# Platform Building



## SarahStrange (May 4, 2015)

This summer I've decided to start working on my platform building (aka the part of being an author/writer no one really talks about). So I've started blogging and attempting to be a solid presence on twitter. It's difficult, but the way I figure it, it's a necessary evil. After all, if you want a book to sell you've got to let people know about it. Part of that is reaching out to people and building a following on a blog or some other form of social media. Honestly, I still haven't fully developed a solid plan or ideas on the subject. It's all still percolating. 

So I was wondering what everybody's thoughts on platforms and platform building are? Love it, hate it? Never even tried it?


----------



## bazz cargo (May 4, 2015)

I can see why it is becoming a necessity. Trouble is lack of time. if only there was a network ready to join. 

I am very rarely on farcebook, but you can friend me if you wish. 

Perhaps you could 'follow' the WF page, and there is a writer's page.

What about a mutual marketing deal? Not me, cos I don't have anything to market but I can put a post up about your book. 

I also thought about doing  a 'six of the best and one of the worst' Author's questions and answers session on my page.

Any other ideas?


----------



## InstituteMan (May 4, 2015)

Well, I've been building the heck out of my platform, at least in the form of my blog. I probably have more thoughts than time right now (I'm allegedly working at the moment), but a few off the top of my head:

1. It takes time and sustained effort to gain traction. Lots of both

2. Pick a platform to focus on. Sure, it's fine and good to be on the Twitter and Facebook and everything else, but you can't be an ever-present force everywhere.

3. Don't get so caught up in the sizzle that you forget about the steak. Blogging and tweeting and everything is awesome, but don't neglect your 'serious' writing.

4. Consistent volume over time matters. The more I blog, the more page views I get, and it's not a linear relationship. This thought is often in conflict with thought #3 for me.

5. There's no accounting for taste. People read and enjoy the darnedest things. I'm shocked by my blog posts that have proven the most popular. This realization supports my devotion to thought #4.

6. Don't just be a taker. Contribute and interact with others where and when you can, especially when you can provide support and help. Unsolicited advice rarely counts as either support or help.

Back to work for me now. Happy platform building!


----------



## popsprocket (May 4, 2015)

SarahStrange said:


> After all, if you want a book to sell you've got to let people know about it.



Mmm... yes and no.

Let me say this for everyone:

Your authorial platform is mostly about adding value and _not_ about advertising your works. Your main goal in having a social platform is to interact with your readers/people in general. Selling your book through your channels should be a low priority and something that you only do sparsely.

Cat pictures and blogs with pretty pictures of a meal you cooked will get you more followers than links to buy your books on Amazon.


----------



## InstituteMan (May 4, 2015)

pops is hitting on an important point here:



popsprocket said:


> Mmm... yes and no.
> 
> Let me say this for everyone:
> 
> ...



Virtually no one is going to want to read a blog (or tweets, or etc) that's mostly self-promotion. 

I've taken to mostly blogging and tweeting about things that are of interest to me but that aren't about what I'm writing or how you can buy Creep from Amazon. I can't say that it's 'working' for me in terms of selling things, but my most popular blog posts have been about sports and beer and other people's books and vacations and (of all the strange things) a busker who performs in town. I theorize that a personal connection with blog readers will ultimately translate into sales, but I can't say that will actually work out on any sort of a large scale. I do know that my posts promoting my own work get pretty limited reads. I could disguise them better with the titles I give them and how I tweet them out, but I'm pretty sure that would only turn people off from reading me at all.

I should also add: daily blogging is great writing practice. It's a different kind of writing and a different voice than you would likely use for fiction (I know it is for me), but the routine and rhythm of blogging is good for me, and stringing words together regularly develops skills. 

One other point worth considering if you contemplate blogging is that it takes a little while to learn how to write a decent post. Everyone will have their own style, of course, but figuring out how to communicate ideas in a short space is _hard_. If you don't communicate your ideas in a short space, no one will be on the receiving end of your communications. My experience is that the perfect blog post is about 500 words or a little less. A particularly topical post (in my case, I write about my local soccer team, which people seem to like) can push up to near 1,000 words, but more than that and people won't engage with it.


----------



## popsprocket (May 4, 2015)

Unless you already have a (large) readership then tweeting links to your books won't sell shit. As a little author what sells books is good feedback on the Amazon page and word of mouth. You can help those things along by submitting your book to a blog that does reviews (they usually have long queues and if your book is crap they may very well ruin its chances of being successful) and being active on a site like goodreads. 

One of the problems lots of authors run into when platform building is that it doesn't happen overnight. Yeah, sure, you can do your own titles lots of good by being active on goodreads. Unfortunately that means months, or maybe years, of being a good member over there, writing popular reviews, making friends, building your network. With your network of friends built you have a group of first movers who are willing to buy and read your book just on the merit of being friendly with you, the author. It's that first group of people who buy your book and give you good feedback who get secondary readers to try it out. If you can get secondary readers interested then you are set, because they're the ones who bring in the rest.


----------



## SarahStrange (May 5, 2015)

> One of the problems lots of authors run into when platform building is that it doesn't happen overnight. Yeah, sure, you can do your own titles lots of good by being active on goodreads. Unfortunately that means months, or maybe years, of being a good member over there, writing popular reviews, making friends, building your network. With your network of friends built you have a group of first movers who are willing to buy and read your book just on the merit of being friendly with you, the author. It's that first group of people who buy your book and give you good feedback who get secondary readers to try it out. If you can get secondary readers interested then you are set, because they're the ones who bring in the rest.



