Messaging and Content Strategies for People with Wisdom to Share

It’s easy to feel excited about creating your author platform—just as easy as it is to feel completely overwhelmed. The two emotions often accompany each other in quick succession, and it’s my job to help people find a middle way between the two.

The key is to have a sustainable strategy. Because most indie authors and publishers have more time than money, staying in the game is 90% of what it takes to become visible and successful. You don’t have to have a lot of resources to begin with (though money does make some things easier!) if you can keep at it over the long haul.

Social media has changed publishing, and it has also changed the relationship between authors and readers. Authors who had been speaking to large crowds may be taken aback when those crowds expect to speak back in a two-way conversation. This shift is good news for those in the “long tail” who learn the principle of conversation and use it to build their platform.

These principles, continuity and conversation, are two of the qualities of engagement I highlight in my Build Your Platform Before You Publish workshop. They were also a core part of my recent presentation to the Bay Area Independent Publishers Association (BAIPA).

At BAIPA’s June meeting I gave a one-hour talk followed by a three-hour workshop, and the  slides below combine both sessions into a single presentation. Digital publishing and social media is an extremely dynamic space right now, which means the next time I speak the resources listed may be very different!

If you would like a deep dive into this material, please look at my event schedule in the sidebar, or contact me to set something up. The next stop on my schedule is beautiful Portland on Sat. June 29.