Changing Times – Changing Platforms?

by Mary Allen

The publishing world has changed immensely since I first dipped my little toe in fifteen years ago. Back then the rules about platform seemed so rigid as to be exclusive. For someone such as I who didn’t want a writing career that trumped the other areas of my life, it was easy to be intimidated almost to the point of paralysis. Are public visibility and reputation still the holy standard for book promotion and sales? Are professional names backed by pedigrees and great professional connections still book sales requirements? Perhaps not.

While visibility remains important, even imperative, how that happens has changed in a society which has come to rely on the internet for everything from diagnosing medical conditions to tracking library due dates. More and more it seems that to be successful today a writer not only needs to write well, but to interact with prospective readers who are more apt to check out a title or author by clicking to a website.

If the author comes across as someone with personality, offers glimpses into on-going works, video clips of personal life and opinions, then reader interaction is encouraged. From that environment sales are much more likely to grow, according to Alan Rinzler who worked many years for major publishing companies such as Simon and Schuster and Bantam. He claims this is true for traditionally published authors as well as indies.

Establishing a website poses many questions. How should an author balance authentic personality with privacy when creating a public persona? How is content chosen that offers value and relevancy? After these and many more questions are worked out, will a website have staying power? 

I remember the fervor over My Space, then Facebook and LinkedIn and Tweeter and I don’t know what else because it was too overwhelming. I’m the kind of girl that is comfortable chatting over a cup of tea rather than tweeting or even facebook-ing, despite the opportunity the last offers me to connect globally with people I love. #oldfashionedgirl. #writecallvisitme. If I’m going to put in time and money – for me more time than money- to put up a quality website how long will this media outlet last?

A couple years ago I opted to use Facebook over a website as my author page. More and more I wonder if the FB craze is passing. Putting up a website is the logical next step for me. Websites seem to have proven staying power. If I choose one media outlet to focus on, this should be it. 

This time round I’m not going to be anxious or frenzied. It just doesn’t suit me. #slowandeasy. As I do this, perhaps step by step author website how-to is a topic of interest to other HI authors. What say you?  What website building questions burn inside of you?

Mary Allen is a life-long Hoosier who loves Northwest Indiana and the many seasons it offers for reading. You can find her reading in a lawn chair in the summer shade, on the veranda in the fall, by the fire during the winter and listening to books on CD while spring cleaning. La Porte County Poet Laureate Emeritas (2010) with three books of poetry, Mary speaks at Christian women's clubs, blogs on http:www.thebarndoor.net and writes fiction. (Caveat: don't follow the hashtags, I don't tweet.)

Amanda's Recipe for Writing and Marketing

Amanda Luedeke of the Chip MacGregor agency gave our Indiana ACFW Chapter some great insights into building an author's platform last Saturday. (Don't know what an author's platform is? Maybe you're writing too much.)

Amanda certainly knows her way around the world of marketing, having created campaigns for Vera Bradley and other national brands. Now she focuses on promoting the careers of her author-clients, and a vital part of that effort is the author's platform.

An author's platform is comprised of all contacts that an author makes with the public every month...every week...every day. The more contacts, the bigger your platform. The more targeted your contacts with people who are interested in the topics and/or genres you write about, the stronger your platform.

Before they ink a contract with you, agents and publishers want to see your platform. No platform? No contract.

At our April 26 meeting, Amanda explained how to use social media to build that platform. If you weren't at Saturday's meeting, you'll have to read her new book, The Extroverted Writer. Here's an important take-away from her presentation that's not included in the book, Amanda's recipe for allocating your time between writing and marketing.:

Aspiring Author
       1 part marketing / 3 parts writing

Published Fiction Author
       1 part marketing / 1 part writing

Published Nonfiction Author
       3 parts marketing / 1 part writing

In other words, Amanda recommends that an aspiring author allocate writing time in a ratio of 1:3 (e.g., if you have an hour for writing, spend 15 minutes of marketing for every 45 minutes writing). If you're a published fiction writer, spend a half-hour of personal marketing for every half-hour of writing. An established nonfiction writer? Make that 45 minutes of marketing for every 15 minutes of writing.

And you thought I was joking when I said you might be writing too much!

__________________

Joe Allison and his wife, Judy, live in Anderson IN, where Joe serves as Editorial Director of Discipleship Resources & Curriculum for Warner Press, Inc. Joe has several nonfiction books in print, including Swords and Whetstones: A Guide to Christian Bible Study Resources. He's currently writing a trilogy of Christian historical novels set in the Great Depression.

Visit Joe's blog at http://hoosierwriter.wordpress.com

Platform (And I Don't Mean Your Shoes)

Back in the day when we still used typewriters--back when I was writing my first articles (yes, that far back)--we would have never imagined the world of social media. The only people I might run into would be my postman as I hung out at my mailbox (for months or years.) My first articles for a newspaper were written by hand! (Yes, I need that exclamation mark.) My first computer was a marvel. I composed newsletters on that thing, losing a few through the click of a button. My screams were heard for blocks. Oh, and just try to read that dot-matrix print out.

