Like Greenwich Mean Time, Jane Friedman is typically right.

I love Jane Friedman. She is a friend of mine. So the title of this post is mainly to provoke gasps of horror from her many loyal fans.

Did it work?

I am joking, of course, because Jane Friedman is rarely wrong about anything…and she’s not really wrong this time, either.

However much I love and respect Jane, I disagree in spirit, though not in theory, with her latest blog post over at Writer Unboxed, where she discusses the value vs. the distraction of platform building.

The reason is because writers are going to take what she is saying the wrong way.

She states:

If you’re a totally new, unpublished writer who is focused on fiction, memoir, poetry, or any type of narrative-driven work, forget you ever heard the word platform. I think it’s causing more damage than good. It’s causing writers to do things that they dislike (even hate), and that are unnatural for them at an early stage of their careers. They’re confused, for good reason, and platform building grows into a raging distraction from the work at hand—the writing.

I partially disagree with this statement, but not entirely. In my latest book, The Writer’s Workout, I state that writing always goes at the center of your writing career.

After all, you can’t have a writing career without writing, right?

Writers need to remind ourselves of this important career emphasis over and over and over, because we often prefer having written already over having more to write.

Bottom line, if you are not writing, then you likely do not have a writing career. Therefore, in this sense, Jane is absolutely right.

If you are not already writing, forget platform because there is no point in building one. You cannot describe what does not already exist. If you want a writing career, you need to write, first and foremost.

And believe you-me, there are plenty of writers, who would like to have the results of veteran writers after dabbling with their own writing for about oh, a year or two. But this idea that we get to write a little and then achieve enormous results for our meager efforts, is naive—and no amount of platform development is going to change that.

In other words, where you stand professionally in the vast scheme of writing and publishing is likely apparent to everyone, certainly it is apparent to everyone in the industry.

So be honest, are you planning to stick around or not? If publishing success is supposed to deliver you from your everyday existence to some imagined fantasy of fame, you don’t have to give up trying to get published, but you do need to give up that particular fantasy or you will suffer for it.

You are either in the writing and publishing game for the long haul, because you are here to become a total pro, or you are just visiting. If you are just visiting, you are probably going to quit if you don’t get huge results from your first efforts.

However, if you are in for the long haul, then you will need a platform, and I can tell you when it makes the most sense to start building one…in just a sec.

But first, in the same post, Jane further states:

Therefore, build your platform by writing and publishing in outlets that are a good fit for you, lead to professional growth, and build your network. The other pieces will start to fall into place. It might take longer, but who cares if you’re feeling productive and enjoying yourself? Go be a writer and take a chance on the writing. Writing and publishing good work always supports the growth of your platform—and I’m willing to bet more valuable platform building will get done that way, especially for narrative-driven writers.

Well, this sure sounds to me like put your writing at the center of your writing career. But it also points out something obvious that writers typically forget: publication credits are part of your platform development. So writing is not only your primary business, it also builds your platform.

So all of the writing you do in your targeted genres and niches are wins for your platform and your career in both the short and long runs. In The Writer’s Workout I discuss how this all adds up to a writer’s body of work and what a writer can do to leverage that body of work. Writing careers are complicated today and so much of success has to do with synergizing and leveraging all of the hard work you have already done.

So again, Jane and I agree. And at some point, my dear writer, after you have published enough work, and certainly, if you are considering approaching agents and editors, then you will need to have a platform to evidence your track record and professionalism for the rest of the world. Otherwise, you are the only one who knows the full scope of it.

And if you have not yet built a platform, or at least done the prep work, you are going to be pretty stumped when the agent sitting across from you at your next writing conference says to you, “What’s your platform?” Because if you haven’t done your platform due diligence, you are not going to know the answers to that question. And the agent is going to take you more seriously if you have a realistic idea of your place in the publishing universe.

Did you notice the use of the word “realistic” in that last sentence?

Just checking.

In The Writer’s Workout, I put platform development into its appropriate timing for writers. The appropriate time is whenever is most appropriate for the writer’s professional advancement. The appropriate way is whatever ways works best for the writer and the writer’s professional career advancement.

