In a long-ago golden age, all a writer had to do was write; he churned out pages, presented them to an editor, and let others worry about promotion and advertising.
Those days are long gone.
Today, writers must be their own most ardent advocate, marketer and promoter. Self-promotion is as integral to writing success as any tool in the writing toolbox. In this post, we’ll look at five marketing strategies that will help you gain more exposure as a writer.
We all know the importance of self-promotion, yet many of us are horrible at it. We’re conscientious in every other aspect of our craft. We outline, we carve out time to write, we edit and do everything else we can for our work to stand out. Except self-promote.
For some fortunate writers, self-promotion is as natural as breathing. For others (especially introverts like me) it’s a daunting task, but one that must be done, and done well.
To advance our careers, we’re expected to promote ourselves unabashedly. The authors whose books get published – once accepted as a reclusive breed – are now vetted by publicists to make sure they’re talk-show ready.”
If you’re a natural introvert, it’s probably not in your nature to draw attention to yourself. Sure, you’re able to take the spotlight when you absolutely have to, and you’re probably good at it when you do, but you’re much more comfortable working behind the scenes.
Nurture
Some of us are raised not to stand out, so we struggle to post that Facebook update about the great review we just got or tweet about our book being on sale.
I’m Jamaican, and contrary to what our reputation might be, Jamaicans are actually a fairly conservative people. Usain Bolt notwithstanding, we’re not raised to toot our own horns — it’s one of the byproducts of the Quaker influence on the island. Those of us who’ve grown up trying to fit a reserved ideal often have a hard time sharing and promoting our work.
Plain old fear of rejection
No one wants to put themselves out there and hear only crickets. We all, in some way, want the approval of others, so when we share our work and get a negative response — or worse, no response — it’s painful. So, we think, why do it all?
Worry about competition
Indie publishing has opened the door for many writers, and the competition to make yourself heard is intense. It’s hard and often discouraging work to differentiate yourself from all the other voices clamoring for attention. When you try, sometimes it leads to…
Burnout
Marketing and self-promotion is hard work even if you enjoy doing it. For those of us who don’t, just the thought of it can raise our stress levels, so we put it off. Then, when the time we’ve grudgingly carved out comes around, the task is so utterly unenjoyable that we burn out quickly and do the bare minimum.
So how can we make self-promotion easier?
1. Create realistic self-promotion goals
If you’re a serious writer, you’re no stranger to creating goals. From finishing a chapter to hitting a specific word count, setting realistic goals is second nature. So what makes our marketing goals different? I’ve spoken with writers just beginning their promotion efforts whose goals included:
Add 100 Twitter followers in a week
Increase sales 4 percent in a month
Build and promote a Facebook fan page and get 50 likes per day
Strictly speaking, none of these goals are impossible, but for first steps, they’re pretty lofty. Instead, set more attainable goals, such as:
Tweet your book/article/reviews twice per day
Submit your book to three review sites per week
Once you achieve these goals, set the bar higher for the next round. Achieving modest goals gives us the confidence to attempt harder ones while avoiding the burnout we feel when our goals are overwhelming. (Click to tweet this idea.)
Ignoring the deep analytics available for your Facebook fan page (and other platforms soon) is the equivalent of stepping into the ring without even having watched a video of your opponent during a fight.”
Even if you’re just beginning your promotion efforts, getting familiar with those tools will give you a huge leg up, allowing you to fine-tune your efforts. Is Instagram not working for you? Drop it. Is Twitter driving sales? Tweet more often.
Whatever the case, concentrating on the platforms that work for you is not only smart, but will keep you motivated as you reach more and more readers.
3. Don’t reinvent the wheel
Chances are your social media feeds are full of people giving great advice about self-promotion, so you don’t have to come up with a plan from scratch. Research how the experts are doing it, then use their tried and true techniques to jump-start your own marketing efforts.
4. Use available tools to your advantage
It’s strange, but sending a tweet or posting a Facebook update about my work in real time is intimidating. It’s much simpler to write my promotional tweets and set them to go out in advance.
To do this, I use Tweetdeck and Buffer. In addition to being solutions for my real-time phobia, they save time, as I can set my tweets and updates and forget them.
5. Shift your focus
In my 9-to-5 career, I’m a Director of a department for a NYC consulting firm, and I constantly present on behalf of my clients. I’ve spoken before senators, commissioners, council members and community groups (often hostile ones), and I’m never flustered. Why?
Because I treat what I do like the business that it is. My career, as important as it is, isn’t held as close to my heart as my writing.
Shifting your focus to seeing your books as commodities to be sold as opposed to the work you hold so near and dear to your heart may help to remove the personal aspect from the equation, thus making promotion easier.
How do you feel about self-promotion? What marketing strategies work for you? Tell us below in the comments.
This post contains affiliate links. That means if you purchase through our links, you’re supporting The Write Life — and we thank you for that!
This is an updated version of a story that was previously published. We update our posts as often as possible to ensure they’re useful for our readers.
Your online portfolio is the portal through which both clients and readers learn about you and your work — and one of the best ways to land writing jobs.
That means that, for many of us, creating a writer website is hugely intimidating. I put off creating a writer website for months simply because I didn’t know how I wanted to put it together.
Luckily, you have options. There are as many types of writer websites as there are writers, and you don’t have to make your writer website fit any kind of preconceived template or mold.
Instead, use your online portfolio to reflect what makes you unique as a writer, and what you have to share with clients, readers and fans.
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Need inspiration? Check out these online portfolio examples
Don’t make the mistake of thinking that creating your online portfolio has to be a massive project. We’ve showcased lots of portfolio websites that make it easy for you.
But before you build your own, we’ve got some inspiration to get you started! We found some solid writer websites to share, each with a unique focus and design.
Elna Cain’s writer website is bold, partly because she blatantly tells you she’s the freelance writer your business or project needs. To further convince you, a row of prominent publications are listed right above her introduction — that’s where she confidently states the problem clients have and how her skills can it. Then, the page ends with glowing client remarks.
Elna’s online portfolio shares a variety of ways to get in touch with her for business opportunities and how to keep up with her work online. To assert her expertise in the field, Elna also links her popular blog that’s filled with tips on how to make money with writing.
Manjula Martin’s site is a great example of a basic, straightforward online portfolio: a brief introduction with her resume highlights front-and-center, and lots of links to connect people who want to learn more. She built it on WordPress.
Manjula’s website works because you learn everything you need to know about her credentials and writing style at a single glance. It’s easy to follow the links and read her clips, and she also gives you many ways to contact her with writing or consulting opportunities.
The first thing you notice on Ann Friedman’s website is how it brightly displays her logo, followed by a row of links to her completed work, newsletter and contact information. Talk about a simple and beautiful landing page!
The rest of this writer website contains plenty of unique touches: a general FAQ plus one for her newsletter; a page of various creators, content and organizations she recommends; a thorough contact page; and creatively-titled side work that highlights even more skills beyond her stellar portfolio of work for tons of household brands. There’s no question about who Anne is, the service she provides and how to reach her — this is the goal for all writer websites.
