Introduction to About
If you are an author or aspiring to be one, there’s more to writing than publishing your work. I wrote a non-fiction book about my hobby and then created a vibrant business around it. Let me show you how I connected with fans so you can do it, too.
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Find my podcast wherever you listen to audio!
So, You Wrote a Book. Now What?
Getting a book published is an arduous task. Many people provide services to assist in accomplishing that worthy goal. Your Author Platform is not about helping you do that.
My site is about what comes after. If you’re smart, and I know you are, you’ve probably already started building your author platform. But once you publish, you can either get started on your next book and let someone else worry about promoting it, or you can take a hand in connecting to fans yourself.
Your fans want to hear from you. People you don’t yet know want to become fans. Taking responsibility for your audience’s growth is essential to your business’s success.
Your Fans
Your fans are everywhere. That’s great! But it’s also your most significant barrier to connecting with them.
Let’s say you’ve published your book on Amazon. Then people who visit Amazon to look for new books might see yours there. And so, they become a fan.
But potential fans exist elsewhere. Some wonderful people would be a joy to connect with only listen to audiobooks, not written content. Yet others don’t know that the internet exists outside of Facebook.
Further, some folks only listen to podcasts. Or they follow creators on YouTube. For that matter, TikTok might be where they reside.
The first step to building your author platform is to go where your fans are. Yes, there are limits. But my site will help you overcome such difficulties.
Written Content
Connecting with fans starts with written content. And guess what? You’re a writer, so that essential skill is covered!
What will you need to write? Well, email marketing letters come to mind. Newsletters are appropriate for the fans of fiction authors, but a nurture email cycle format will be best for non-fiction authors. Either way, there will be many emails to write.
Articles will also be crucial for your website. You know you’ll need a website, right? Don’t worry; Your Author Platform will guide you through building one that works for your business.
And that’s about it for written content. Yes, that written material must be broken down into video and audio scripts. And to produce seemingly endless social media content.
But you’ve got this.
Audio Platform
Speaking into a microphone in your closet might be a little more complicated than writing. Why record in your closet? Because all the clothes hanging around you dampen outside noise, resulting in a higher-quality audio recording.
Yes, you could rent a studio or build one in your home. But right now, your focus is getting a microphone and finding a place to record an audio file quietly. The former exists already, and I’ll help you find a cheap but quality microphone later to meet Amazon AUX Audiobook requirements.
Less stringent audio requirements exist for podcasting, where your fans are driving to work and hearing road noise while listening to you in their ears. You might have a podcast, sure. But you must be prepared to be a guest on someone else’s podcast.
Having a podcast is like having a website. It’s easy. But there are a few steps to help you through.
Video Creation
Is assuming you have a mobile phone reasonable? I think it is. Then you’ve got all the video cameras your need.
Some of the best video creators out there use their phones to record. I do so all the time. Getting an expensive camera is initially unnecessary, although it might eventually become convenient in a studio environment like within your spare bedroom or backyard shed.
Sometimes, a better camera than your mobile phone is the result of wanting better audio in your videos. But there are ways around it that don’t involve significant expenses. And again, it’s easy once you know what you’re doing.
Bringing It Together for Your Fans
Once you have book content, you can create a website article. In that article, embed your YouTube video AND your podcast episode on the topic. And altogether, you collect more search engine optimization “juice” due to having a multimedia post.
Plus, you can create great video clips for TikTok. Or simultaneously offer a live stream to Facebook, YouTube, and elsewhere. Your fans are everywhere, and now you are, too.
Selling Your Stuff
Your fans will make demands of you. Whatever your content is about, they will become upset with you if you don’t offer them a product to help them when you could have. So, sales will become necessary for your growing business.
If you’re a fiction author, encouraging sales of your existing books and future publications is a certainty. But what else? Think of brand merchandise like coffee mugs, shirts, and more.
If you’re a non-fiction author, there’s more than book sales and brand merchandise. What courses might you create from your topic? Your fans will become pushy that way, which is fine when you realize you have a business from which you are trying to make a living.
I encourage diverse revenue streams. Too many video creators have all their eggs in one basket with their YouTube channel. Sell a shirt or something!
But it’s more than that. You need a comprehensive plan. I tell my students, “I don’t care what your plan is. I care you have a plan.”
Let’s put a plan together so you can change the world.
Summary of About
Having written a book is excellent. Congratulations! But what about making a living beyond book sales?