Here’s a bit of what I said on this topic from The Writer’s Workout (emphasis added):

Clear enough? I think so.

Common wisdom says that if you know yourself well enough, you can understand the whole world. This very much applies to writers and platform development. Know who you are and what you have to offer and you will not only understand yourself, you will also better understand your place in the real world and the publishing world.

Here are a few more things writers need to understand about platform that might get them going sooner, rather than later in working on their platforms, also from The Writer’s Workout (emphasis added):

Get it?

Just like your writing is not separate from your platform, your platform is not separate from your creative process. Once you have built and start using a solid, authentic platform in your career, you will intuitively get this. Translated for me personally this means, I would be no where in my writing career, if I had not started platform building very early on and stuck with it consistently.

So finally, after a very long post, here are a few signs that it may be time to start thinking seriously about platform development, no matter what kind of writer you are:

• You have a body of work you are ready to share
• You want to share what you have to offer and connect with folks who are looking for it
• You want to better understand who you are as a writer and what more you have to offer
• You want to find your unique strengths in informing, educating, and inspiring readers by doing it
• You want to leave a trail of breadcrumbs so that folks, who might be interested in you and what you write, can find you
• You are feeling frustrated, cut-off, or too limited in the writing that you have been doing and you want to open your career up to more possibilities
• You are done dabbling and you are ready to take yourself more seriously and therefore more professionally
• You understand that a writer’s platform is a journey, not an event, and you are ready to embark on the process
• You want to start an international dialogue about something you are passionate about
• You have creative potential and you are ready to plant the seeds of it in solid ground, so your potential can grow and thrive and eventually become as big as it is meant to be

So long story short, Jane is right. But her conclusion is kind of wrong in my book (literally). And what writers might take from what she said, could be totally off base.

Writing is not only a crucial part of your platform, writing is at the center of your career. And whether you intend to self-publish or traditionally publish or both (also discussed in The Writer’s Workout), you need a platform as much as you need a home to write in.

Writing comes through the minds of writers, but eventually our brainchildren need to grow up and leave home and enter the world. And the place where they go to live, beyond the shelter of your loving attention, is not just to the bookstore, it’s initially to your writer platform. Your platform will become the place, if it has not already, where the best of what you have to offer goes to interface with the world, so it can grow ever larger and make whatever impact it is meant to make with all of the other minds on the planet…whether it ever hits the bookstore or not.

I am the author of Get Known Before The Book Deal (book 2008 Writer’s Digest Books), Discover Your Platform Potential (e-book 2011), Discover Your Specialty & Launch Your Platform (e-mail class since 2007), and most recently The Writer’s Workout (book 2011 Writer’s Digest Books).

Today marks six years since my first traditionally published book, Writer Mama, How To Raise A Writing Career Alongside Your Kids, was published by Writer’s Digest Books.

For me, the anniversary of Writer Mama commemorates not just six years of creating teaching-learning contexts for mom writers; it also commemorates twelve years of caring deeply about and working with intelligent, thoughtful mom writers locally, regionally, nationally and internationally.

There is nothing like updating your website to refresh your memory of all the hard work you have done, and since I have recently done this, so let me share a summary of some of the positive impact I have made in the literary lives of moms over the past, not just six, but twelve years since I first started teaching.

Here is a partial list of some of the work I’ve done with moms in addition to writing and promoting the book, Writer Mama:

The Writer Mama Scholarship, a full-boat, merit-based scholarship to every single one of my Writing & Publishing The Short Stuff classes since January 2008. I have given away thousands of dollars worth of classes and devoted countless hours to working with mom writers who could not afford my class.  LINK

Author Mama, How I Became A Published Author & How You Can Too (e-book 2010). I wrote this e-book in an attempt to help mom writers understand what is really required in writing a traditionally published book and working with a publisher. I get the feeling that most still don’t believe me until they actually do it. Author Mama outlines a way to embrace and own the process. LINK

Write For Regional Parenting Publications For Fun & Profit (e-book 2013) This beta version e-book is the most recent addition to my body of work, however it has a long history that goes all the way back twelve years. I still remember some of the first Regional Parenting Article I published and some of the first my students published after working with me. I dedicated this e-book to my scholarship students because I have always wanted to help them find an inexpensive way to get started working their writing-for-publication muscles. This e-book is like one-on-one coaching with me on this topic for only $9.99.   LINK