It’s possible to create an extremely compelling writer website without a single photo, logo, or image. Nozlee Samadzadeh’s site lists her contact information, concise explanations for her professional experience, and links to her publications, all on a single page.
Nozlee’s site also includes a short statement of her “primary beats,” which is key info for anyone looking to hire her for a writing job.
Seanan McGuire’s writer website instantly immerses you into her urban fantasy world. Her latest release is prominently featured, and the header image and colors help establish her genre to new visitors. The left-hand navigational column provides easy access to important information.
If you write fiction, especially genre fiction, let your writer website reflect your fictional worlds. Open the door to your fiction by giving readers the chance to see what might be hidden within the pages.
Copywriter Francesca Nicasio’s writer website aptly showcases her expertise in writing B2B content around retail, eCommerce, technology, and more. The entire website is structured around one goal: informing readers about her capabilities the very moment they get to her site.
What’s the goal of your writer website? Are your skills and services clearly explained? When users visit your site, do they know what to do if they want to work with you? With her email address displayed largely on the front page, Francesca makes it easy for clients to get in touch with her. Your writer website should do the same.
“Inviting” is the best way to describe Kayla Hollatz’s writer website. The big, bold words that immediately greet you are enticing enough to make you want to keep exploring her trendy online portfolio. And without needing to scroll too far, Kayla’s concise and effective introduction appears, placed evenly below a prompt to take her brand style quiz.
Wherever you go, Kayla’s writer website accomplishes one major thing: She pulls you in by subtly emphasizing her savviness. From spelling out the details of how you’ll work together to sharing impressive client success rates, it’s evident this writer knows her stuff — and she wants you to learn it, too, hence her quiz and email course.
How often are you intrigued by an unpopular opinion? Probably almost always, because, well, you just have to find out how you could possibly be on the wrong side of the truth. That’s what’s awesome about Brittany Berger’s approach to her writer website — she offers a solution most companies think is the problem.
Her conversational tone guides you into understanding her logic, and she offers a number of valuable resources to help you learn about being mindful about content creation, and how to be more productive as you do.
Sarah Turner’s writer website is one of those slick, beautifully designed sites that intimidate the rest of us. It’s the type of site that looks like it requires the assistance of a web designer, which means it’s aspirational for a lot of us, especially those of us who are just getting started as freelancers. In actuality, Sarah’s website was created with the help of WordPress and Themely.
However, design isn’t the only aspect that makes Sarah’s writer website great. Her opening sentence clearly highlights her writing niche, how she can use her skills to improve your business in the health industry — the key goal of any resume or website — and includes a direct call to action.
You can include a similar paragraph and call to action on your own writer website; no design firm required.
Freelance writer Kat Boogaard leads with an authentic and friendly voice on her writer website — one that makes you feel like you’ll hit it off with her right away. Amid a fresh and sleek design filled with calming neutral colors, she shares brief paragraphs about who she is, what she writes for clients and how she can help freelance writers grow their businesses.
Kat’s conveniently-placed menu at the top and bottom of her website is easy to navigate, but one thing I love about her website is how you can find your way around her site without it. As you scroll through the homepage, you’ll find that she takes you from one valuable resource to the next, all without making you feel bombarded.
This writer website gets one important thing down pat: You can feel how much Helen Gebre loves the art of writing. She also does this very simply, through an introduction and biography that gives you a glimpse into her personal life, her career and why she does this work.
Helen’s website design is simple, likely because she has a diverse portfolio featuring big and bold copywriting decks that span across print and digital writing, social media, video scripts and more. Besides a contact page, she also cleverly set up her phone number as the footer on each page — that way, clients viewing her page know how to reach her immediately.
Clients visiting B2B writer Chidinma Nnamani’s page learn right away what her expertise is. Throughout her writer website that she designed with WordPress and Elementor, she clearly articulates her skill and experience with B2B writing for the tech, food and digital marketing industries.
Besides a clean website design that reflects Chidinma’s design aptitude, her inclusion of a robust services page and a page that details her four-step process for working relationships provide a peek into her professionalism and organizational skills. One more thing to note from this writer website? The frequent “Ready to hire me?” prompts displayed throughout the site!
Before you learn about this writer, you first take a tour of her impressive writing clips, which progressively leads you to where you can learn more about and reach out to her.
One of the best parts of designing your writer website is all the creative ways you can display your work. Each website on our list brings their own flair to their portfolio, and Sarah Asp Olson is no exception in the way her site only features the content she’s created. Like she does, you can use bright, colorful images that capture the eye to separate the industries you write for. Then, display your samples in bulleted lists, or in rows of hyperlinked thumbnails.
Remember there are no rules to how you organize your work — just ensure it’s clear, and easy to navigate.
What should people learn about you as soon as they visit your writer website? For writer Samar Owais, potential clients find out immediately she can increase conversions and boost sales — and her speedy acknowledgement of these skills and her niche can make a difference in how quickly visitors leave her site.
Throughout her writer website, Samar features client testimonials and a valuable email marketing quiz. Additionally, she makes her expertise clear through brief, compelling descriptions that outline how she solves conversion issues as an email conversion strategist and SaaS copywriter. And if anyone wonders why they should work with her, she makes convincing arguments for that, too.
Don’t you just want to click those icons? That’s the power of color and fun design animation! Atlanta-based writer and editor Muriel Vega’s writer website has a simple design layout, but that doesn’t stop the sense of her personality from seeping through as you learn about her through projects and writing samples.
This site is a great reminder that you don’t have to overwhelm your writer website to make an impact — consider who you want to attract, and incorporate engaging design elements that reflect your creativity.
Copywriting expert Tyler Koenig has a writer website that feels extremely confident and laid-back. Within a well-designed website that tastefully centers the color orange (maybe for basketball?), Tyler provides heaps of value through his email list, webinars, courses and free tips through his blog.
“Become your own most trusted copywriter,” he writes on the landing page of his self-paced copywriting courses, which successfully expresses his earnest desire to share his passion to help others grow. Besides that, providing free and paid resources truly highlights your expertise to prospects.
My writer website serves two purposes: It’s a place where people can learn more about my freelance and teaching work, and it’s also a blog that focuses on the art and finances of a creative career. I include “where I got published this week” roundups every Friday and finance roundups on the first of every month, along with daily insights on work-life balance, how to earn money for your creative work, the process of writing a novel and more. I also pay writers for guest posts, so pitch me!
I set up my site through WordPress using a pre-designed template.
Do you have a writer website you’re proud of, or are you working on one now? Share your experience with us in the comments!
This is an updated version of a story that was previously published. We update our posts as often as possible to ensure they’re useful for our readers.
If you’re a writer, it makes perfect sense: You can use a blog to serve as your author platform, market your work or find new freelance writing clients. Blogging is also a great way to experiment with your writing style.
This is the age of content — people are always looking for more to absorb, and your unique voice has a place on the vast, limitless interwebs, too.
How to start a blog
Starting a blog can feel overwhelming. But the truth is, it’s doable for anyone with the right guidance.
