I often do some of my best writing right after finishing a book.

I feel that this was the case last summer with a self-study course curriculum that I wrote for the folks at Writer’s Digest to include in their September 2011 Build An Author Platform Premium Kit.

I had just completed The Writer’s Workout, and I was creatively spent and eager to spend some time with my family. But…I felt like I had made some training breakthroughs in teaching platform development, one of my long-time specialties. And I knew that writing the self-study course for Writer’s Digest would push me to articulate my ideas concisely, specifically, and well.

So while Jason and Samantha were off exploring Portland, I was in the basement pulling together all the best of my ideas on platform development for writers.

I think this workbook is one of the best things I’ve ever written and one of the most helpful tools for emerging platform builders around. I have been speaking, writing, and teaching platform development to writers for five years. Thousands of people have benefited from my work on the topic.

You may be familiar with some of my prior work on the topic for Writer’s Digest:

• “50 Simple Ways To Build Your Platform in 5 Minutes A Day” for Writer’s Digest magazine, March/April 2011

• “Elements of a Successful Fiction Platform” for Writer’s Digest magazine, November/December 2010

• “How to Build a Marketing Platform” for Writer’s Digest magazine, May/June 2009

• Get Known Before The Book Deal, Use Your Personal Strengths To Grow An Author Platform (Writer’s Digest Books 2008) More info

I made a deal with the WD publisher at the time, Kelly Messerly, that I would write the self-study curriculum for WD, they would sell 200 print copies from September – December, and afterwards the rights to the work would revert back to me.

So naturally, after waiting all of this time, I am very excited to share the concepts I developed with you in the Build Your Author Platform Workbook.

This eight-chapter companion workbook in PDF format was written to go with my book, Get Known Before the Book Deal, Use Your Personal Strengths To Grow An Author Platform (Writer’s Digest 2008).

I feel confident that my Build Your Author Platform Workbook brings the platform development concepts in Get Known up to date without muddling any of the basic thrusts, which are as sound as they ever were.

One thing has changed for writers, though: no writer is merely a traditionally published or merely an “indie” author any longer. We are all both now. We are all everything and anything that we decide to do. And who knows what that’s going to look like in 2012.

It’s an exciting time to be a writer. I hope that my workbook will help any writer navigate what can otherwise feel like a confusing spectrum of choices.

I’d love to work with you, if you want to work with me. But I understand that not everyone wants to work with me in a six-week email class environment (although there are those who seem to love it). I also understand that not everyone can afford my class fees or the conference fees where I’ll be speaking this year. Of course, this is why I offer scholarships but even that can only go so far.

So here’s my chance to make my teaching affordable for every writer. I could have priced the workbook higher. In fact, I seriously considered it. But I’m going low instead because that’s in alignment with my 2012 mission to empower as many writers as I can using my best tools, old and new.

The Build Your Author Platform Workbook is a mental workout any writer can use annually to assess platform growth thus far and reassess it going forward as a writing career takes root, grows, and prospers. Folks who are already fans of Get Known Before the Book Deal will especially appreciate the opportunity to organize all the scribbles they’ve already made in their books! (But don’t forget to update your ideas to reflect your present accomplishments.)

The workbook is on sale now! You can purchase the Build Your Author Platform Workbook to accompany your paperback or digital copy of Get Known Before the Book Deal for only $39.99. I will send the workbook right over to your inbox soon after you order.

Folks who have taken my Discover Your Specialty & Launch Your Platform class will appreciate having a workbook to help them with their annual platform update and goal setting. And during the month of January 2012, all of my current and former students and dream teamers can purchase the workbook at a reduced price of $29.99.

The only folks who SHOULD NOT ORDER this workbook are those who ordered it via the Writer’s Digest premium collection in September or December. (Please contact me at christina at christina katz dot com if you are interested in discussing use of the workbook in your group class, program, or organization.)

Please click here for more info and how to order Build Your Author Platform Workbook.

Happy New Year, writers!

And happy ongoing and evolving platform development for many years to come!

In less than two weeks, I start teaching one of my favorite classes again. The class is Discover Your Specialty & Launch Your Platform.