The Writer Mama, Every-Day-In-May Book Giveaway Since 2007 (except for 2010), I have hosted a daily book giveaway featuring mom authors. This event is always an inspiring blast for those who participate, and a great way for me to keep in touch with the huge number of the productive, professional author moms I have encountered in my networking and travels over the years. LINK

Must-read Books by Women Writers Inspired by the popularity of my list of movies about writers and my passion for women writers, I decided to start crowd-sourcing a list of Must-read Books For Women Writers. This list now also contains lists of other roundup lists. Browse it when you have time and add some suggestions of your own in the comments. LINK

Writing & Publishing The Short Stuff (Especially For Moms) This is my six-week writing class. Take it when you are ready to focus a few hours each week on creating publishable writing. I critique all the writing you do in this class. Most students who complete the work from this class and submit it have had their writing from this class published. Learn More

WPSS Dream Team This is my five-month Dream Team—a group of motivated mom writers who are ready to get their work from my WPSS class published and are willing to write and submit steadily for five months. This is where they get to apply everything they learned in WPSS and put it into continuous practice while getting all of their questions answered as we go along. I am going into my third year of coaching mom writers in this manner this fall and I am very pleased with the measurable results my hardworking students have achieved. Learn More

Advanced Classes Once you have the basics of writing and submitting down, take a look at my advanced classes and see if any of them interest you. After WPSS, I usually suggest either 60 Ways To Flex Your Content & Prosper In Your Niche or the WPSS Dream Team. The writers who produce the most, typically do both. My classes teach important core skills for writers like craft, sales, specializing, platform development, ongoing content generation, micro-publishing, and how to become your own imprint. I offer a discount for returning students, and I offer an even larger discount for students who take classes while also taking a Dream Team with me. Learn More

Advanced Dream Teams Writers who work with me over time advance their way up the Dream Team ranks. I have three levels of Dream Teams. Beginning, Intermediate, and Advanced. The amount of money writers earn typically increases as they advance up the ranks. There is nothing I enjoy more than working with like-minded, hard-working mom writers, like myself who are building professional ownership of our careers. Learn More

The latest of over a dozen e-books launched by my students. View them all by clicking on this image.

Authorhood Many writers who have worked with me have either been traditionally published or are on their way to having the option of being traditionally published by building their body of work, platform, and professional publishing skills over time. You can view a list of some of my students’ published work here. Most writers have absolutely no idea how much skill and work it takes to achieve sustainable success in writing and publishing—and this naivete can really cost them because there are plenty of people who would like to take advantage of their dream of becoming an author. I am not one of those people. By the time my students are ready for authorhood, they are already authors in their own right and they already earn money on their own terms. And this ownership of their writing careers cannot be leveraged away from them in another’s favor. Of all of things I have ever accomplished working with mom writers, this is my proudest accomplishment.

21 Moments Monthly Writing Challenge If you want to get writing but you are not necessarily interested in publication or in a hurry to get there, this monthly writing challenge is an inexpensive way for moms to get started. There are three monthly rounds of the challenge so far and the process is open for those who write nonfiction, fiction, poetry and scripts. At the end of each round, I hold a competition and choose the five best moments to share with future participants. The process is inspiring, empowering and fun. Learn More

I understand that women are often dismissed because we are women. I understand that moms can be marginalized, have our hard work appropriated, and can seem powerless and easy to exploit because we are busy with the important business of raising future citizens.

I have a long, deep, proud history of devoting myself to, challenging in an even-handed way, and working with mom writers. Not only do I champion mom writers, I understand our crucial role in the future of publishing. And it sure as heck isn’t to be treated the way corporations have tried to treat mom bloggers.

My readers are going to hear a lot more about the depth and scope of my ideas in the months and years to come. Many of my contributions are significant, important, and valuable in terms of where authors stand in our current evolution as micro-publishers, global enterprises, and a healthy, thriving, creative collective force in the world.

So thank you so much for supporting my work thus far. I hope you will stick around because I am just getting warmed up.

…destructiveness.