We’re here to help you navigate every step so you can start a blog stress-free — from choosing your domain name to publishing your first post.
This is a long post, so here’s a quick summary of what we’ll cover:
First things first when you start a blog: choosing a domain name. Where are people going to find you online?
This can be one of the most enjoyable parts of getting started with a blog; it’s such a rush when the URL you want is available and you can buy it right away.
But if your first choice isn’t available, if someone else is already using that URL, it can be stressful to come up with another domain that feels right. After all, this is a permanent home on the Internet you’re creating!
The truth though, is that you can always change this down the line if you decide to go in a different direction with your URL. The most important part isn’t choosing the perfect domain, it’s choosing one and getting started.
One of the best places to start is using a variation of your name. Especially as a writer, because you are your brand. Your name will never go out of style no matter how your interests change over time.
To check availability, search this handy domain-name checker:
If you’re feeling good about your choice, you can also visit Bluehost directly and purchase your domain there. The company offers a $2.95/month plan for The Write Life readers.
Even if yourname.com isn’t available, you might find it with a different ending, such as yourname.co or yourname.io. If you’re super committed to this whole writing thing, you can also try tacking a “writer” onto the end of your name, as in susanshainwriter.com.
Alternatively, you could opt for a creative blog name — but remember your interests and target audience may change as the years go by. When I started blogging in 2012, I focused solely on adventure travel and named my blog Travel Junkette. After expanding my niche and services, I switched to susanshain.com because my name won’t change, no matter what I’m blogging about.
Although it wasn’t a huge deal, I wish I’d started out using my name as the domain, and would advise you not to make the same mistake I did.
Once you’ve settled on your domain (or domains, if you’re like many of us writerpreneurs!), don’t wait to buy it. Even if you’re not ready to start a blog right now, domains are cheap — and you don’t want to risk losing the one you want.
If you’re really having a hard time picking a URL, review our more detailed post on how to choose a domain name.
Before you actually click “purchase,” though, you might want to read the next step; we’re going to tell you how to get a domain name for free.
2. Purchase a hosting package
Now it’s time to choose a web host.
What’s a web host? Your hosting company does all the technical magic to make sure your site actually appears when people type your domain name into their browser. In other words, it’s pretty important.
While we use MediaTemple to host The Write Life, it’s typically better for blogs with lots of traffic. You probably don’t need that if you’re just starting out, so go with a cheaper option instead.
For a new blog, try Bluehost. It’s used by top bloggers around the world and is known for its customer service and reliability.
The Write Life has a partnership with Bluehost whereby they allow our readers to purchase hosting for $2.95/month. The cool part is that INCLUDES your domain.
Oh, and pro freelancer money tip: Put your purchase (and all the purchases listed in this post) on a business credit card and keep the receipts; as investments in your business, they’re tax-deductible.
3. Install WordPress
We’re almost through with the techy stuff, we promise!
You have several different choices for blogging platforms, but we like WordPress best. Not only is it totally free, but it’s easy to learn, offers a wide variety of themes, and has an online community and abundance of plugins that make blogging accessible to everybody.
You can read comprehensive instructions for installing WordPress on your new blog here. Once you’ve completed that, you can officially log into your blog and start making it look pretty.
4. Put your site in “maintenance mode”
While working on your blog’s appearance, you might want to put up an “under construction” sign to greet visitors.
You don’t want any potential clients or readers to Google your name and find a half-finished site. (You may think you’re going to finish setting up your blog tomorrow, but we all know how writers procrastinate when there are no looming deadlines!)
To set up maintenance mode, just download this plugin. On your maintenance page, you could even include a link to your email newsletter or social media profiles so visitors have an alternate way of getting in touch with you. When you’re ready to share your blog with the world, simply deactivate and delete the plugin.
5. Choose a blog theme
Now we’re getting to the fun stuff! Your theme determines what your blog looks like, and you’ve got a lot of options to choose from. Yes, there’s a wide range of free themes, but if you’re serious about blogging, the customization and support offered by paid themes can’t be beaten.
Here at The Write Life, we use Genesis, which is one of the most popular premium themes available. Another popular and flexible theme is Thesis. On my first blog, I used Elegant Themes, which has a wide selection of beautiful themes at a reasonable price. All of these themes come with unlimited support — essential when you’re starting a blog.
If you want your blog to be a marketing tool for your writing services, you might look for a theme with a static home page (like mine). That way, your site will look professional and appealing to everyone — whether they’re there to read your latest post or hire you for a project.
Whatever you do, make sure your theme is “responsive,” which means it automatically adjusts to look good on any device. Since more than half of website visits are made on mobile phones, this is crucial for your blog’s aesthetic.
6. Create a blog header
I think it’s always worth getting a custom header for a new blog.
You can ask your favorite graphic designer, create one with Canva, or order one on Fiverr. I’ve had great luck getting headers and other graphics designed in this online marketplace, where thousands of people offer their services for $5 per gig.
7. Write your blog pages
Though you’re starting a blog and not a static website, you’ll still want a few pages that don’t change. (“Pages” are different from “posts,” which are the daily/weekly/monthly entries you publish on your blog.)
Here are some pages you may want to create:
About
The about page is frequently touted as one of the most-viewed pages on blogs, so don’t overlook it. Include a professional headshot and brief bio, and explain why you’re blogging and why the reader should care. What makes you an expert? How can you help them?
Don’t be afraid to let your personality shine through; blogging is a personal affair!
Contact
You want your readers to be able to get in touch with you, right? Then you’ll need a contact page.
It doesn’t have to be anything fancy; just tell your readers how best to reach you. Avoid putting your full email address on here, as spambots could get ahold of it. To work around that, you can use a contact form plugin, which we’ll link to below, or simply write something like “yourname AT yoursite DOT com.”
Portfolio
It’s your blog, so flaunt what you’ve got! Show your prospective clients and readers that you deserve their time and attention with examples of your past and present work.
Do you have a list of favorite writing tools? Or maybe books that have inspired you? Readers love resources pages, and for bloggers, they can also be a clever way to earn income from affiliate sales.
You probably won’t need this at first, but a “start here” page is smart once you have a decent amount of content. It’s a great opportunity to express your mission and highlight your best work, so your readers can see the value of your blog without wading through months or years worth of posts.
Joanna Penn does a good job with hers, encouraging readers to download her ebook and then choose a topic that interests them.
Work with me
If you’re using your new blog to sell your writing services, this page is essential. Be clear about how you can help people and how they can get in touch with you. You could even list packages of different services, like Lisa Rowan does on her site.
Once you’ve set up all your pages, make sure they’re easily accessible from the home page. If they’re not showing up, you may have to adjust your menus.
8. Install plugins
Plugins are great for everybody, especially those of us who are less comfortable with the technical side of things. Think of them as apps for your blog; they’re free tools you can install to do a variety of things.
Though having lots of plugins can undermine the functionality and security of your blog, there are several we recommend everyone look into:
Contact Form 7: If you want to avoid putting your email address on your contact page, use this plugin, which is frequently updated and receives good reviews.
