The document discusses the importance of building an author platform to market writing. It defines a platform as an author's visibility and fanbase. While publishers once controlled platforms, authors can now self-publish and interact directly with readers online. However, the modern marketplace is crowded. The document recommends authors create a central website or blog to house information and funnel social media engagement. It provides tips for free and paid website hosting, essential website elements, and effective yet balanced social media strategies.

1. Marketing and Promoting Your
Writing Today: The Importance of
Building an Author Platform
Andrew Walsh
Sinclair Community College 40th Annual Writers’ Workshop

2. What stands
between you
and your
audience?
?

3. Author Platform - A Basic
Definition
1. Your Visibility
2. Your Fans, Readers, Followers,
“Tribe”

4. The Old Days
“Author platform” = cultivated and controlled
by the publisher, not the author.

5. The New Author Platform
Advantages: Fewer barriers to entry,
more self-publishing tools
Can build a following using online means
and interact directly with your readers.

6. The New Author Platform
Challenges: Increasingly Crowded Marketplace
• Traditional print books (US; 2002) = 215,138
• Traditional print books (US; 2011) = 347,178
• Self-published books have nearly tripled in the US since
2006, now totaling more than 235,000 each year.” (Bowker)
• Amazon Kindle Books (2010) = 174,889
• Amazon Kindle Books (2011) = 308,591
• Amazon Kindle Books (2012) = 482,188

7. The New Author Platform
Your author platform needs a central hub, an
online space controlled by you that
contains all the important information about
your writing.

9. Options for Your Platform Hub
• Your own website or blog (free-hosted)
• Your own website or blog (self-hosted)
• A social media or publisher author page as
hub (less effective option)

10. Free-Hosted Website or Blog
• Others: Wix, Weebly, Google Sites

11. Self-Hosted Website or Blog
• Wordpress.org (free)
• Domain names: Godaddy, Namecheap
($10/yr)
• Web Hosting: Bluehost, Dreamhost,
Hostgator ($5/mo)

12. Free vs. Self-Hosted
• Domain Names
http://www.andrewjwalsh.com
http://www.andrewjwalsh.wordpress.com
• Customization, control
• Your budget

13. Big Question: DIY or Buy?
• Your level of comfort with digital
technology, graphic design, marketing, etc.
• Don’t spread yourself too thin: you’re a
writer first and foremost!

14. If Choosing to Hire
• Work with a local web design company
• Purchase a premium website theme online
• Work with a web design company online
• Hire for graphic design only and combine
with a free-hosted website

15. Essentials for Your Website
• Bio and Contact Info
• Links to Book Info/Sales Pages
• Endorsements/Testimonials
• An Email List for Vistors to Sign Up
(Services: Mailchimp, Aweber)

20. Other Ideas for Your Website
• Author blog (news, events, thoughts)
• Video trailer (for a specific work)
• Interview (audio or video)
• Offer a free download of some of your
work

21. Other Ideas for Your Website

22. Other Ideas for Your Website

23. Website Pitfalls to Avoid
• Contact info not obvious enough
• Lots of flash animation or auto-playing
music or video
• Not keeping it up to date

24. Website Pitfalls to Avoid
• Neglecting to have a clear call-to-action

31. Reaching Out With Social
Media
Your Website and
Social Media: A OneTwo Punch
• Reach out, attract
eyeballs with social
media, funnel them
back to your author
platform hub

32. Which Ones Do I Pick?
Facebook – Profile vs. page, many use
it for real-world connections.
Twitter – Faster, open mutual
following, more for networking. 140
character limit.
• Others: Google+, Pinterest, Instagram,
Youtube, forums/communities

36. Essentials For Social Media
• Add a photo and provide a detailed bio and
link to your website
• Engage, don’t just promote your own work
• Strive for consistency in your posting
• Build your network (Add follow buttons to
your website. Reach out to others
personally.)

37. Share Expertise and
Industry News

38. Share Your Writing Process

39. Share Others’ Content

40. Promote Yourself

41. Promote Yourself

42. Other Ideas for Social Media
• Have a contest/giveaway
• Ask for feedback/ideas from audience to
democratize the writing process

43. Social Media Pitfalls to
Avoid
• Trying to be everywhere (Instead: research
your audience and pick one or two places
where they hang out.)
• Being overly promotional (Think 80/20 rule.)
• Posting too many mundane personal
updates (Personal vs. professional account.)

44. Oversharing?
• “Mystery plays a big role in our love of
books, and by using social media to
promote yourself, you’re only demystifying
your work for everyone who follows you.
And that makes you lose potential
readers.”
(author Benjamin Anastas on quitting Twitter)

45. Magic Bullet?
• “If I wanted to gain (and keep) an
audience on Twitter … I had to offer
something beyond a promotional platform
for my book … I’ve come to doubt Twitter’s
value as a marketing platform.”
(author Benjamin Anastas on quitting Twitter)

46. Works Cited
Articles Referenced
•
http://www.forbes.com/sites/booked/2011/07/26/the-new-author-platform-what-writers-need-to-know/
•
http://janefriedman.com/2012/03/13/author-platform-definition/
•
http://benjaminanastas.com/complaints/goodbye-to-twitter-village-part-ii-lessons-learned/
•
http://www.bowker.com/assets/downloads/products/isbn_output_2002-2011.pdf
•
http://www.bowker.com/en-US/aboutus/press_room/2012/pr_10242012.shtml
Websites Used for Screenshots
•
http://www.cynthiawillis.com/
http://melissawiley.com/
•
http://smartpassiveincome.com
http://www.joeabercrombie.com/
•
http://www.ocr.org.uk/
http://sruttan.wordpress.com/
•
http://alicehoffman.com/
http://www.kelleyarmstrong.com/
•
http://larrycorreia.wordpress.com/
•
http://web.archive.org/web/20130415075740/http://www.noded.biz/
Images
•
http://www.flickr.com/photos/11319126@N00/8270409318/
•
http://www.flickr.com/photos/goflo/5340031103/
•
http://www.flickr.com/photos/remabulous/287216114/
•
http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3161/3050378171_f944bc8c4a_z.jpg
•
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jjpacres/3293117576/