20+ Surprising Ways To Build Your Author Platform
Platform is the thing I hear aspiring authors complain about more than anything else these days—hell, published authors too. (The dreaded synopsis is a very close second!)
Building a platform or audience is especially stressful for introverts who may not want to put themselves out there on social media and often don’t feel comfortable speaking. The good news is that there are many ways to build a platform, even for those of us who are introverts.
A couple of weeks ago, an agent spoke to my book proposal class and reiterated one of my favorite approaches. Rather than suggesting these aspiring authors beef up their social media efforts, he recommended another fantastic and more powerful way to build a platform—literary citizenship.
So what does that mean? It basically means becoming part of the book world by contributing to it, even before you’re published. This will show your commitment to your field and community (not just your own writing) and help you build a support system and a network of connections.
Even more importantly, you’ll be helping build a robust and thriving book industry, on which your book will later rely.
If you’re writing nonfiction that relies on your expertise in a given industry, you can take everything I suggest below and apply it to your own industry. Look for conferences, associations, volunteer opportunities, ways to promote others, and review outlets for your field.
In the literary space, here are some ways to be a good citizen, along with some specific places to start.
Promote other authors’ books
There are so many ways to do this, including…
Recommendations
Interviews
Reposts or shares
Real-life events
You might do any of the above via…
Social media
Blog posts
Your newsletter
Your podcast
A book club or event (maybe even invite the author to visit or zoom in)
Write Reviews
Reviews, particularly in newspapers, used to be the main way readers found books. Unfortunately that review space has drastically dwindled, and it’s far more difficult for publishers to get readers’ attention…which also means it’s harder for people to hear about good books. Help turn that around! Publishers and authors will love you for it.
This can be as simple or involved as you want. It could mean…
Simply posting reviews on Goodreads, Amazon, Bookshop.org, or NetGalley
Reviewing on your own blog
Writing a guest post on a book blog. This could be something big like Book Riot, or something smaller focused on a genre or topic of interest to you
Writing a review for a literary journal, some options include
—The Los Angeles Review of Books
Or even become a paid reviewer for online review sites like
Volunteer at writing conferences
I love this because not only are you helping the conference and the staff, but you’re giving yourself a purpose, which makes it much, much easier to enjoy a conference and meet new people, especially if you’re an introvert.
Common volunteer roles range from…
Handing out badges to registrants
Helping set up or organize a panel
Attending to guests of a hospitality room
Keeping time
Most regions and many genres have book conferences. Here are a few of the better known events to help you get started…
Bouchercon for mystery, crime and thriller
Romance Writers of America Conference (Lots of controversy here at the moment, but mentioning FWIW)
WorldCon for Science Fiction and Fantasy
SCBWI (Society of Children’s Book Writers)
NonfictionNOW (This is held in a different international location every year and is pretty academic/literary)
Writers Digest (one of the best-known opportunities to pitch slam agents)
Desert Nights, Rising Stars at Arizona State University
AWP (Association of Writers and Writing Programs)
The London Book Fair (UK)
Volunteer for literary organizations
You can often do this from the comfort of your own home. Literary organizations often need board and committee members, event planners, community builders, contest judges, researchers, and many others types of volunteers. Check associations related to your genre or organizations related to causes you support. Here are a few national options.
I hope you reach out and find something that is a good fit for you. Our industry needs it! Plus, it feels really good to be helping rather than promoting. It’s a win-win.
Thank you in advance for all the ways you decide to contribute!
UPDATE: One of my students just asked me a great question that I thought was worth adding.
”Which conference do you recommend as the best?”
I think that really depends on the person. Depending on your resources, I recommend either the one that is most intriguing to you, most related to your genre, or the one that is most affordable to reach. When you've narrowed it down, check out their websites and choose the one that you think has the best vibe. The more you can enjoy yourself and feel like you're with your kind of people, the more you'll be able to get out of the conference. Also, if there’s one that would allow you to bring a friend, especially if it’s your first writing conference, that is worth considering.
Have fun!