Hello Bar: Want to get readers to sign up for your free newsletter? Or want to announce the release of your latest book? This plugin allows you to create a banner for the top of your blog.
Mashshare: These share buttons are similar to the ones you see here on The Write Life. Another minimalist option is Simple Share Buttons Adder. It doesn’t matter which plugin you choose; it’s just important to make social sharing easy for your readers.
Google Analytics Dashboard: This plugin tracks the visitors to your site so you can see what people are interested in and how they’re finding you.
Akismet: One of the headaches of blogging is the plethora of spam comments. This plugin will help you reduce the number of spammers that sneak through.
WP Super Cache: Another plugin that’s not sexy, but is important. Caching allows your blog to load faster, pleasing both your readers and Google.
Yoast SEO: This all-in-one SEO plugin helps you optimize your posts so you can get organic traffic from search engines.
9. Install widgets
If your blog has a sidebar, you might want to spruce it up with a few widgets, aka small boxes with different functions. That said, the minimalist look is in — so skip this step if you want to keep your sidebar simple.
Here are some ideas:
About box
You’ve probably seen this on a lot of blogs; it’s a box in the upper right-hand corner welcoming you to the site. Check out The Write Life managing editor Jessica Lawlor’s blog for a good example.
Social media icons
Make it easy for your readers to follow you on social media by including links to your profiles in the sidebar. Your theme will probably include this feature, but if not, here’s a basic tutorial.
Popular posts
Once you’ve been blogging for a while, you might want to highlight your most popular posts in the sidebar, which you can do with a basic text widget. We do this here on The Write Life so you can find our most popular content quickly and easily.
10. Purchase backup software
Don’t overlook this important step just because you don’t have content yet! It’s better to install this software early than to start blogging and forget until it’s too late.
Free options exist, but I’ve never had good luck with them — and for something as important as my entire blog, I don’t mind paying a little extra. (It’s a business write-off, remember?!) Popular backup options include VaultPress, BackupBuddy, and blogVault.
11. Start your email list
I know, I know, you haven’t even started blogging and I already want you to build an email list. Trust me; you’ll be so glad you did.
Alexis Grant, founder of The Write Life, agrees with me. “If I could go back and do one thing differently for my business, it would be starting a newsletter earlier,” she writes. “My email list is THAT important for my business, bringing traffic to my website, buys of my products and opportunities I never could’ve expected.”
Even if you don’t have anything to send, just start collecting email addresses. The best way to entice people to sign up is by offering a free ebook or resource. For a great example, check out The Write Life’s Freelance Writer Pitch Checklist.
My favorite email newsletter platform is Mailchimp. It’s intuitive, fun, and free for up to 2,000 subscribers.
A lot of creatives also use ConvertKit. It also offers a free plan, and some people say it’s easier to use than MailChimp. If you want more options, browse our list of news of tools for building your email list.
Once you’ve created your list, encourage your readers to sign up by adding a subscription box to your sidebar, and maybe even install a plugin like PopupAlly. Or, if you use ConvertKit, they have pop-up options built-in.
We recommend creating an editorial calendar, even if you are coordinating with no one other than yourself. It doesn’t have to be fancy; it can even be scribbled out in a notebook.
What’s important is that you plan your posts in advance, so you can keep track of your ideas and stick to a schedule. It’s also a chance to assess and tweak your content strategy. What do you want to write about? How will you draw readers in?
Don’t forget you’re writing for the web, so your style should be different than if you were writing for print. Keep your tone conversational, use “you” phrases to speak to the reader, and break up text with bullet points and sub-headers.
Images are important for grabbing attention and breaking up the text, so find a feature photo on Unsplash or Pexels to make each post shine.
13. Promote, promote, promote
You’re almost there! Now that you’ve started writing, it’s time to get readers. And I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but for many writers, this is the most surprisingly time-consuming aspect of blogging. Though it’d be nice if we could just write (that’s what we love to do, right?), it’s nicer to have people actually read your work.
You can try guest posting on other blogs, reposting on sites like Medium and LinkedIn, or including links when writing responses in forums, Facebook groups, or on Quora. Just make sure you’re adding value — and not spamming people with your URL.
Social media is another great way to get more traffic and grow your author following. Instead of merely tooting your own horn, be sure to interact with editors, writers and bloggers, too.Share their content with your community, comment on their posts and support them when and where you can. Hopefully, they’ll return the favor!
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In the end, creating a successful blog is about hard work and consistency. Keep posting helpful and engaging content, optimizing it for SEO, and sharing it with your networks — and you’ll soon see your new blog start to blossom.
Congratulations, you’ve now officially started a blog as a writer. Maybe one day it can become a full book? Time to get writing!
This post contains affiliate links. That means if you purchase through our links, you’re supporting The Write Life — and we thank you for that!
This is an updated version of a story that was previously published. We update our posts as often as possible to ensure they’re useful for our readers.
By now we’ve all heard about author platform, even if we’re not entirely sure how to build or maintain one.
But in my everyday work with authors, I’ve noticed many writers aren’t sure how exactly to get started. What should you focus on when you’re being pointed in 20 different directions, and all roads are potentially huge time sucks?
How to start building your author platform
As I explain in this post, author platform includes these components: expertise, contacts, social media, previous media, previous books, personality, existing readership and ability to execute. That breakdown can function as a roadmap for anyone who’s trying to figure out how to get started, especially if you feel like you’re starting at zero.
Ready to build your author platform? Here’s how to start from scratch.
1. Expertise: Write an “I am fabulous” statement
The goal with this step is to pump yourself up. In what specific and particular ways are you awesome? Why are you the person to write your book? Why is it the case that no one but you could write your book? What unique experience do you bring to the table?
Even if your answer is simply that you lived the life you lived — and maybe it was a hard one — you’re awesome for having survived it. If you write fiction, your book likely involves themes or situations you know a lot about, which makes you an expert.
Let your statement be free-flowing, but work hard to pat yourself on the back. While many of us tend to undervalue our abilities,the first step toward being an expert is believing you can be an expert.
You may have to fake it till you make it, and your “I am fabulous” statement can give you the motivation and validation you need to get there.
2. Contacts: Put together a “big mouth list”
Everyone you know is a contact. The more people you know, the more influence you have, especially if you know people in high places.
So what if those influencers are a couple degrees of separation from you? People are surprising in how they choose to support fledgling authors. I’ve witnessed seriously established authors supporting new writers just because it feels good, and they remember what it’s like to be in your position.
In addition to the list of people you’re connected to, create a list of people who might blurb you, from realistic to pie in the sky. Who would be your ideal reader? Who do you dream might one day recommend your book?
3. Social media: Pick just two social channels
That’s right: only two. Set up a profile on each and post once a day.
For most writers, I recommend choosing Facebook and Twitter, but if you’re into other channels or options, give them a shot. If you’re writing something that lends itself to images, join Pinterest. If your work lends itself to video, do YouTube. Experiment to find a social media channel that works for you and your writing.
The key to social media is posting regularly and engaging people. You want shares, because shares lead to more follows. Rather than spreading yourself thin across multiple platforms, focus consistently on the two platforms that provide the most value to you and your work.
