Hi friends,
So I’ve been thinking about platform lately. For my next non-fiction project to sell, I’m going to need one.
For novels, a platform is a bonus, not a necessity.
For non-fiction, it’s pretty much a non-negotiable.
That’s not to say that you can’t sell a book without a platform. Memoirs, especially those that have a unique take or give us a story we’ve never heard before, can sell on that unique hook. But for everything else–including for memoirs that don’t have that incredible hook–the platform is going to be crucial.
Even when it’s not essential, it’s nice to have because it will help increase the sales of your books, and that’s what we all want, right?
The memoir I’m writing has that unique hook, and my co-author and I have a pretty decent platform between us, so I haven’t had to worry about it. But my next nonfiction project is going to be a collection of true stories based around a central theme, and I’m definitely going to need to be able to prove that I’ll be able to promote, and sell, this title to eager readers.
Most writers assume a platform means a social media following.
That can be a part of it, but social media doesn’t sell books. Agents and editors know this. In fact, I’ve heard more than one agent say that a large Instagram following means little to them because Instagram is a visual medium and doesn’t necessarily lead to book sales, whereas a popular newsletter counts for a lot because these subscribers are people who
(1) like to read,
(2) are interested in what the writer has to say, and
(3) more likely to buy.
Also more important than social media is your network.
Do you have friends with popular podcasts who might help you get the word out about your book? Can you get reviewed in a national newspaper? Do you have contacts in national media who will talk about, promote, review, or interview you about your book? Do you know well-known authors who can provide blurbs or mention your book to their audience?
Your publishing history is part of your platform, especially if you can leverage it.
Can you write about your book, or the subject of your book? If you’ve written for top magazines or newspapers, how likely is that you could write for them again, this time about the subject of your book? Can you place essays, articles, and stories in national or international media about your book and/or the subject of your book?
Again, all much more valuable than your personal social media following.
Social media marketing is great, too, but many new writers focus too much on relationship-building with other new authors. This is great for emotional support and for making friends in the industry, but it’s not going to sell books, not in any substantial way. Again, agents and editors know this.
I’ll talk more about platform-building in future newsletters (and feel free to send me questions, if you have any), but if you’ve been thinking about platform, remember that social media is only one small piece of it, and it’s the one that’s not even the most effective.
You’ll do far better to figure out where potential readers of your books hang out and make a focused effort to reach and connect with them. The biggest mistake I see authors making is putting all their focus on building a social media following, without thinking about how or why it will convert to book sales.
Don’t build a platform to impress agents or editors with numbers that we all know are simply other authors following you because you followed them, too.
Build a platform because you actually want to sell your books.
Those are two different approaches.
One comprises vanity metrics that benefit no one. The other is an actual positive step for your author career.
More tomorrow.
Cheers,
Natasha