There are many things that make my approach to platform development unique. For one thing, I understand that platform means everything to writing career success. At the same time I am able to balance that idea with the knowledge that the best, most authentic and well-rounded platforms don’t just spring up overnight.

My classes take six weeks, and I’d say that six weeks is the minimum amount of time any writer should spend developing their platform concept before they jump online and start blogging or building a site.

Why?

Because every writer has a unique platform dynamic yet most writers are not aware what theirs is. In my class, Discover Your Specialty & Launch Your Platform, we take our time uncovering that platform dynamic, exploring it, and most importantly, making sure it is authentically meaningful to the writer.

You can take the class whether you already have an idea of what your platform should focus on or not. Because guess what? It’s not dollar signs that are going to motivate you to establish your name and get known for what you write, it’s loving what you do so that you can sustain the effort long enough to get known and attract readers.

I hope you are in the platform journey for the long haul because it’s a career-long effort. For the past six years I have been teaching writers how to build a platform alongside their writing in order to amplify their reach, make an indelible impression in reader’s minds, and create future revenue streams to sustain their writing efforts.

Here are several reasons why you may wish to work with me rather than someone else:

• I wrote the book on platform. It’s called, Get Known Before the Book Deal. It’s one of the first and most comprehensive books on platform for writers.
• I recently wrote a workbook on platform called, “Build Your Author Platform & Prosper.” It’s a companion to my book, Get Known Before the Book Deal, and it will launch on January 1, 2012.
• I have written several feature-length articles for Writer’s Digest magazine on platform for writers across the genres and from the perspective of all levels of writers from aspirant to bestselling author.
• I have worked with hundreds of writers over the past ten years, working with many of them over time as they write, get published, build up clips, establish a specialty, break into national publications, write ebooks and books, and create lasting and profitable platforms.
• But perhaps the most important reason to work with me rather than someone else is because I am not interested in leveraging your platform for my own or others’ financial interests. I have my own platform, I have my own paid writing work, and I already teach and speak in a distinctive niche. This means when I am focused on you, I am focused on what is best for your career in the long run, not what you can do for me in the short run. I want you to prosper by establishing your own platform and growing it over time.

Platform development for authors is one of my specialties as a writing career coach. I work with writers across a range of skill sets, so I understand how platform matters in every phase of a writer’s career development.

I prefer to work with writers in this class who are just getting started identifying their strengths and understanding how to better position their platform in the marketplace. My former students have the option to continue working with me via my training groups, if they so choose.

I understand writers, the state of the industry, and the unique challenges that writers face on a daily basis. I don’t want you to sell your soul; I want you to listen to what your inner voice is telling you to do, not what external forces want you to do for them. I want to help you declare and maintain ownership over your career while at the same time helping you partner wisely with others.

Establishing a platform is a whole lot easier, when you take the time to understand your motivations and make the most of your strengths.

You do not have to be a woman, a mom, or a nonfiction writer to take this class. It definitely helps if you are already an established writer and you have some idea of the direction you’d like to go with your writing but you will learn that in the process of the class, anyway.

I will be updating the class in the fall and raising the price accordingly, which means you have three chances to register between now and then. Here are what some past students have had to say about Discover Your Specialty & Launch Your Platform:

Christina embodies what it means to be a great coach. She is direct, honest, not afraid to say what a writer struggling with a particular issue needs to hear. Christina has the tremendous confidence that comes with experience; that confidence made me strong when I needed it. She told me, with conviction, that what I have to say is important, and that I shouldn’t hesitate to say it. ~ Valorie H.

Discover Your Specialty & Launch Your Platform is a great class for writers at any stage of career development. I had been doing a small amount of platform development prior to the class and found that I could enfold that work into my plans going forward. Now I feel so much more professional, focused, and confident. These six weeks of class work have moved me forward months (even years) in building my platform.  I know now where I’m going and can communicate that clearly to others. ~ Lara K.

I highly recommend this class for writers struggling to define their niche or confused about how to communicate it compellingly. Christina is a wise guide who facilitates the kind of inner exploration it takes to find and flesh out an authentic, sustainable platform. This class helped me get clear on who I am and what I bring to my audience. And that’s priceless. ~ Heidi L.