That’s what I have seen.

A very wise man I knew many years ago taught me that the opposite of create is cremate.

We can create or we can destroy. And it all springs from the same impulse.

In the end, you are either going to have the fruits of something wonderful…or an unholy mess.

So maybe the reason we want to beat the you-know-what out of someone (with our words or our fists or our social mafias) is because we can’t face the blank page or the blank canvas or can’t stand opening our mouths and saying what needs to expressed safely.

I think people who are destructive are frustrated beyond words…and looking for someone to take the heat.

I’d rather hang out with the creative people, while accepting that being creative does not make us perfect or put us on pedestals.

The choice is always ours at any moment.

We can create. Or we can self-destruct or destroy.

Wisdom comes from knowing the difference between constructive and destructive impulses.

If it’s constructive, say it, do it, dare to.

If it’s destructive, think twice. Because bad intentions will come right back around at you.

Karma seems to move faster today. It’s like the Universe is running out of patience.

We need to wake up faster. We need to stop dinking around and get on track and stay on track—whatever that means for us.

Life on earth is process, not perfection. If your focus gets all screwed up, take a break and get your head screwed on straight, and then get back in the game as calmly as you can.

This is no time for hissy fits; not while there is real work to be done.

Not when there is your work to be done.

I am very pleased, almost six years to the day after the launch day of my first book Writer Mama, to announce the launch of my second e-book, Write For Regional Parenting Publications For Fun & Profit.

This is the first e-book I have self-published since I published Author Mama in 2010—and boy was that a big learning curve. This time I have a slight advantage—I have helped over a dozen writers publish their own high-quality e-books. So between this and writing three traditionally published books for Writer’s Digest, not to mention an e-workbook, I am getting the hang of this by now.

I am following the same pattern that I did with Author Mama and publishing Write For Regional Parenting Publications For Fun & Profit in a Beta edition first, and then launching the final, corrected e-book in two weeks. Keep reading to find out what you can win if you participate in giving me feedback on the e-book.

This e-book has been a long time coming. I started writing for regional parenting publications twelve years ago when my family was living in Bellingham, Washington, and Northwest Family provided me with one of my early clips for “The Art of Making Time For Yourself.” (Maybe some of you have heard of this article?)

I was writing for other types of publications at that time and since, but there is something very special and especially fun about writing for regional parenting publications. The process has always held a warm place in my heart, even though I started writing for “the regionals” before I became a parent myself.

Fast-forward twelve years and I still love writing for regional parenting publications. I also still love teaching and coaching mom writers to do the same and much more. The success rates that my long-term students are accomplishing would impress anyone. I feel very proud of the contributions that I have made to mom writer publishing success, in general and personally, and all on top of my own publishing successes.

So thank you for joining me in welcoming this new addition into my book/e-book family. It has been a dream of mine to publish an e-book like this for many years, and you can read about why in the dedication of the e-book.

And now, drum roll, please…! Folks who purchase the e-book in the next two weeks will receive a feedback form. Everyone who completes and submits a feedback form will be entered into a random drawing for a spot in my May 2013 Writing & Publishing The Short Stuff class. LINK

If you know me, you know it is highly unusual for me to give away a spot to my coveted WPSS class and this will not take the place of the scholarship recipient for the upcoming round. I just thought, since the class is compatible with the goals of readers of this e-book, I would make an exception. And, of course, you are under no pressure to take the class if you do not wish to or already have. If the winner does not wish to take the class, I will simply draw another person. Folks who have already taken the class can have an hour of free coaching instead.

E-books are now available for automatic download upon purchase. Thank you for purchasing a copy for yourself and letting all of your writing friends know about the e-book. I look forward to the feedback from folks who wish to participate and to delivering the final edition on March 25th.

Click here to purchase Write For Regional Parenting Publications For Fun & Profit:

Happy spring, writers.

Hope this e-book helps a whole lot more parent writers to spring forward in your writing careers!

Writing rules. Self-promotion drools. Isn’t this how most writers think?

But as long as you view your writing as art and your self-promotion efforts as the furthest thing from art, your chances of ramping up a successful 21st-century writing career are going to remain slim to none.

