If you don’t have a PLATFORM, it’s time to start building one!
(Please click on image to enlarge.)
Today I want to let you in on a little secret. Our entire goal for this blog is to turn you into a Savvy Book Marketer (SBM). You’ve gone to a lot of trouble to write and publish your book – now your sole focus is on marketing it. And if you’re lucky, you’ve found us before you’ve finished writing so that you can do as we suggested in our last post: start ramping up your marketing efforts BEFORE your book is done.
A key component of becoming an SBM and selling lots of books is the critical publishing concept of creating a platform.
If you are unfamiliar with the term “platform” as it relates to the publishing world, it’s time to get familiar with it! An author’s platform is his/her ability to reach their audience of book-buyers, or their plan to do so. It is a measure of your EXISTING INFLUENCE and your ABILITY TO SELL to your market. This is why celebrities find it much easier to land book deals than unknown writers – they already have a built-in audience.
In learning to think like an SBM, you’ve got to tap into all the ways and places you can start creating demand for your book (even before it is printed) and expand your sphere of influence. This includes things like:
- Public speaking
- Radio and TV interviews
- Articles, on- and offline
- Social media
- Blogging
- Video marketing
How much exposure do you have? If the answer’s “not much,” it’s time to get started. Stick with us to learn more about creating a platform and becoming an SBM!
See you Monday!
MARCIE
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Visit Write | Market | Design to download your Marketing Skills Evaluation. This will help you determine how close you are to SBM status, and where you may need a little extra boost.
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We welcome and encourage your thoughtful, courteous comments below.
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If you’d like us to add a link to your writing/self-publishing/book marketing blog, please send us a note. If we think it’s a good fit, we’ll be happy to add you. Of course, we’d appreciate the reciprocity of the same!
Additionally, Marcie would be happy to make a guest appearance on your writing/self-publishing/book marketing blog. Just let us know the theme or your idea (preferably including a 6-panel concept), and we’ll see what we can draft for you.
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Marcie Brock, Book Marketing Maven 
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