by Christina Katz

Author of Get Known Before the Book Deal: Use Your Personal Strengths to Grow an Author Platform

[Taken from the WRITER’S DIGEST CONFERENCE: The Business of Getting Published on Sept. 18-20 in New York City]
 

If you want to find out how you’re doing, Google yourself.  That will show how known you are online.

Platform development doesn’t take the place of craft. 

Think about your topic, audience, niche.

Develop a professional identity, a mission statement.  What are you known for? 

Create a tag line.  Keep it simple and short.  Defines who you are and what you have to offer your readers.

Some examples of Christina's own tag lines:

For Get Known Before the Book Deal: "Make the most of what you have to author."
For Writer Mama: "If I can do it, you can do it, too."

Recommends adding it to your email signature, along with any links to relevant projects (your website, your book, an upcoming conference where readers can meet you, etc.).

Create a bio—simple and short.  You need to create one long, one short and one super-short.  Constantly update them.

Get  professional quality headshot. 

Collect feedback.  Improve and address deficiencies.

Get blurbs and testimonial from readers.

Blogging:

Don’t start until you are ready to put energy into it.

Be clear.  Without clarity it becomes part of the static.  Clarity gets noticed.

Use a blogging service.

Create a website—do this first. 

Slow and steady is the best way to build an author platform. Online is a logical place to start, because how well known you are as an author online is indicative of how well known you'll be as an author offline.

Christina: "Platform building isn't any one thing you do. It's everything you do."