As we move into the third week of Write Nonfiction in November (WNFIN), we turn our attention to building platform—a built-in readership for your book or any other product you might want to sell. Every aspiring author needs a platform. In fact, an agent or acquisition editor may turn down a query or book proposal submitted by superb writer or a great idea if a book proposal shows the writer has no platform. Additionally, if you plan on starting an information marketing business, you’ll need a platform; these are the people to whom you’ll sell your books, e-books, teleseminars, and coaching products. If you plan to create a business around your book, you might want to sell the same things to the people who constitute your platform.
A platform can be created in many ways—by blogging, speaking, publishing articles, guest blog posts, hosting a radio show, etc. It also can be created with numerous media appearances.
Getting on Oprah or The Today Show can go a long way towards building a platform (and selling books), as can getting on many different radio or Internet radio shows and smaller television talk shows. However, if you make a media appearance and haven’t planned out how you will handle your time on the air, you might regret ever having gotten the gig at all. It could hurt you rather than hurt you.
For that reason, today media coach Michael Ray Dresser, host at Dresser After Dark, a radio show that features many authors each week, offers advice on how to prepare for a media appearance so you achieve your goals, whether those are to gain fans, followers, or readers or to sell books. To read his advice and tips, click here.
Loading ...
I am subscribing to your blog via email. That makes me a follower of yours. Keep up the good work!
Thanks for the support! I appreciate it.