It takes forever (seriously) to build up a following on social media, so don’t be discouraged. Celebrate a few likes a week. Manage your expectations. Keep going. Building an author platform is a marathon, not a sprint.
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4. Previous media and books: Publish an ebook
If you’re starting at zero, you may not have any previously published books or media, like guest posts or podcast interviews. That’s okay.
If you’re working on a book project that you know is going to take some time to complete — a novel or a memoir that’s already been in progress for a few years, for instance — then write a shorter ebook!
It’s surprisingly easy to self-publish an ebook. You want it to be high quality, with great content, a compelling cover and a well-designed interior. Using Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, iBooks, or e-junkie you can promote and sell your ebook from your website. While marketing your ebook is a topic for another post, figuring out how to write an ebook is a fairly simple process. And voila, you have a book to propel future books.
Media opportunities will come, but any interview you do, blog post you write or opportunity to speak in front of people you come across qualifies as media. Don’t be afraid to showcase these successes on your website and social media channels.
It takes a major shift in consciousness to start self-promoting, but I’ve found the key is in the balance. It’s cool to self-promote if you’re giving your readership fantastic, smart and interesting content — providing value. And it will get more comfortable with practice, I promise.
5. Personality: Figure out your persona
Jeff VanderMeer’s Booklife helped me understand the value of figuring out who you are online.
Some people put it all out there and are wholly themselves online, while others choose to create a persona different from who they are in real life or only show a certain side of themselves. You get to decide, and you’re not wrong or weird or bad if you want to retain a little privacy.
However, being private or an introvert does not mean you should not have a website, or that you can get away with pooh-poohing the importance of an author platform.
It just means you get to set boundaries. Instead of holding technology in contempt, learn to work with what you might not like, and to figure out how to make it work for you.
6. Existing readership: Create an email sign-up form on your website
What? You don’t have a website yet? OK, the first step is to set up your new site. Here’s a guide on how to start a blog.
While you’re at it, create a sign-up form that connects to an email management system; here are a few of our favorite email newsletter platforms to choose from. Put it on your homepage to capture email addresses — and take a deep breath.
Authors often tell me that people they know already have too much email. Get over it. Seriously. Your job is to collect emails, and to send out worthwhile content. It may take a long time to build up your email list, and to figure out exactly what your message is, but you need to practice having a following.
It doesn’t matter if you launch your email list with 20 people on it. That’s exactly what I did, and four years later I’m publishing for 5,000 subscribers who want to hear from me. After all, if they don’t, they can opt out.
But don’t worry about the numbers for now. Just take the first step and set up the form.
The ability to execute, like personality, is sort of a “soft” aspect of author platform, but it matters. It’s about follow-through and the ability to stick to a commitment to create content. It’s about consistency, and showing up even if it seems like no one is listening.
Building an author platform is grueling work, but it’s truly rewarding when you see the occasional spikes in engagement or new followers, or the payoff in the form of positive feedback or sales.
This payoff can only happen if you execute a plan and stick to it.
I know it’s a long haul. I’m out there myself, working on my platform every day, sometimes wondering why I am putting so much effort toward all this personal branding. But if you want to publish, and if you want readers, you have to find a voice, write content, connect with your readers and put yourself out there.
Your hard work will pay off; it just takes some time. Give it time and figure out a schedule that works for you. I recommend blogging once a month and posting on social media once a day, to start. You might increase from there, but again, you can take it little by little and adjust your plan as you figure it out.
The best way to build an author platform is simple: start
Just like you don’t run a marathon without training for weeks or months, you don’t start your author platform full force. Building your platform takes discipline and hard work, but if it weren’t worth it, no one would be doing it.
The key is to find genuine value in your endeavors. Keep going, even when it feels like no one is listening. Eventually people will start to listen, and eventually you will get a comment to a post that makes you realize you’re making a difference, reach a milestone with your contacts that surprises you, or connect with a high-profile writer who supports you just because.
Have faith. Work hard. Don’t dismiss these ideas just because they feel like too much effort, or because starting from zero seems daunting. Everyone started from zero, even your literary heroes. And it’s only with hindsight and effort that anyone has the wisdom to promise that it’s worth it.
I promise, it is. Come on in and test the waters. Wade in slowly. You’ll find your way.
What was the first thing you did to build your author platform? If you’re just starting out, what’s your biggest obstacle?
This is an updated version of a story that was previously published. We update our posts as often as possible to ensure they’re useful for our readers.
For the past two years, we’ve offered The Writer’s Bundle, an amazing package of writing resources for a limited-time low price.
It’s been a great opportunity not only for us to share top-notch courses, guides and expert knowledge; but also for you to make a major investment in your writing and business skills for a considerable bargain.
As we enter the new year, the TWL team is kicking around ideas for partnering with experts and creating more content to help you succeed as a writer.
But as we complete our own brainstorming exercises, we’d love to know:
Which resources would you love to see in a 2016 version of The Writer’s Bundle? Which guides, courses, or programs are on your professional-development wish list?(Check out The Writer’s Bundle 2015 and 2014 to see what we’ve included in the past.)
Is there a particular skill or concept you’d like to learn about, but can’t find a resource that covers it? Let us know what you’re searching for — perhaps we can serve as a continuing education concierge in the comments.
Share your thoughts in the comments so we can help you continue to create, connect and earn in 2016!
An efficient media strategy can put your name and your book in front of a far bigger audience of potential readers than you can possibly reach yourself.
Unfortunately, many self-published authors assume that traditional publicity is out of reach. This couldn’t be further from the truth.
Once those are in place, it’s time to focus on publicity and media coverage.
Over 30 years working in the media, I’ve been contacted by all kinds of people who wanted access to my audience — including authors, filmmakers, recording artists, comedians, businesspeople, as well as publicists representing those people.
Their pitches have ranged from elaborate and expensive (custom-made folders, branded tchotchkes, publicity materials printed on the fancy stationery) to some that were very simple (just an email or a few sheets of paper).
The best pitches weren’t necessarily those that were the most elaborate or the most expensive. In fact, what the best pitches have in common has nothing to do with expense or extravagance.
At the most basic level, a media pitch is simply correspondence that explains your story angle. It doesn’t require a formal press release, glossy paper, or a presentation over hors d’oeuvres or martinis.
At the end of the day, all that matters is whether your story angle will keep my audience engaged. You can send it via singing telegram — sure, it would get my attention — but it’s not going to help you if I don’t believe that my audience wants to hear your story.
[bctt tweet=”Here are five common myths about publicity for self-published authors”]
Plus ways to break them as you start your own promotional campaign.
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Publicity myth #1: It won’t work for my kind of book
Every type of author has a fair shot at being interviewed, profiled or reviewed.
Sure, some types of books are easier to sell than others — but any kind of author with any kind of book is just as eligible for coverage from print, broadcast and digital media. It’s all in how you present yourself.
The next time you’re standing in the checkout line at the grocery store, take a look at the magazines racked next to the candy. The cover text text shouts story hooks that pique your curiosity. That text has one job: Get you to flip open the magazine.