Christina Katz’ Discover Your Specialty & Launch Your Platform class was a combination of therapy and boot camp. She forced me to dig deep and deeper yet, to discover what motivates and inspires me to write. ~ Sandra F.

Christina’s exceptional class focused my thoughts to build a specialty platform plan. Her assignments challenged and helped me look deeply into lifelong experiences to build an organized plan for getting published. ~ Bill H.

Building a platform isn’t for the faint-of-heart, but the clarity I found after digging into the possibilities was an invaluable learning experience. I now have a clearly defined roadmap to follow and a better understanding of how to continue building my writing platform grounded in practical techniques rather than just dreamy possibilities. ~ C. Hines

This course not only taught me more about myself and what inspires me to write, but also showed me concrete actions to take in order to establish a strong platform for my writing career. With Christina’s practical advice and informed guidance, I learned exactly what steps I need to take to reach my writing goals. ~ Sarah L.

Before I took this class, I was struggling to identify topics that would be of interest to editors and readers. Now, I have the beginnings of a platform that will help me generate as much work as I want or need just by developing and marketing my area of expertise. ~ B. Meleski

In an uncertain publishing environment, platform has never been more important for writers. I’m so thankful to Christina for providing me with an opportunity to strategize and for helping me come up with a workable platform plan. ~ Sharon V.

Christina is a real, honest-to-goodness teacher. When I wasn’t working to my ability, she noticed, demanded more, and gave me the tools to succeed. Nobody ever gets where they’re going without a great teacher. Christina helped me find my wings. ~ Lynne S.

I found this class to be much more than I expected. Don’t sign up unless you have plenty of time to devote to it (not to mention paper and ink!) because you will not want to waste the opportunity to have Christina help you find, develop, or fine tune your image and point you in the right direction. ~ Carol A.

Learn more here. Space is limited. Register by December 28th for the class that begins on January 4th.

I hope to work with you in 2012!

This is part three, in a three-part post, in which I attempt to answer the question:

Are your voice and your platform dynamic the same thing?

If you have already read the first post in this series, where I talked about voice and the second post in this series where I talked about platform dynamic, they by now, you realize that voice and platform are not at all the same thing.

I say “not at all” to clear up any confusion like: Yes, but isn’t your voice KIND OF like your platform dynamic?

Nope, it’s not kind of like it.

Your voice is the expression of who you are as a writer and is a tool you flex to suit various forms and formats. Your voice is the expression of all that you have written and all that you currently write, wielded skillfully to articulate whatever you are attempting to say.

Your platform dynamic is similarly holistic. It encapsulates and draws on all that the writer has ever written and done, however the comparison stops there.

You don’t have to consciously choose to have a voice. You already have one. You were born with a voice and it is likely coming through whether you realize it or not.

Writers usually recognize the power of voice, and turn it up and down to suit their genres and readers, as I discussed in the first post of this series.

We all have also likely encountered writers who are prone to making too much of their voices, to the point where the effect becomes self-conscious. This just shows that when you mess with voice too much, instead of just letting it happen, you can muck it up and this impacts reader trust.

When it comes to voice, appropriateness, tone and volume are all. You use your voice when you are writing and when you are supporting your writing and when you are just living. Embrace your voice as the instrument it is. Learn to use it and you will grow to trust it and wield it wisely. But don’t expect your voice to be the temple where we are expected to worship, because that’s just taking voice too far.

On the other hand, platforms rarely happen by accident. And they should be constructed and launched in conscious ways that make the most of a writer’s strengths and past successes. That’s why, when I wrote my second book, Get Known Before The Book Deal, we chose the subtitle, Use Your Personal Strengths To Grow An Author Platform. I fought for that subtitle and I’m glad I did. Because your platform is not just about your strengths, it’s about what you decide to do with them.

Therefore to understand your platform dynamic, you need to be aware of your strengths and you need to channel them in conscious ways that support the overall success of your writing career.

Your platform dynamic is not merely your writing, it’s your writing and everything else that you offer, the way you uniquely offer it. It’s what you do, how you do it, why you do it, whom you do it for, when you do it, where you do it, and whom you do it.

This is why, when all of the other writers in your genre are following one trend, you should buck that trend and turn inward and proceed in the way that is appropriate to your integrity.

