Building an author (or writer) platform takes 3 things: perspective, persistence, and patience. And with commitment to each of these areas, you will see results in reaching your audience.
Let’s take a look at each category.
Perspective: Know the type of writing you (want to) do and the type of audience you want to reach.
- Start writing, write, and keep on writing. (Start, do, keep on.)
- Start finding ways to interact with the people who make up your target audience – online and in person. Interact with the people you find and keep on interacting with those people and others. (Start, do, keep on.)
- Start creating accounts on social media outlets that are relevant to your writing. Use social media to get your name seen (don’t hide behind a made up name like “iamawriter2”, use your real name (or the name you want people to recognize). Keep on using social media, and don’t be afraid to stop using one avenue if you find another that’s better. (Start, do, keep on.)
- Promote your website (or blog) link whenever appropriately possible. (Don’t just paste your link everywhere, let it have value by being associated with your name and a topic related to your platform).
Persistence: When you get that first follower, that first comment on a blog post, or that first inquiry from your web site, celebrate, but don’t sit back and think you’re all set. You’ve started, and you’re on your way, now keep at it! If you can reach 1 person, you can reach 2, and then 4, and so on.
It can be exciting at the start to want to get ‘the most’ followers, ‘the most’ comments, or ‘the most’ of everything. You’ll soon realize that quality is more important over quantity in many (not all) cases. The more you persist and build your platform and your audience, the more you’ll realize what works, what doesn’t, and what needs to be adjusted. Keep at it. You’ll get there!
When you get writing credits, flaunt them, let your audience know about your successes. The more you write, the more credits you’ll get, and the more you can promote yourself.
Keep at it. (Yes, I’m being purposely repetitive). Be persistent in letting people know who you are and what you write about.
Patience: Building a platform doesn’t happen overnight, but it will happen if you work at it. And you’ll only work at it if it’s something you truly want. So, dig deep and find out if you truly, really, honestly want to be an author (or writer), and if you do, and if you want an audience who reads your work, you’ll need to work on your platform! You can do it.
Today marks 7 years for me as a self-employed writer. *insert party hat and noise makers* I’ve been working on my platform and it has come a long way, but it remains organic. I know I can’t stop working on it now! I hope you have long years as an author (or writer), too.
Have you started to build your author (or writer) platform yet? If not, what are you waiting for?
Lisa J. Jackson makes a living helping businesses express themselves with words. She also loves writing and talking about New Hampshire and plans to complete several 5Ks in 2013. She drinks iced coffee year-round, and needs a stash of Peppermint Patties in the fridge at all times to satisfy chocolate needs. Connect with her on LinkedIn, Biznik, Facebook, and Twitter.
Live to Write - Write to Live 
I have just begun my blog on here and this was exactly what I needed to read. Thanks for the sharing ! 🙂
You’re welcome. Glad you found us!
I’m in the same boat, Angie! Let’s keep at it together. . . I am pretty persistent. And you?
I love when writers connect with each other. 🙂
Trying trying ! I tend to get bored of things pretty soon. But this is something I do not wanna give up on !
Trying trying ! I tend to get bored of things pretty easily, but this is something I do not wanna give up on !
I started my blog (along with 1000’s of others) in January 2013. I knew the first few days I would be writing into a void, I sent out round robin emails to all the writers I knew to promote this new venture and a few followed in the 1st 24 hours. My followers have steadily grown without over promotion on my part, just by getting involved in the blogging communities and writing challenges on other people’s blogs.
In the first month I learnt that it was important to keep a balance between the writing schedule – my freelance work and my blogging.
In the 2nd month I was delighted to have people ‘liking’ posts and in the 3rd month I was over the moon that followers had started to leave comments and that there were conversations on my blog. With 97 followers I have realised that it is quality over quantity. I think I would rather have a few active readers than 1000’s of likes for a post.
Thanks for this helpful post, you have inspired me to go and write a new post on my blog!
You’re welcome, Neenslewy, but thank you right back for sharing your experience to date. You’ve hit a lot of great milestones in 3 months, congratulations! Keep on blogging and connecting! 🙂
Thanks Lisa, you inspired a whole post on my blog 🙂 I can send you the link if you want it.
I found it – very great read!
Thank you.
I just started my blog a couple of months ago and find your site really encouraging and useful – thanks! This post in particular is very helpful.