Definitely I love the ease of communication with the publishing world--agents, editors, other writers, the readers. Also, I love that I can retrieve most of what I've written through back up. But this new level of social media in a writer's life really has this introvert longing for the days of quiet retreat. How do we build that platform we're told we need? I didn't have a clue, but I did love email and being able to communicate. That at least helps. It does make me nervous at how I'm presenting my message. I want to be clear and to not meander too far from what I'm spending time writing. How do I stay on track? What best conveys who I am as a writer?

I went on a search of books to read about the subject and I thought I'd share the titles I'm working through on my Kindle. Living where I do, I love that I can sit in my jammies and search for books--at midnight if I so choose. This has helped me the most. I'm in the middle of working through them so no reviews yet. Blogging is my first order of my makeover, thus the blog-heavy titles.

1. 31 Days to Finding Your Blogging Mojo by Bryan Allain.
2. You Are a Writer (So Start Acting Like One) by Jeff Goins.
3. Platform: Get Noticed in a Noisy World by Michael Hyatt.
4. Are You There, Blog? It's Me, Writer by Kristin Lamb. 
5. We Are Not Alone: The Writer's Guide to Social Media by Kristin Lamb.

Kristin Lamb also has a blog talking about social media, and everyone knows about Michael Hyatt (if you don't, go there--reserve days to go over the site.) The main thing is get your writing time mapped out first, then discover what time you have left to work in the kind of social media you feel fits you best. You don't have to do it all. Agent Amanda Luedeke of the MacGregor Literary focuses her blog posts (Thursdays with Amanda) on social media and that platform, too, so go there. 

What kinds of things are you doing in social media? What intimidates you most? Are there any blogs or resources you are following to get your platform established? Do tell! 

 

CATCHY PLATFORMS

There are two women walking into a grocery store. One woman is wearing plain black flats on her feet, and the other is wearing platforms exploding with flowers. Which one has a better chance of being noticed?

Certainly, I would notice the woman walking around with a bed of flowers on her feet. I might have wondered where she found such bazaar shoes, but she would’ve succeeded with people taking notice.

To wear flats may be sweet heaven for your feet and carefree to your journey, but at the end of the day—they’re still flat and only noticed by your mother—possibly.

The same goes for writing. Two novels are on the deal-of-the-day shelf at a book store. One novel is titled “Cry Me a River,” written by Marjorie DeVries and the other is “The Street Lawyer,” written by John Grisham. Which novel would you pick?

Unless you’re my mother, you’d grab the John Grisham novel without a blink of an eye. John Grisham has an established platform, and I’m…working on it!

Obviously, platforms make a difference.

So HOW do penny loafer people like me establish a platform worth remembering? Here are some tips, using examples of enthusiastic writer Paulina Paws*, who has a passion for cats:

P – Publish. Since Paulina already reads Cat Fancy Magazine from front to back every month, she knows what kind of articles they publish—articles for people interested in all phases of cat ownership. Paulina should search for submission guidelines for Cat Fancy Magazine, and put forth her best effort to get articles published in Cat Fancy Magazine. BUT, she should also research other cat-interest publications, and submit her feline articles to them, too.

L – Learn. Paulina should learn as much as she can about cats, and surround herself with other cat lovers to observe great characters for her next novel.

A – Action. Actions speak louder than words. If Paulina donated a few hours a week at the local humane society, she may find lots of cat lovers in her midst, who are looking for a great novel to read. Not to mention all the cat drama she’ll be exposed to.

T – Twitter. Paulina tweeted, “I heard they just found a new breed of cats!” #catbreakingnews. Follow Paulina Paws on Twitter. Paulina can gather followers of her tweets and gain exposure, so that when she tweets “Check out my new suspense novel ‘A Cat among Us’” #bestsellercatnovels—her followers will hopefully go out and buy her novel.

F – Free. That’s right! Free. Miss Paws could generously donate a cat gift basket for the local elementary school auction on Friday. It could include cat nip, meow mix and a copy of her new release “A Cat among Us.”

O – Oh, a Website is a Must! As soon as possible, Paulina should create a website www.paulinapaws.com that tells all about her passion for cats, novels she’s writing and/or written, how to contact her and definitely include a few pictures of cute cats.

R – Release a Video Series. A great way to attract people is through videos on You-Tube. Paulina could create a video series on cats. “Cats Gone Wild,” “Dude, Where’s My Cat?” and “Cat in My Hat”. Oh, the possibilities are endless. The best part is—if Paulina owns a video camera and has access to the web…it’s super cheap to produce!

M – Meet. Paulina should meet people who share her passion for cats. That means, getting involved with cat-lover groups. Speaking at cat conventions and passing out her business card to everyone she meets there.

Catchy platforms rule over plain flats any day of the week!

*Note: Paulina Paws is a fictional person, created to be used strictly as an example. Thank you.

Marjorie DeVries