Your platform dynamic springs from your most precious values. It do not suggest you merely start doing things because they are fashionable or even if they worked for another writer.

As a writer, you have to follow the dance of your creative spark in order to succeed. And as a writer with a ever-evolving platform, you have to consciously build step-by-step, day-by-day, growing stronger and more visible as your grow.

You may use your platform to establish a niche, develop a community, become a media mogul, or create connections. And all of these things are conscious choices that go way above and beyond a writer who posses a strong voice because you will use your platform dynamic to create the results you envision.

Certainly a writer’s voice comes into play in honing in on a platform dynamic but it’s not nearly enough information to go the distance. There is much more work to be done, and there is much interplay among the various steps, as I have described in my forthcoming book, The Writer’s Workout.

So, voice typically comes before platform dynamic, and voice can inform platform dynamic, but you can’t expect your voice to do all the heavy lifting in helping you become visible and stay viable in the marketplace. To expect this would be to put too much pressure on your wonderfully unique, but also delicate instrument.

Let your platform dynamic lead instead. It’s how you do anything and how you do everything. It’s who you uniquely are as a writing professional, and that reputation proceeds you everywhere you go anyway. Trust it and it will trust you back.

Questions about voice vs. platform dynamic? Put them in the comments and I will answer them in a future post.

~ Photo by sean dreilinger

I’m ba-ack. Both of our family vacations were awesome and now I’m back in the saddle and ready to get back to work!

First on my list is this reminder: there are only NINE more days to pre-order my new book, The Writer’s Workout and get entered into a drawing in which you can win an hour-long session of platform coaching!

And guess what? I have a brand new method of Platform Power Phone Coaching that kicks in beginning September 1st.

I hope you guys are up for it because you will never look at your own platform progress quite the same way once you’ve done it.

And here’s another reason to order today: I’m raising my rate for phone coaching as of September 1st, which makes this offer for free coaching a huge steal!

All you have to do to enter is pre-order The Writer’s Workout by August 31, 2011. And then e-mail me your receipt. (It’s okay if you order other things on the same receipt. Don’t worry about that.) Just don’t forget to e-mail me the receipt after you order! Please send your reciept to “katz christina @ comcast dot net.”

And thank you so much to all the people, who have already pre-ordered and entered the drawing. I really appreciate your support and wish you the best of luck in the drawing.

After September 1st, my Platform Power Phone Coaching rate will go up to $199/hour for non-students and $99/hour for former students. So don’t miss your chance to get quality coaching for the cost of a paperback. The winners will be announced on Tuesday, September 6th right here in this blog.

This offer is only available for the first 50 people who pre-order The Writer’s Workout and submit the receipt to me by the end of the month.

Look forward to working with all the folks who are ready to take their writing careers to the next level!

So, I was chatting with Hallie Ephron on Facebook today, when it occurred to me that I should really round up some of the thoughts I was sharing with her, which have dawned on me slowly over the past two years. So here we go, four big thoughts for you on the recent evolution of publishing:

Big Thought Number One: We have passed the tipping point. All Authors Are Also Publishers Now.

First there was J. A. Konrath carrying on like a character from a Shakesperean play (love you Joe, but you know you do sometimes).

Then there was Amanda Hocking, a pretty smart cookie and self-published author, who wants to parlay her self-publishing success into a traditional book deal. I wrote about her here.

And now there is Barry Eisler, walking away from a 500K deal and simultaneously telling the whole world why.

Is this alarming or confusing or both?

Not at all. It makes perfect sense. It’s been building up for a couple of years now.

Konrath has created what Seth Godin would call a tribe of self-publishing traditionally published and self-published authors, which will continue to grow.

I joined on a very small scale a year ago when I published my first e-book, Author Mama. It was scary as hell to publish myself but it was fun and exhilarating, as well. I was able to work with bloggers and fans to put out first a beta version of the e-book and then a final alpha version, proofed by initial readers.

The reason I bring up my own self-publishing experience, although empowering, is not because it taught me to say, “Screw the publishing industry! I’m out of here!” It didn’t.

I like and respect my publisher and the people who work for the company and have had a relationship with many of them for going on five years now.

