Why ‘Author Platforms’ Freak out Aspiring Authors
So many aspiring authors have asked me this over the years that I thought it might be time to write a book on the subject. Since people are terrified into inaction by the strange concepts of the ‘inner world’ of the writing industry. Terms like ‘WIP’ and Author Platform’ hit newbie writers like a rubber band between the eyes. They’re scared to ask ‘what does that MEAN?’ They scurry off to Google for help and find various levels of complexity about which to worry further … then I get a DM on Twitter with a plaintive ‘help’ that’s extrapolated into an ‘I don’t know anything and who am I to consider myself a writer and I will never be an author and I only ever wanted to be an author and I will never be clever/shiny/popular/legendary enough to be one and … help!!!’ That, but in fewer characters, or more than one direct message.
The Solution
Given all that, I thought it might be fun to strip away the pretensions and deliver it straight. No faffing about. No nonsense. You know when you sift through a ‘how to’ book and try to find the chapters in which something valuable is actually said? I just wrote those ones. I wanted ‘How to Build an Author Platform (Using Social Media)’ to be the kind of book you could read in an afternoon, implement in an evening, and start seeing results by lunchtime the following day.
So, if you’re done with the navel gazing, and you want to shed the word ‘aspiring’ and step into the title ‘author’, register your interest here. Registering your interest doesn’t tie you to anything or commit you to buying the book. It just gets you first place in the line when it comes to find out when it’s published, and cashing in on any bonuses.
Cashing in! Lunchtime! Sounds delicious.
You always make me wanna eat your blog posts, Rebecca.
Rasheed
Rasheed recently posted..Hold it! Before posting your next blog, read this… (The Four Headline Tests)
LOL! People like my food references… most of the time… I put lots of food into Palaces & Calluses and I frequently hear from people, or see posts from people, saying things like ‘Rebecca Woodhead trashed my diet. Am eating croissants. Nom nom nom… *sniff*’ … nom nom nom.’
Rebecca Woodhead recently posted..Business Tool Box
Great post, Rebecca. This is all new to me, but I like reading it because I’m sure it can help me when it comes to the content I create on my blog.
Rodney Daniely recently posted..Funded Proposal: A Detailed Explanation Of How It Works
Absolutely. Blogging is still writing, and you can pick up paid gigs, of course. For instance, I did a stint for Groupon http://blog.groupon.co.uk/author/rebecca
Rebecca Woodhead recently posted..How do You Build an Author Platform?
Hi Rebecca,
wow that rubber band between the eyes really does hurt!
You are a great author and have a lot to share here. I’ll be checking in often, thank you for the information.
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It does, doesn’t it? I was toying with various places to shoot the rubber band, but I thought ‘between the eyes’ would really sting, but not necessarily involve a visit to hospital. Thanks so much for your kind words. Great to meet you.
Sounds like a great book and very helpful for me too. I will definitely be cashing in
Wonderful to hear, Eileen. I’m putting together some free training that’s connected but not exactly within the scope of this book, for people who get on the prelaunch list only – http://authorplatform.withrebecca.com – as a special bonus. Let me know if there’s any questions you’d particularly like answered about the writing process itself.