These days, there’s an art to writing and an art to self-promotion. From the moment you start putting words to the page, it’s never too early to start thinking about how you’re going to share them. And once you begin to see your writing and promotional efforts as equally artful, something wonderful starts to happen: You find readers.

Books aren’t written overnight—they’re developed one day at a time. And it’s the same with our platforms, which comprise all the ways we make ourselves visible to our readers. The idea that you need a platform might seem overwhelming at first. But if you consistently take small steps to put yourself out there, before you know it, you’ll have built a strong, sturdy foundation for your work.

So, if you’re the kind of writer who prefers being read to being unknown (who doesn’t?), here are 50 quick, simple ways to launch your platform into action. Think of each small step as a giant leap toward finding readers—and a fun, rewarding opportunity to share your hard-wrought words with others.

This lead is from my article of the same name for Writer’s Digest Magazine.

Read the whole article at WritersDigest.com

I have always had the ability to listen to other people’s ideas and sort the straw from the gold. One of my students recently asked me how I do it.

The whole answer is: I have no idea. I would say it’s probably a knack. I am an idea person and an idea lover, so I likely enjoy the brainstorming process more than most.

But I suppose I should give my experience credit where credit is due. If you write for publication for twelve years, and your publishers include magazines, online publications, book publishers and yourself,  anybody would likely develop a sixth sense for good ideas.

What my students probably need to hear is that the ideas that I get most excited about are their freshest ideas. Aren’t fresh ideas always what everyone gets most excited about?

You have probably heard the expression, you can’t solve the problem at the level of the problem. Well, the same is true of ideas. If an idea is fresh, it rises above common circumstances and offers a whole new view. Typically a fresh take on a topic is what gives the reader an AHA! experience.

So, how do I ferret out my student’s best ideas in my 60 Ways To Flex Your Content class?

I look for the aha. And when I don’t see it, I ask for it. And it’s usually either right there or just below the surface if you dig a little.

If you want to find your Aha! ideas, you have to get your ideas down on paper, first. This is what I ask my students to do in my 60 Ways To Flex Your Content & Prosper In Your Niche class. Before you can develop the habit of recognizing good ideas, you need a practice for getting all of your ideas out and on the page, first. First thing’s first. Without the first practice, the second practice doesn’t happen.

So maybe it feels like I have a crystal ball and I can just see all the good ideas in there and my students can’t see them. But that’s not the case, because those who take 60 Ways uncover their best ideas and then execute them and get them published—and that’s how a new crystal ball is created…in them. Because once you brainstorm and write a few truly fresh ideas, you are able to do it again and again.

I love my 60 Ways class because it’s a ton of fun. And if you have already taken classes with me, you might think so too. Here’s what some recent students had to say about it:

The 60 Ways class gave me a system that I can run an idea through and wring out every possible writing angle from it. Her added feedback helped me see saleable article possibilities in my writing ideas I never considered before.  ~ Kim T.

I’ll be using Christina’s template as a part of my process for generating ideas for years to come – invaluable! I also learned the value of digging deeply into a topic and pushing myself to think creatively about how to communicate areas of interest to me.  ~ Tanya W.

60 Ways is one of the best writing classes I have taken. During the six weeks I brainstormed a ton of sellable ideas and was motivated to submit many of them. ~ Stacey L.

The taskmaster/coach does it again…thanks for providing the structure, expertise, and upbeat attitude that helps me keep moving forward with my writing goals.  ~ Heather V.

This course was a huge confidence booster. The process I learned is one that I will return to again and again. ~ Sue L.

There is a lot of banter online about what a platform is and isn’t these days.

So much of this debate feels like a colossal waste of time to me.

I’m sorry. I can’t help it. I’d rather just do the work, or at least work with folks who want to do the work, rather than merely talk about it.

Why would you spend your time debating what a platform is and isn’t, when you could create one and show us instead?

Much of the debate seems to center around who is going to have ownership of your platform, and I can answer that in four words.

You own your platform.

Your platform is not owned by anyone else. Your platform is the center of your creativity and your prosperity.

Your lack of platform is likely the cause of your lack of prosperity and lack of strong identity in the marketplace.

Happy, productive, profitable creatives have platforms.