Big Thought Number Two: Going With Traditional Or Self-Publishing Is A Choice & Authors Can Choose Either, Or & Both

Apparently Seth Godin is going to help me out this week with my Starbucks analogy:

Starbucks didn’t become Starbucks by getting discovered by Oprah Winfrey or being blessed by Warren Buffet when they only had a few stores. No, they plugged along. They raised bits of money here and there, flirted with disaster, added one store and then another, tweaked and measured and improved and repeated. Day by day, they dripped their way to success. No magic lottery. [Read the entire post here.]

So this week’s question for you is: What do people already thank you for? Not what value do you think you provide. Not what would you like to be at the center of your writing career.

Later in his post Godin says:

Here’s another way to think about it: delight the audience you already have, amaze the customers you can already reach, dazzle the small investors who already trust you enough to listen to you. Take the permission you have and work your way up. Leaps look good in the movies, but in fact, success is mostly about finding a path and walking it one step at a time.

So what have you specifically been thanked FOR?

There is crucial information in a thank you. I’d even say that there is crucial information in every thank you, from your very first to your very last, meaning your first day in business and your last day in business and every day in between.

Because if you are doing your job well, then you should be being thanked pretty consistently. And when you are thanked, this is a great opportunity to ask for more detailed feedback or a testimonial.

And then, over time, you start to notice patterns in the feedback you receive. And the consistency either tells you what you are doing right or where you need to improve.

So you tell us right here and right now: what are you doing right? Tell us what others tell you.

~ Photo by J. Star

Last week, I asked you what was at the center of your writing career.

Some people were confused. They responded with their passion, mission, or purpose.

That’s not what I was asking for. What I was asking for is what is at the center of what you OFFER?

In other words the answer is not about you or how you feel about what you offer. The answer is about what OTHERS perceive you offering.

If you are not in business yet, or you are not successful in business yet, it’s going to be difficult to answer this question. Because the question pertains not to what you want to do or hope to do, but what you deliver.

For example, you walk into Starbucks and you perceive them offering espresso because there is a big ol’ espresso machine right there in the middle of the espresso bar. Right?

You hand them money. The barista hands you something with espresso in it. (We’re just going to stick with espresso for now, but we’ll come back to the Chai, Strawberries and Cream, etc. later.)

So whatever you are offering makes a big impression on others too, or at least you hope it does.

For example, I said creating and teaching were at the center of what I offer. I create pieces of writing. I offer them as articles, curriculum, books, blog posts, e-zines, etc. So my espresso, or what’s at the center of all of this, is the creating of pieces of writing, each with a unique purpose and intention. That’s before I even do anything with them. This is what happens first, constantly, and is the key to my humble success.

This is kind of like the way Starbucks creates espresso drinks. Will you look at what they can do?

They can give it to you hot or cold. They can give it to you with milk (or variations of milk). They can give it to you with chocolate or carmel. They can give it to you big or small. They can give it to you straight, with hot milk, steamed milk, or just foam. They can give it to you iced, iced with milk, or whipped with ice and milk-y stuff into a frappé.

Clearly, you can see, when it come to what they do with their espresso, Starbucks is not messing around.

They are going to give it to you exactly the way you want it and this concept is built into their business model. It’s the sheer variety of what Starbucks can do with a shot of espresso that makes them so brilliant as an enterprise.

So.

We come back to you.

Back to question number one: What is at the center of what you offer? (What is your espresso?)

And on to question number two: How many ways are you offering what you offer?

And while we are on the topic, which ways are the most successful for you?

~ Photo by CoffeeGeek

Simple question, right? But perhaps not so easy to answer.

For example, creativity is at the center of my writing career.

That means the part of my work that I love the most is the creating part (often this is writing but not always).

Right after creating, I value the teaching part of what I do.

If I were Starbucks, creating would be my perfect shot of espresso.

Following closely by teaching (the perfect espresso shot plus hot milk).

After teaching, I have to pause and rub my chin for a minute. But if I’m being totally honest, platform building (aka marketing–go ahead and think I’m shallow) is another favorite job of mine.

Platform building is like my…cappucino, if we continue with the Starbucks analogy.

And by the Starbucks analogy, I mean I have one key thing at the center of what I do. Just like Starbucks has that killer shot of espresso at the center of what they do.