Thank you, Jackie. I’m glad you found us and that you’re finding encouragement. If there’s every a topic you’d like to see in particular, just let me know. 🙂
I wrote one blog which was focussed on a particular subject, and it eventually became a book. My second blog is in my own name and is pretty unfocussed, just my take on life in the smallest way. I hope in time I will find what it is I truly want to say. In the meantime, your post is great advice and encouragement. Thanks.
Wow, Joanna, a blog turned into a book? That’s fantastic! Congratulations. 🙂 I’m confident you’ll find your stride with your second blog, your take on life is definitely a unique perspective and the more you write the more you’ll find your voice. It may already be there and you haven’t seen it yet.
Thank you for being a reader, and sharing this with us.
I’ve just started a writing blog a few days as well, in an effort to give myself motivation and continue writing after my high school years. I’m a first year college student, and I’m keen to maintain writing as I don’t want to lose something I feel I have considerable potential in, because once you stop, it’s harder to start again right? 🙂 So yes, I do hope I have all the patience and perseverance you have just mentioned in your post to carry on. 🙂
You can do it, SerLin. Blogging didn’t exist when I got out of high school (but technology has grown quickly, so I’m not THAT old!) I admire your perseverance in blogging while going to college – that’s definitely dedication. And you’re right, it’s better to keep at it daily than stop and start, or worse, stop for a long period.
Thanks for being a reader and for sharing this with us. 🙂
I started my blog as a way to build my platform, and it’s quickly taken me miles from where I thought I’d be. Not only do my readers hold me accountable to write almost every day (which I am not good at doing myself), but they provide the feedback I need to know that what I’m doing is working. Writing is love. ❤
I like that, lpaigewrites: “Writing is love.” Kudos to you for caring about your readers – it’s great that they make you feel accountable. Keep on going!
And thank you for being a reader and sharing with us. 🙂
Love it … Thanks so much!
You’re welcome, tanti! 🙂
Great advice, Lisa–I printed this out to read again and again! I love ‘start,do, keep on.” Works in many other areas of life,too.Terrific post–thanks!:-)
Glad I’m being helpful, ermigal. I have the motto on the wall just over the top of my laptop – I’m using it as a mantra for my new interest in running (you’re right about it working in other areas!).
I appreciate the feedback. 🙂
You forgot clone yourself so you have time for it all? Nice suggestions
Having a clone, or a full-time assistant could be helpful, but then it would be ‘you’ doing the work, and where’s the fun in that? 🙂 Everything in moderation — writers need to have great time management skills!
writers need to write! (and not feel guilty about letting the others slide….that guilt just nags…) TIme management skills and able to prioritize…..and then there are the mess disorganized but some how it all gets done – in a fashion – writers. Everyone has a style. Nice post
Words I needed to hear today. Thank you.
You’re welcome. 🙂
Yes, Lisa — everything you’ve said about building a writers platform is sooo true! I have recently just *gulp* started blogging and blown away with three “likes” from unknown sources, which made my day. Working on the persistence part, knowing my journey has just begun!
It’s exciting, isn’t it? I like that little edge of fear/uncomfortableness because it means I’m growing. Trying new things is the only way to keep enjoying life, I think!
Congrats on starting and keep at it! 🙂
Great article. I am new to the writing world and was wondering; is it normal to write sparatic articles in the begining? I can’t seem to buckle down becuase I have so much on my mind.
Hi Magic,
We’re all different, so I don’t know if there’s any particular ‘normal’. When you said sporadic content, I thought you meant a post or 2 a week, but you sometimes have a few posts a day, so I see what you mean now.
You could always queue up a post and have it go live at some future date so that you don’t have multiple posts in one day. By queuing posts, you may see a topic forming and be able to coordinate several days in a row of the same topic instead of having various topics mixed throughout the week.
Or, perhaps it would be helpful to sketch out the topics you want to write about and see what patterns form and go from there.
Bottom line is: your blog is your blog so whatever feels right to you is what you want to go with (my opinion). The more you write and post, the more you’ll develop a solid idea around what you want to focus on. Does that help?
That was fantastic. Thanks for the solid advice. I love to write so I will keep writing and maybe in 6 months I will see a pattern or passion. Thanks again.
Thank you for this inspiring post. I started my blog about 10 months ago and am at a stage where I need to think things through beyond just collecting a readership. Your advice really helped.
you’re welcome. I’m glad you found the post useful. 🙂