This document provides tips and strategies for building an author platform that lasts. It emphasizes establishing longevity and consistency in platform activities rather than focusing on frequency alone. Specific recommendations include identifying communities for conversation and engagement, finding a sustainable content creation rhythm, and connecting all platform elements together to drive traffic back to the author. The document also discusses different types of engagement, direct sales opportunities, and analytics tools for authors.
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Create an Author Platform That's Built to Last
1. Create an Author Platform
That’s Built to Last
Anne Hill
CreativeContentCoaching.com
BAIPA Presentation 6/8/13
2. Marketing Lessons for Authors
1. It’s never too late to get in the game
(if you have something to say)
1. The best platform strategies don’t exist yet
(start where you are and grow from there)
1. Longevity and Consistency Trump Frequency
(get out of your own way, and just keep going!)
3. Longevity + Consistency > Frequency
Longevity: How long your domain has been
registered, how long your site has been up,
when you first started blogging.
Consistency: Establish a rhythm of posts and
updates, whether it is 1x/week or 1x/month.
Keep coming back no matter what.
4. An Author-Centric View of Publishing
Christine Walker - SeeShape.combitly.com/authorcentric
18. Conversation: Be Visible & Findable
• Interactions with colleagues and friends
• Find and connect with readers
• Find and connect with influencers
• Discover and engage with referrers
19. Conversation: Building Your Community
• Try out different online (& offline) communities
• Lots of startups as well as the “usual suspects”
• Look for where good conversations happen
• Some are writing-centric, or review-centric
• For fiction as well as non-fiction authors
• Many include ecommerce solutions, too
20. Communities: The Usual Suspects
• Blogs, blog comments
• Twitter (tweetchats, live tweeting)
• LinkedIn (lots of great groups)
• Facebook (page vs. profile smackdown!)
• Google+, YouTube
• Pinterest
• Reddit
• In-person events and groups
22. Communities: Places to Write
• Redlemona.de (Vanessa Veselka)
• Wattpad.com
• Figment.com
• Fictionaut.com
• Byliner.com (Margaret Atwood)
“Most of the people I know are either geniuses at self-promotion or refuse to touch it and rely
on the publishers.” —Vanessa Veselka, author of Zazen, PEN Award Winner for Debut Fiction
23. Continuity: Making Connections
• Connect all the planks in your platform
• This includes ebooks and other cloud assets
• Strengthen what works first, then add more
• All traffic should flow back to you
• Don’t start if you can’t maintain
24. Continuity: Find Your Rhythm
• Focus on content stream at a sustainable pace
• Posts can do double or triple duty, sometimes
• Blog workflow: post, broadcast, email
• Press releases, Google alerts
• “Social Proof,” About page, ways to stay in touch
• If you don’t like it, you’ll never keep at it
25. Conversion: The Ask and the Return
• Create your strategy from platform goal
• Each step is a different conversion point
• SEO is important, but focus on original content
• Analytics: obsess about numbers 1x/month
• Book Launch essentials: followers, fans, advocates
• Get used to bold language, practice reframing
• “You know, it makes a great gift” —Al Franken
• Direct sales on your site