The cover lines promise you the answers to secrets, gossip about someone’s private life, and tips to be healthier, wealthier, and/or wise. The text almost never proclaims, “Here’s a product that exists!” They’re always focused on topics and story angles that will make that audience turn the pages.
Now, let’s look at your book. No matter its primary topic, there are likely to be more discussion starters than “This book exists.” The topic of the book may lend itself to discussions about money, health, or issues of public interest.
But what if it doesn’t lend itself to an easy discussion starter? Maybe your book is a novel, a retelling of some obscure historical events, or a how-to book on building cabinets.
If that’s the case, you may have to dig a little deeper. But discussion starters are in there somewhere. What can you share about what inspired the book, or what you learned while writing it?
Publicity myth #2: Media coverage is expensive
Actually, publicity, by definition, doesn’t cost anything at all. If you have to pay for it, it’s called “advertising.”
You can book an interview yourself with just an email and a PDF copy of your press kit. And email and PDFs are free.
Now, should you hire a publicist?
Think of it this way: A good publicist can be like a guitar teacher or a tour guide or an athletic coach.
You don’t need to hire that person to play the guitar, take a mountain hike or train for a marathon. But a good teacher or guide may help you get results faster than you would have alone.
You may decide to hire a publicist or a marketing team. You just don’t have to.
If you’re going to be your own publicist, the first job is to figure out whom to contact. How do you do that? Let’s think of it as a series of circles around your target. Working our way from the outside toward the center:
Don’t be mesmerized by the size of a particular outlet’s audience — if that outlet doesn’t speak to your audience, you’re just wasting everybody’s time.
Remember to tailor your media pitch — which is more of a letter than a traditional press release — to a specific person at a specific outlet. Start with a goal of contacting 3-5 media influencers. Get some small wins before you start gambling away your time trying to get on The Today Show.
Remember, every time you appear in the media is valuable to your long-term goals.
Publicity myth #3: The media only cares about famous people
TV producers and print editors and webmasters only care about their audience.
Media producers are interested in any guest or topic that will hold that audience’s attention. If you can make a compelling case for your news angle’s appeal to the audience, you have a realistic chance of getting booked.
If you can make a case for your new book (as reviewed in myth #1), you’re well on your way to grabbing producers’ attention.
Publicity myth #4: All I have to do is announce myself
The best publicity pitches succinctly explain your story hook and why your idea is suitable for that specific audience. Since media professionals are always on deadline, “Here I am, figure me out!” pitches never get anywhere.
If you want that media contact to take you seriously, make your pitch clear and to the point. Explain who you are, why you’re pitching, and your story angle for their audience.
A strong publicity pitch will go past the “This book exists” angle and use that book as a discussion starter for that audience. In fact, the pitch may not even be about the book at all. It could be about a part of your research, or how current events can be viewed through the lens of your book.
Your story pitch won’t always be directly about your book. The resulting coverage will always include your book, since you’re the expert. See the difference?
Publicity myth #5: I only have one shot at media coverage for this book
For several years, I was the editor in chief for a group of music magazines. During that period, one of the sharpest publicists I knew found a brand-new excuse to pitch something about a particular client every six to eight weeks.
Some pitches got her client into the news column, some got the band into the review section, and some led to interviews. She understood that a strong publicity strategy unfolds over time.
How about you? Can you think of five or more different points of entry to start a discussion about your book?
As you plan your promotional campaign, think beyond “Here I am!” announcements and dig into what you have to offer readers, viewers and listeners.
If you know your target audience, and you know the media outlets that speak to that audience, there’s no reason you can’t come up with a great pitch. More importantly, there’s no reason you shouldn’t come up with a brand-new pitch for that audience every few months until you publish your next book.
And then the cycle can start again.
What tips do you have for authors pitching themselves to the media?
It seems like every time you turn around, there’s a new app or social media tool that makes claims about getting your name in front of a larger audience. The novelty of that new tool is quickly replaced by pressure to create content — and pressure to see results from your efforts.
Live video streaming might not seem like a natural promotional tool for writers who work through the written word more than relying on their voice or image.
But creating live video streams through Periscope could help you build your brand and engage with your audience in a fun new way.
What is Periscope?
Get the free Periscope app, link it to your Twitter account, and you’re ready to stream live video instantly. You can create private broadcasts for invited users or share them with the public via your Twitter feed.
Videos are only available on Periscope for 24 hours, but broadcasters can save a copy of the video to be uploaded elsewhere, like a YouTube channel.
Some peopler prefer a similar app called Meerkat, and Facebook is in the process of rolling out its own streaming-video option. But Periscope’s integration with Twitter has made it the most popular of the streaming video contenders, with 10 million registered accounts and about two million active users every day.
Distraction, or marketing tool?
Some folks see live streaming as a distraction. Marketing expert Chris Brogan has done several scopes to see how it will benefit his business. Even though he grew his list and made some sales, he hasn’t joined the growing numbers of mega fans, many of whom were disappointed he didn’t like the new platform.
Others have completely embraced it. Derek Halpern of Social Media Triggers was intially skeptical, but gained a huge following on Periscope with just a few broadcasts of business tips, impromptu interviews with mega-preneurs like Marie Forleo, and book recommendations. Of course, Derek’s an ace in video blogging, so this platform is perfect for him.
How to use Periscope to build your writing business
So how in the world can writers take advantage of this?
Freelance writer Carrie Smith of Careful Cents uses Periscope to offer behind-the-scenes looks at her work space and Q&A sessions about freelancing and budgeting.
“I am really loving Periscope, and will definitely be leveraging it more,” she said. Smith sold a coaching session after a particularly successful scope.
Blogger Javacia Harris Bowser has created a weekly event tied to her organization, See Jane Write. She hosts #SeeJaneScope events where folks can discuss blogging, business and writing goals.
Career writer Jon Acuff often summarizes longer social media posts into a quick list on Periscope, with titles like “10 Small Things Every Big Writer Needs to Know.”
My Periscope streams have teased upcoming blog posts in a similar fashion. I’ve also used it to give live tours of interesting places I’ve visited. Most of my scopes have been brief and personal.
Periscope best practices
To recap: behind-the-scenes scopes, Q&As, blog teasers, regular events and video social media posts are a few ways writers can use Periscope to build your brand.
But before you sign up, remember a few things:
1. This is a brand new (and changing) form of social media
Give Periscope the same respect as other new tools.
And like those other social media tools, Periscope notifications can be quite addicting. You could spend an entire day watching broadcasts or creating broadcasts to ask people what nail color to pick at the salon (I saw this happen, for real). Try not to get sucked in.
2. Be purposeful when creating and watching video
You can automatically add everyone you follow on Twitter to your Periscope account. But since this media is just getting off the ground, not everyone is using it.
Only follow people who broadcast regularly. If you go to someone’s profile and they only have one heart or have no recent broadcasts, it’s best to unfollow them. Hearts are insta-likes: viewers can tap the screen to indicate when they like something. You get one heart automatically for joining, so if there’s just one heart, more than likely they haven’t done any broadcasts.