I don’t care if they started with drip coffee. (I’m not sure what they started with, actually.) It’s all about the espresso now.

And since my creativity is only limited by my imagination, I feel like I have infinite options of how to proceed in my writing career.

I mean how many different drinks can you make with an espresso shot?

Plenty.

Therefore, the onus is on me to make good choices.

Good choices with my topics, my audiences, my time, and my publishing partners. The same applies to making good choices as a teacher and as a platform builder.

Frankly, it’s a lot to juggle. Fortunately, last year, I pared way back to just the things that bring me the most satisfaction.

Like Simon Cowell, it got to the point in several of my endeavors where I was phoning it in. And that didn’t feel good. I felt stuck. Burdened. Over-committed.

So I made better choices and now here I am feeling as optimistic as a shot of espresso in the Pacific Northwest.

What’s at the center of your writing career? (Feel free to borrow my Starbucks analogy. I’m going to keep using it too.)

Photo by CoffeeGeek

Ever been called a “joiner”?

Well, good for you, because writers who are willing to connect and mix with other writers tend to be happier and more productive than writers who isolate themselves or resist networking with peers. And joiners also have an easier time becoming known.

Have you taken a few hours to think about which associations might make the most sense for you to join? When it comes to joining associations, it’s really not the quantity, but the quality of your relationship with the association that counts.

Here are ten good reasons why you should make time to identify three associations you can join and get to know better:

Memberships…

…are typically inexpensive.

…grant you access to like-minded others.

…augment your professional status.

…allow you to interact with members of your audience.

…help you keep up with the latest industry trends.

…earn you a reduced rate for continuing education.

…sometimes offer additional benefits like insurance or legal assistance.

…serve as a newswire for professional achievements.

…can act as networking hubs.

…provide opportunities to give back to your professional community.

Membership organizations are not all created equally and, most often, they are only as good, friendly, and helpful as the people who run the network.

I’ve made it a personal policy to choose only the membership associations with the friendliest administrators, the best resources for members, and most apparent win-win attitudes towards partnering with members.

Why not? There are so many writing associations to choose from. I don’t have time for rude or aloof administrators, crummy resources I can beat with a Google search, or organizations only interested in their own earnings who refuse to share even a modest honorarium with authors or other professionals who provide services for their members.

For example, one organization I heartily endorse is Willamette Writers because they are always membership focused, not me merely Willamette Writers focused.

Another great membership organization, whose conference I’ve not yet attended but whose administrators have been a joy to communicate with is the Oklahoma Writers’ Federation.

And another great “association” that is actually not an association at all, but still manages to be a treasure trove of great resources and networking opportunities for writers, is Writer’s Digest. Obviously I’m biased, since I’m a Writer’s Digest author. But I think if you look closely at the Writer’s Digest offerings, you’ll see that they are setting an exemplary tone and offering a bevy of resources for writers of all experience levels. If you want to take advantage of a membership-like status with Writer’s Digest, you can sign up to become a VIP Member. [See the badge over there in the right-hand column of this blog to get more info. >>>]

You will see me buzzing these organizations a lot wherever I go because they understand one thing that we can all stand to remember: good news travels fast. And you will likely hear “the good news” repeatedly until you decide to become a member. And if you’re not hearing any good news or member buzz, then maybe think twice about an organization or do some more research before you opt in.

Next year, after you’ve been a member for a full membership cycle, assess how valuable your association was for your career. Naturally, you get back to a certain extent what you put in. So don’t sit back and expect an association to do for you. Associations can only give back, when you also invest.

But you’ll never know until you take a membership association for a test-drive.

Have fun, have good boundaries, and enjoy the ride!

[This post has been updated from a 2009 post that appeared in the old Get Known Before the Book Deal blog.]

Before writers establish an author platform, they typically establish a writer platform. Over the past decade, thousands of writers have parlayed established influence into traditional book deals. Landing a traditional book deal is still an effective way to exponentially increase your credibility and visibility.

Your “platform” refers to what you do in the world with your professional expertise that makes you visible and influential in the world. Having friends on Facebook or followers on Twitter is not your platform, unless the majority of those people know who you are, what you do, and are enthusiastic about your work.

