author Website
Your website serves as your online hub - it’s your home on the internet. We always want to send readers to a centralized location where they can find everything they need to know about you. Your website serves as that place. You will want to include your author bio, a newsletter sign up, your books, social media links, a blog, (this is a great source of traffic to your website) and a press kit.
Now, I know websites can be expensive and that might not be in your budget right now. So I have a suggestion that will help that we will address in the next step…
Step Two: Start a Newsletter
An author newsletter will be one of your biggest assets when it comes to marketing your books. When someone subscribes to your newsletter they are saying, “Yes! I am interested in you and your books - I want to know more.” It’s never too early to start building your list. One of my favorite newsletter subscription services is MailerLite. It’s free for the first 1,000 subscribers AND you are able to create a landing page for free to start collecting email addresses.
So if money is tight right now and you aren’t able to create a full blown website quite yet, use your newsletter landing page as a mini-site to help you get started.
Step Three: Tap Into Social Media
Social media is one of the best ways to create the awareness and visibility you need as an author. You don’t need to sign up for all of them - in fact, I would strongly suggest just starting with one or two. Start where you feel most comfortable and that you most enjoy using. Because if you enjoy using a certain social media outlet, the easier it will be to use and connect with your readers.
Here are some key platforms for authors:
Instagram is a great outlet for visually showcasing your writing journey, sharing what books your reading, unveiling your book covers, and taking readers behind-the-scenes. With Instagram you’re able to use both images/graphics for posts as well as video. If you’re just getting started and aren’t comfortable with video quite yet, I’d suggest starting with Instagram.
TikTok is known for short-form video content. It’s a great way for authors to share writing tips, book recommendations, and creative snippets. Readers are very engaged on TikTok and it has been instrumental in launching many writer’s careers.
If you want to incorporate more video into your social media strategy (like Instagram Reels or TikToks) but you don’t want to show your face or spend a ton of time recording videos - I have something for you. I created Stand Out Social Media for Authors - it shows you exactly what type of content to create, but also how to easily create it.
Facebook still has an active audience - especially for authors who want to reach an audience 50 and older. What has been really successful on Facebook are writing groups to connect with other authors and Facebook Groups. You can share content, engage in discussions, and promote your books or events.
YouTube is great if you're comfortable with creating video content. YouTube allows you to create author vlogs, share writing advice videos, book trailers, and feature author interviews. This isn’t for everyone but YouTube is a very powerful search engine (second to Google!) that could help you reach a wider audience.
Step Four: Create Consistent Content
Creating high-quality content that resonates with your ideal readers is key. This can include blog posts, articles, guest contributions, social media posts, and so much more. Providing valuable insights, writing tips, or behind-the-scenes glimpses into your creative process can help establish your authority and attract readers to your platform.
But even more importantly, it tells the algorithm what you’re all about, who to put your content in front of, and it makes your content searchable and discoverable.
Step Five: Collaborate and Network
Collaborate with your fellow writers, bloggers, influencers, and industry professionals to broaden your reach and connect with new readers. Guest posting on relevant websites, being a guest on a podcast, participating in online writing communities, attending literary events - these can help you build valuable relationships and increase your visibility within the writing community. There are so many ways that you can collaborate!
Building an author platform is no longer optional but a necessity for writers seeking to establish their careers. By investing time and effort into creating an engaging and authentic online presence, you can connect with readers, attract industry attention, and pave the way for future publishing opportunities.
Remember, building an author platform is an ongoing process, so start simple and get fancy later. You don’t have to get all of this done in a day - spread it out and take it one step at a time.
If you need some added help with your book marketing and would like more guidance to move your writing career forward, I’ve got something for you. Download my FREE Book Marketing Blueprint - it will help you get things in order and simplify the marketing process.