Even if you scope sporadically, prepare for in advance and make sure you provide valuable content to keep people watching.
If you have a plan a certain number of Facebook or Twitter posts every week, do the same with Periscope broadcasts. Include them on an editorial calendar with other content you produce.
Periscope is new and features will be added (and possibly removed) as the needs of its audience changes. Just like any other social media platform, if it’s not for you, don’t include it to showcase or market your writing.
What do you think of this new platform? Do you think you can use it in your writing business?
When we talk about building your author platform, the inescapable challenge every author must face is marketing. Particularly, email marketing.
You need an email list, not just to sell your book to subscribers, but to build relationships with readers and other writers so they’ll support your work and become fans in the process.
In-person author events provide a unique opportunity to get more email subscribers — but only if you take some time to prepare for the event. Here’s a checklist that will help you walk away from your next author event feeling like it was a success.
Don’t buy more than 20 books to sell
Let’s say you’re going to some book fair that’s insanely popular with an attendance list numbering in the thousands. You’d think it would be a smart move to stock up on physical copies of your book, right?
Wrong. If you’re an unknown author like me, the fact is you won’t sell many copies at an event. I had 20 books on hand for my event and only sold a handful.
Sometimes readers need to time to research who you are, and they aren’t committed to buying just yet. “But what if I sell out?” you might ask. That’s great! Now you can tell visitors your book is sold out and possibly create demand due to scarcity — not a bad position to be in.
So don’t order 100 copies of your novel just to be cautious, or you’ll be stuck lugging those books around for a while.
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Use bookmarks as giveaways
On the list of things every author should have on hand: bookmarks. Bookmarks are like business cards for authors.
You can put your cover art on a bookmark, along with your website and any other details for potential readers. Get really creative with your bookmarks by adding a character sketch or a synopsis of the book on the back. Utilize QR codes and make it even easier for someone to access your website or your book’s sale page.
Having lots of bookmarks to give away at your event is more important than having copies of your book. A visual reminder of you and your novel sticking out of someone’s book is an easy way to get more sales and reach more readers.
Bring a poster of your book cover
This one is optional, but it helped me get more visitors than I expected at my last in-person event.
Dozens of people who stopped by my table remarked on how the poster of my book cover drew them in. If you’ve got a compelling cover, get a poster made and tack that bad boy on the front of your table or on an easel that’s easily visible.
Images grab people’s attention, so take advantage of that to increase foot traffic to your booth.
Smile and engage
This seems like a no-brainer, but you’d be surprised how many people don’t look up from their laptops or mobile phones at these events.
You should always have your game face on when someone is remotely close to your table or booth. Simply saying “Hi!” can mean the difference between that person coming over to check out your book or skipping you altogether. Leave the texting and social media for later.
And finally: how to get those new email contacts
When you put all the tips above into practice, you’ll get an influx of people visiting your table, which creates a great opportunity for you them to subscribe to your email list.
But you’re not just going to tell them to do that… because they won’t.
Instead, you’re going to lay out an incentive. Create a compelling raffle where they can receive a free signed copy of your book, a gift card to their favorite bookstore, or a bundle of ebooks they can download. Create a sign-up sheet with spots for names and emails to contact the winner(s).
Don’t be spammy or shady. Explain in detail on the sign-up sheet that each entrant will be added to your email list and they can unsubscribe at any time. I added 100 subscribers to my email list at the event I attended.
Sure, there will probably be a few people who just want the goodies and then will unsubscribe when they don’t win the raffle, but to date, I’ve only had around five unsubscribes, which is pretty good.
Once you’ve wrapped up your time at the event, remember to pick a winner either through a drawing or a random number generator, then email everyone on the list with the results and send the prize promptly.
To minimize the percentage of unsubscribes, I also created a consolation prize for non-winners that included a free short story and a book marketing PDF guide. It’s always nice to receive a prize in a contest, especially when you don’t win!
Got any tips for getting the most out of an author event? Please share in the comments!
Wondering how to market yourself? When you start a business as a freelance writer, you’re bound to make some mistakes. No matter how many advice columns and guides to freelancing you read, some lessons on how to market yourself can only be learned in the trenches.
I’ve made many blunders since launching my side gig as a freelancer: letting a pitch sit so long without followup that it’s gotten cold, not keeping my social media voice consistent, not making myself stick to a writing schedule, and more.
Here are a few of the big mistakes new freelancers tend to make, errors that keep writers from landing the best freelance gigs — so you’ll have a better chance of avoiding them before they bite you.
1. Scattered, inconsistent presentation
How to market yourself well comes down to every foothold you have on social media being consistent.
How confusing would it be if you liked a brand and decided to find out more about it online, only to discover all of its profiles were different?
Its website was recently rebranded under a new name, one of its social media accounts was full of misspellings, and another account’s latest post was in 2011.
A lot of freelancers treat their personal brands in this haphazard way, rather than making every platform work together to attract clients.
The fact is that if you don’t make yourself easy to find, customers won’t take the trouble to hunt you down. And if your offerings aren’t clear, they won’t hire you. Making the message on all your profiles match eliminates confusion and helps you turn inquires into solid leads.
If your online persona is so fragmented that every account looks like a different person, remedy this by choosing the same professional profile picture and pithy bio for every site.
Narrow your social presence to just a few sites, like your personal website or blog, LinkedIn and Twitter.
Kristi Hines (known on Twitter as @kikolani), has this down pat with her professional presentation and focus on content marketing. Sports writer Nick McCarvel (@NickMcCarvel) is another good example of consistency. He injects some personal observations and colloquialisms into his Twitter commentary while keeping it businesslike in his commentary articles.
2. Random posts and self-promotions
Posting and sharing without any sort of master plan on how to market yourself lessens your chance of attracting good work.
If you miss direct messages, share little about your industry (other than pleas for someone to hire you), and frequently pop off with curses or squabbles, you’ll alienate potential followers and limit your credibility in marketing yourself.
For a more tactical approach to social media, start by figuring out when your followers are most active online, and how wide your reach already is. This will help you determine how to market yourself in the best way possible.
Free monitoring tools can also help with this part. You’ll want to schedule most of your updates for those windows when your followers tend to be online.
If you don’t think you can come up with something to say every time, start a backlog of drafts that you can release when traffic is high. The frequency with which you post will depend mainly on how often you feel you can say something substantial and relevant.
When it comes to how to market yourself, it’s better to have a few consistent, quality posts than a full timeline that just sounds like you’re making things up as you go.
Once you have a basic posting schedule arranged for maximum engagement and an understanding of the tactics of each platform, you should decide exactly what your take on the market should be:
Will you position yourself as an expert, here to inform?
A learner, posting about your journey as you gain familiarity with the industry?
A skeptic, scrutinizing everything you see and sharing how it could have been better?
Whatever angle you choose, keep it in mind when selecting your brand voice.
The only thing worse than tacky self-promotion is no self-promotion. Don’t be so falsely humble that you never actually say how good you are at writing, and what you can offer to others.
