{"id":719,"date":"2016-10-26T14:14:11","date_gmt":"2016-10-26T14:14:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/161.35.63.92\/index.php\/2016\/10\/26\/how-to-build-your-author-platform-starting-where-you-are\/"},"modified":"2022-06-13T19:33:40","modified_gmt":"2022-06-14T00:33:40","slug":"how-to-build-your-author-platform-starting-where-you-are","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/draft2digital.com\/blog\/how-to-build-your-author-platform-starting-where-you-are\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Build Your Author Platform"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you\u2019ve been in self-publishing for more than a few minutes, it\u2019s likely you\u2019ve heard the term \u201cauthor platform.\u201d In simplest terms, an author platform is your ability to sell books because of who you are<\/i> and who you are connected to<\/i>.<\/b><\/p>\n

This week, we\u2019re taking a look at using the resources you already have\u2014as well as some of the resources D2D has created for you\u2014to build an author platform that can help boost your discoverability and audience reach.<\/p>\n

The Army You Have<\/h3>\n

There\u2019s a quote from Donald Rumsfeld that goes, \u201cYou go to war with the army you have, not the army you might want.\u201d<\/b><\/p>\n

That\u2019s exactly the attitude with which to approach the beginning of your author platform.<\/p>\n

When you\u2019re just starting as an indie author, there\u2019s a tendency to look around and see success stories\u2014authors who have built an immense following, who have a bulging mailing list, who have enough followers on social media to found their own small country. We usually don\u2019t compare ourselves very favorably with these folks.<\/p>\n

We authors tend to look for \u2018social proof\u2019 to help us determine the right course of action, and it always seems, from the surface at least, that if we don\u2019t have our own personal army of followers then we\u2019re flops, failures, frauds \u2026 and other \u2018F\u2019 words that shall go unmentioned.<\/p>\n

The truth is, we all start with approximately the same resources and networks as the success stories did. Which is to say, if we\u2019re not starting at absolute zero, then we at least have a small collection of friends, family, and acquaintances to draw upon. So let\u2019s start there.<\/p>\n

NOTE:<\/b> Before we go any further, I feel it\u2019s my Indie Author Constitutional duty* to make one point startlingly clear: DO NOT START SPAMMING EVERYONE YOU KNOW WITH \u2018BUY MY BOOK\u2019 MESSAGES.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s in all caps, so you know it\u2019s important.<\/p>\n

Starting From Where You Are<\/h3>\n

This means taking stock of all the resources you already have at your disposal. You may not have a big and bulky author mailing list, but you can send individual emails to friends and family and (politely) ask them to buy your book and join your mailing list. You can also ask them to spread the word about you to other friends and family, so you can start to grow.<\/p>\n

Consider, also, the social media channels you use, and how many people you\u2019re connected to there. Use those to spread the same, soft message: \u201cDid you know I\u2019m an author? I\u2019d love to tell you all about it. Join my mailing list, and be sure to check out my book!\u201d<\/p>\n

The point here: Look around, take stock, and determine who you\u2019re connected to and how. The network you already have might help you build your author platform further.<\/p>\n

Some potential author platform resources you may already have:<\/b><\/h4>\n