I thought I would offer some advice about how to slowly and steadily establish a lasting platform. You may note the lack of fanaticism in this advice and the emphasis on enduring success instead. I’m a mother and a wife, a freelancer, a speaker, a teacher, and a blogger, so aiming for balance is the only way I can afford to work if I plan on sticking around for the long haul.

This advice has worked consistently for my students over the past several years. I think you will find that a grounded, step-by-step approach works just as well for you if you choose to follow it:

1. Develop a platform topic that you love and can work on tirelessly for the next few years. Your passion of the moment should come in second to the topic you could delve into deeply for a good, long time. Prior professional education and a depth of personal experience are going to be a boon to your platform if you have an eye on a future book deal.
2. Hang back from establishing a blog on your topic until you have cultivated a wealth of content and experience working with others on specialty-related activities that lend credibility and trust to your name. Others will tell you to start blogging immediately, but don’t, if you want to be efficient with your time and money.
3. Instead, gain authority by seeking publication in established, highly visible publications both in print and online that serve your target audience. Avoid the kind of publishing that anyone can accomplish, like posting on article sites, and work on your professional communication skills instead. By all means, avoid the content mills offering writers slave wages with the promise of future earnings.
4. Don’t begin any kind of marketing campaign for any product or service offerings until you have established yourself as a go-to person on your topic, again saving you time and money. Before you look at ways to serve others directly, channel your expertise into the best service methods possible based on your strengths and weaknesses. This is a meaty topic that is covered in-depth in my book, Get Known Before the Book Deal, Use Your Personal Strengths to Grow an Author Platform (Writer’s Digest Books 2008).
5. Then, develop a product or service that can become one of several multiple income streams over time that will support your goal of becoming a published author. For example, teaching classes over the years has allowed me to re-invest more of the money I earn from writing books back into book marketing. Make sure any offerings you produce are released conscientiously and are integrated into the professional writing you already do. Otherwise, you will seem like you are all over the place and just trying to score a buck.
6. Don’t expect your platform to support you financially for at least one or two years, as you micro-invest in it, re-invest in it as it grows, and expand your visibility.
7. Once you have a professional publication track record in your niche topic, then it’s time to hang your online shingle. I’ve seen this accomplished in as little as six months by exceptionally focused students. Take a portion of the money you’ve earned writing and invest it in a professional quality online presence.
8. A low-cost way to do this is to purchase your name as a URL and use a hosting site like GoDaddy.com to host a Wordpress.org blog. I use the Thesis Theme, which you can see in action at my blog. In this way, a blog can also serve as your website where you post your published clips, offerings and bio. If you don’t have a ton of money to invest in the look of your site, you can always pay a designer later.
9. Delay partnering with others on joint ventures until you have a clear idea of your own strengths and weaknesses in and around your topic. And when you do partner with others be extremely discriminating. Make sure the partnership is going to be win-win-win for everyone involved.
10. Start an e-mail newsletter or e-zine with those who are most interested in your topic. Build your list by invitation and then grow it into a permission-based following over time. Create an expected, ongoing dialogue that is mutually beneficial to everyone involved and your list will grow.
11. Now you are ready to start blogging. And yes, I mean while you continue to do all the things we’ve already discussed. Be sure to zoom-focus your blog on what you have to add to the conversation that is already going on about your topic. Don’t just share information; make an impact. Make your blog a go-to, up-to-date resource for your audience.
12. Partner selectively with others who serve the same general audience that you do with integrity and humility. Spend time getting to know folks before you decide to partner with them. You can’t afford to taint the reputation you have worked so hard to establish by partnering with just anyone.
13. Now that you have an established niche and audience, definitely participate in social networking. I like Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn because they all offer something unique. The best way to learn is to jump in, spend an hour online each week until you are up and running. Follow the instructions for getting started provided by social media expert Meryl K. Evans.

This start-up plan for a writer platform will eventually blossom into an author platform. From start to finish, implementing a solid platform following this advice should take you about a year. By the end of that year, you will have established yourself as a serious contender in both professional and online circles, without killing yourself for some huckster’s promise of overnight success.

Have a plan. Leave a legacy in words, connections and professional influence. If you are consistent, by the time the year is done, you will have made effective use of your time and money in 2010.

I wish you the best of luck in your platform-building efforts!

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