Check out Graphic Design Blender’s guide to promoting yourself without tearing others down, being outdone by bigger competitors, or overlooking valuable opportunities.
Some of their suggestions include promoting yourself offline through strategic relationships and impressive print pieces, and being specific about what you bring to your market niche.
3. Irregular networking
Networking is tough. Whether you’re a designer, a writer or an editor, we all experience similar struggles in knowing how to market yourself. But these few tricks can make networking easier.
First of all, be bold. Go for the clients you want; don’t just send up little online flares and hope your dream collaborator sees one. A short email introducing yourself and explaining that you’d love to help with any work they have in your field is entirely appropriate. Here’s how to write a tasteful pitch.
Don’t assume your family and friends can’t help you just because they aren’t familiar with freelancing. Take time to explain what exactly you do, and they may just know someone who needs your help. “Freelancing” may come across as a lofty concept; they might understand it better as “working with whoever needs you for a one-time job.”
Don’t overlook your local market. Dozens of businesses nearby may need you to write copy for them, but they can’t hire you if they don’t know who you are. Chamber of Commerce and similar memberships can offer valuable local connections.
Stay humble. Don’t strike out on your own so confident in your previous experience and market knowledge that you don’t think you’ll need help from an old coworker or industry expert. Seek out advice from former connections to show that you still value your relationships with them.
When networking, the number of inquiries you get will be directly related to the effort you put into making people see you.
4. Unfamiliarity with competitors’ strategies
In any business, you’ll have competitors. This isn’t much of a concern when you’re a nine-to-fiver, particularly at a national company where your salary is mostly safe.
As a freelancer, though, you are the company, and your salary is directly tied to how well you outdistance your competitors. If you’re unaware of current trends, the myriad of other writers who do exactly the same thing as you will snap up available jobs because of their greater savvy.
One of the most effective strategies is to study the competition. See how they weave their voice into their posts, both on their own platforms and in the work they’re hired to do. Take note of any mistakes they make, and identify how you could do better.
Going even farther than that, you could try befriending other freelancers in your space. Send them a message offering to meet up (if they’re in your area) or chat online to share ideas, talk about potential collaboration and share tips on how to market yourself.
Guest posting for each other’s blogs could help both of you, so that’s an option, too.
What other mistakes should freelancers avoid? Let us know what you’ve learned the hard way during your time flying solo. You may even make some friends in the comments!
Every publisher and literary agent will tell you that responsibility for the success of your book rests heavily upon you, its author. Although traditional media campaigns still play an important role in the marketing plans for new books, they are no longer enough. To maximize — or perhaps even replace — a traditional publicity campaign, you need to reach out to your audience directly by building and nurturing a strong online author platform.
Before founding a publishing company, I was a longtime arts and lifestyle newspaper editor. Over my 15 years in media, I saw our book coverage capacity plummet as reporting staff was relentlessly cut back and the newspapers themselves shrunk in size. I was dismayed to have to turn down highly appealing pitches from authors and their publicists every day, despite my interest in their books, simply because we no longer had the resources to cover them.
Every media outlet in the world is facing a similar crisis today. That’s why as a publisher, I now counsel all of our authors to build a relationship directly with their readers. I’ve seen first-hand that a strong grounding in online book marketing makes a decisive difference to any book’s ability to succeed in the market.
This is true for traditionally published authors as well as those who are self-publishing. Traditional publishers are far more likely to take a chance on an author when they know that he comes with an engaged following. If you’re planning to self-publish, a strong online platform is even more critical because you are entirely dependent upon your own ability to promote and distribute your work.
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Here’s how to market your book to make it a winner.
1. Start early
It’s never too soon to begin raising awareness of your book, and of you as an author. If you’re starting from scratch with very little presence online, you should ideally begin your platform-building efforts even while you are writing.
It takes a while to gain traction and build a following. And by sharing updates or asking for feedback on your book while you write, you stimulate curiosity and a sense of personal investment in your audience.
2. Build your website around yourself
You need to have a website, and it needs to be built around you, not around your business or your book. It’s surprising how many authors still overlook this critical piece of advice, relying on Facebook or their publisher’s website to act as their main online home.
But think about it. Your website will forever be under your control, and will never become obsolete. Instead, its power and relevance will only grow stronger as your career develops.
Your site doesn’t need to be fancy — in fact, it’s better not to pack it full of unnecessary features and distracting design elements. Aside from a page dedicated to your book and an “About me” page, the most critical element of your site will be a blog. By maintaining a regular blog you can build a following even while you write, and when your book is ready for publication, your readers will feel they already know you.
3. Focus on growing an email list
Email is the most effective marketing tool available today, and if you’re serious about selling your book, you must use it.
Offer a flagship piece of content on your website such as a mini ebook as an incentive to join your list, then send out a monthly or even weekly newsletter to stay top-of-mind with your followers. To keep their interest high, your newsletter ought to contain more than just “news” about you. By offering something useful, insightful or entertaining, you’ll gradually build an engaged audience who looks forward to hearing from you.
Choose the nature of your newsletter content based on the type of reader you’re courting, and the nature of the relationship you want to cultivate with those readers. This could be as simple as a stripped-down, letter-style email filled with links to top news from your industry, perhaps embellished with your own analysis. Or if your target readership is highly visual, you might choose to create a monthly mini-magazine filled with your own inspiring graphics, articles from your blog, embedded videos, quizzes and more.
4. Be generous
Marketing has changed in the digital age. Intrusive and coercive advertising has given way to permission marketing, in which book-buyers (and consumers of all types) follow their own pathways to find the things they care about. To bring them to your door, you’re going to have to drop some breadcrumbs — plenty of them.
Show the world what you know by blogging and guest posting. Draw people to your site by offering tools and resources for free. Above all, if your publishing arrangement permits it, consider making a free ebook or PDF version of your book. It’s possible that you might cannibalize a few sales this way, but you’re more likely to win others simply by spreading the word.
5. Use social media strategically
Social media quality is much better than quantity: you don’t have to be on every social network, and when you’re just starting out, you really shouldn’t try. It’s much better to do a few things really well than to take a scattershot approach that has no focus and no goals.
Determine where your target readership is most likely to be concentrated, and start by building a strong presence on that network.
6. Seed early reviews
I can’t overstate the importance of those first few weeks after release. To improve your book’s discoverability on Amazon, it’s critical to have a handful of solid reviews — aim for 10, at a minimum. It’s ok for some of these to come from family and friends, but it’s even better for those to come from top Amazon reviewers and verified buyers.
How do you get them? Start by asking, of course. Offering a free copy of your book to the right people in exchange for a review can give an enormous boost to your sales. Go to Amazon’s list of top reviewers and look for reviewers who have reviewed books similar to yours. You can also simply look up reviewers whose reviews you have enjoyed!
Each reviewer has a profile with an email address. Reach out to them with a non-pushy personal note, and a copy of your ebook or PDF version. Be gracious, be grateful and respect their opinion if they don’t love your book. Sour grapes will sour your reputation, but being a good sport demonstrates the professionalism you want to be known for as a career author.
