You Need a Platform as You Dive Into Writing

You Need a Platform as You Dive Into Writing What is a writer’s platform? There are as many definitions as there are experts. In the past, an author’s platform was his reputation (titles, expertise, and past awards). Now Nathan Bransford defines a platform â€Å"as the number of eyeballs you can summon as you promote your book† (http://blog.nathanbransford.com/2010/09/what-platform-means-for-writers.html). I suspect he’s right, because â€Å"tell-alls† of disgraced, shallow celebrities sell better than well-written memoirs of less famous, heroic individuals. Platforms sell books. What can you do to build this nebulous entity called a platform? You need a website, blog, and/or a newsletter. Let’s be honest: Most of us electronically reach mainly other authors, who are too busy to read our thoughts as they scramble to build their own platforms. What can you do to make your written electronic communications more effective? A few points seem obvious but are often overlooked: 1) Sound bites apply to writing. Short, frequent communications are more effective than longer ones. 2) Most readers and search engines only scan articles. Keywords and tag lines are important. The free Google Ad Words Keywords Tool and similar services can help you sharpen your selection of tags. 3) Cooperation pays. Guest blogs expand your audience, i.e. platform. Public speaking and media appearances are other key elements in building a platform. I know from past experience that drumming up a crowd for a presentation at most libraries takes more than posters plastered around town and a couple event announcements in a local newspaper. Here are ideas that worked: ==One author mentioned a certain brand of wine repeatedly in his novel, then held a book signing at the winery. ==I speak at libraries on â€Å"Science in Your Fiction† not my novels per se. I answer questions like: Could scientists now create a Jurassic Park? Are there real invisibility cloaks? I do this because I was a