Build Your Author Platform: One Step at a Time

We self-published authors often struggle with how to get the word out about our books. The internet is full of writing gurus who offer very helpful advice, 10 steps to get started, 15 steps to develop a fan base, 20 steps on marketing more effectively, 100 steps to . . . meltdown!

In fact, developing a platform that fits your market niche, your readers, and your personal style is rather like searching for the perfect shoes. Sometimes they pinch. But, that old saying perseverance furthers can work for you.

If you can identify the three or four steps you'd like to take in the next several months, why not minimize that learning curve, reduce stress, and avoid overwhelming yourself by picking just one aspect to work on.

What do YOU want your online platform to include?

* a website?
* a presence on Twitter, Pinterest, or Instagram?
* an author page on Facebook?
* author pages on your book outlets -- Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords?

Each of these hotly debated "planks" in your platform suggests a different set of skills and raises new issues, not the least being potential costs, how much time you want to invest, and your very own learning curve.

If you are at the planning stage, how do you know you are headed in a good direction for you?

Consider subscribing to e-mailed newsletters from trusted experts in the field. It may feel like a detour before you actually move ahead, but studying the craft of marketing, especially from writers who have already successfully tested their ideas, can be an excellent starting point.

(Note: I have no affiliate links on any of my sites. Below are listed a few of my favorites).

Why not just check out ONE?

• Joel Friedlander's The Book Designer gives "practical advice on building better books." Latest post: "Thou Shalt Blog!"
• Joanna Penn's The Creative Penn (includes podcasts). Resources on writing, publishing, AND marketng.
• Anne R. Allen's weekly posts. Latest: "Do Authors Obsess too Much About Reviews?" 
• Writers' Digest's weekly newsletter on "free writing advice." Includes a free download of the 101 best websites for writers.

If you are happy with your 'platform,' what has been your greatest success? What would YOU recommend a newbie start with?

A personal note: I made a commitment to post about writing strategies here each week, while writing a poem a day throughout October on my travel blog. I'm currently revisiting France, if you want to take a look. My primary writing project is researching and drafting Rivers of Stone, historical fiction set in Canada and the Pacific Northwest in the 1840s.  Sometimes I think I go rather too slowly on marketing issues, but I'm looking forward to your comments.

View from a Crofter's Cottage, Lerwick, Scotland (Camp 2009)