Crabby, complaining, blocked creatives don’t.

Bottom line: if you want to create ownership of your writing career it’s going to take some time. You are going to have to work hard, at first, to develop and build your platform. And then you will invest energy regularly to maintain it.

But I can promise you one thing: of all the work you do in your writing career, you will have the most fun working on your platform and growing it into something significant and valuable. Because platform-development is all about self-discovery and personal power, first. Before you connect with others, you need to identity the best of what you have to offer.

Nobody can hand you the empowering feeling of ownership that platform brings. You have to build it. And an increased sense of purpose and self-confidence makes it worth every dollar and every minute you invest.

If you are ready, I hope you will join me for my popular class, Discover Your Specialty & Launch Your Platform starting Wednesday, March 6th.

Here’s what recent students have had to say about it:

Before this course, I was in a quagmire about what to write and where to go with it. Because of this class and Christina’s guidance, I am not only clear about what future novels I wish, but also am learning to expand into non-fiction.  ~ Kim T-B

If you do the work, this is the kind of class that delves deep not only your writing but your soul, so that you emerge with a clear description of who you are and where you’re going. Writers, filmmakers, journalists, entrepreneurs, anyone who’s looking to create a presence in the world – take this class, you won’t regret it!  ~ Dorothy K.

Christina’s feedback pushed me to dig deeply and think creatively about my platform. She helped me to realize that if I’m not focused on serving my clients, I’m not going to feel satisfied about my work or be very successful at it. Her comments helped me feel the freedom to own my gifts and passions while still reaching out to clients.  ~ Marianne P.

Discover Your Specialty & Launch Your Platform has been a breakthrough class. Even though I’ve been coaching for a few years now, I feel so much clearer today about who I am as an author and where I’d like to go than I have before. I highly recommend this class.  ~ Sophie B.

If you are a mom writer and you are looking to get started with your writing career or get back into your writing career or expand your writing career, I would love to work with you in my upcoming Writing & Publishing The Short Stuff class, which starts on Wednesday.

But don’t take my word for it. Here is what recent participants have to say:

I would recommend Christina’s class to anyone– in a heartbeat! If you are looking to expand your audience, get published regionally, or just simply learn to put polish and shine the writing work you are currently working on or have accomplished, take this class! You won’t regret it! ~ Tacy B.

Really great class!  Succinct, and yet, you have to do your part. This is not a read only, then just write whatever you want type of class. I found the instruction and the examples really useful for comparing my own homework. They acted a bit as a guide for me, which I really appreciated. Highly recommend for the money! ~ JuliAnne M.

This Course helped me “get my head in the game” and helped to define and shape what a professional writer vs. hobby writer content looks like for me. Christina’s feedback was timely, constructive and professional. She really invests in our success, thank you! ~ Teia C.

I took this class because I am interested in seeking out freelance writing opportunities but I had no idea where to begin. Before taking this class I did not realize there are so many different types of short pieces to submit, nor did I ever even consider submitting to regional publications. Now I have learned the tools to write quality submissions and cover letters and I know the process for submission. Additionally, the resource and contact list provided are a huge bonus. ~ Alexa B.

Christina Katz offers the perfect blend of no-nonsense constructive criticism and supportive, encouraging feedback for the developing writer. I’m more confident that my articles will be accepted for publication now that I’ve taken this class. ~ Elizabeth B.

Learn more about Writing & Publishing the Short Stuff here.

I have noticed that it’s not the big things but the little things that go a long way in any successful business.

I am sure you have noticed the same.

For example…

1. Care

2. Be gracious

3. Be cheerful

4. Expect the best from others and yourself

5. Be concise

6. And precise

7. Be specific

8. And encouraging

9. Yet realistic

10. Be present

11. Be hands-on

12. Be as responsive as you can

13. Maintain healthy boundaries

14. Ask for feedback and take it seriously

15. Keep track of what’s going well

16. Grow in that direction

17. Address what needs to be taken care of

18. Try not to take things personally

19. And if you do, take a step back and rest

20. Work with enthusiasm but not to exhaustion

21. Cherish what you create

22. Enjoy the people you work with

23. Relish your work

24. Keep growing