You're absolutely right. People tend to forget that everything in this business takes time. A _really_ long time. It also takes a lot of social energy, which seems counterintuitive when the stereotype of the 'writer' (introvert, pained artsy type stick to themselves) is applied. Whenever I talk to people about the lesser known part of being an author (marketing/scrambling/platforming) they seem so surprised. 'You mean there's more to it than just writing stories???' is usually the reaction.

This all just reminds me that there's so much more depth to being a writer/author than many people think. It's why you have to be in for the long haul, which I totally am. I figure since I'm starting when I'm so young, there's a lot of room for potential. We'll see.


----------



## popsprocket (May 5, 2015)

It's also worth pointing out that an author will have to do this stuff even if they publish traditionally. Your publisher may offer upward of absolutely zero marketing, and even if they're busy taking out TV ads for your book you really should (and likely won't get a choice in the matter) be the one maintaining your social presence. That social presence can also be a good edge in managing to sell a book. If an editor googles you to find that you've already got a thousand Twitter followers and a regularly updated blog, they might be more inclined to pick you up.


----------



## shadowwalker (May 5, 2015)

Personally, as both writer and reader, I couldn't care less about an author's social media presence. And how the heck does an unpublished author of fiction build a platform anyway? It's meaningless when you get right down to it. I may like the recipes posted on a blog - does that mean I'm going to buy that person's novel? Why? And for trade published authors - they get their marketing done by the publisher going to the book sellers. Someone spouting off on social media is not going to make me want to buy their book. From some statements made by authors over the past few years, it's more likely to make me _not _buy them.


----------



## Gavrushka (May 5, 2015)

There's a person on Twitter who has close to 100,000 followers (and follows the same amount back) and they've a great platform as a result to 'spread the word' about their novels... The problem is, this person is awesome at networking but a dreadful writer. All they have succeeding in doing is telling the world they're crap... 

What is so complicated about getting your head down to writing AND when you're of a standard, either finding an agent or advertising a novel you feel proud of? 

If you want to sell a lot of books, you need to write well, and then let other people sing your praises rather than self-proclaim.

Of course, if you can't write well, perhaps networking is the only avenue you can pursue to sell a few books.


----------



## SarahStrange (May 5, 2015)

> Personally, as both writer and reader, I couldn't care less about an author's social media presence. And how the heck does an unpublished author of fiction build a platform anyway? It's meaningless when you get right down to it. I may like the recipes posted on a blog - does that mean I'm going to buy that person's novel? Why? And for trade published authors - they get their marketing done by the publisher going to the book sellers. Someone spouting off on social media is not going to make me want to buy their book. From some statements made by authors over the past few years, it's more likely to make me _not buy them._



I think of it more as practice for when something is published. For most of the publishers (smaller ones btw) that I've looked at if you just want to submit directly to them w/o an agent then you have to have a marketing plan along with a polished manuscript. Learning how to spread myself on a blog or social media now rather than running into the whole thing unprepared later seems to be a good idea. At least for me. It varies from person to person of course.


----------



## Bevo (May 5, 2015)

Couple different takes from all sides.

For me I have never looked up an authors website other than to see what else they have written.
On the other hand, I follow a couple blogs related to my sport  because I like the writer.

Thinking a bit deeper, I do see having a platform attracting followers but also see the danger, a bad series of blogs or articles can kill your follower group. 
Getting a good quality book out through the right channels can be more helpful than a perceived following of fans, they may or may not respond as you like.

One more thing, the viral book or blog comes from left field, this is a totally random thing but one thing consistent is no one knows them prior to going viral. Call me superstitious but being a kinda good author uses up your mojo, having fans think your ok and proving it with reviews may be a disservice, less may be more.


----------



## David Gordon Burke (May 5, 2015)

shadowwalker said:


> Personally, as both writer and reader, I couldn't care less about an author's social media presence. And how the heck does an unpublished author of fiction build a platform anyway? It's meaningless when you get right down to it. I may like the recipes posted on a blog - does that mean I'm going to buy that person's novel? Why? And for trade published authors - they get their marketing done by the publisher going to the book sellers. Someone spouting off on social media is not going to make me want to buy their book. From some statements made by authors over the past few years, it's more likely to make me _not _buy them.



With all due respect, the key words in your post are I, Me, My etc.  This is your opinion and it obviously goes against the widespread belief.  As an author whose entire career is likely to be within the Indie world, my platform is everything.  As well, the writing and selling of books may or may not be an entire career.  One can use their books as a jumping off spot to other things.  God knows I get most of my teaching gigs based on how impressed potential clients are with the fact that my system sells all around the world.  No need for them to know that it´s only 200 copies all around the world.

Then there is the possibility of maximizing your income via google ads etc.  The only thing holding someone back is their imagination.  

I recently learned how to multiply the hits on my blog.  Instead of 10 visits a week I now get about 200 a day.  Is it a coincidence that sales of my books have also gone from one to five a week?  Still not a career but the beginning of a retirement fund.

Opinions.  Hmmmm.

David Gordon Burke


----------



## David Gordon Burke (May 5, 2015)

Bevo said:


> Getting a good quality book out through the right channels can be more helpful than a perceived following of fans, they may or may not respond as you like.



Easier said than done.  The writing of a good book.  Wow.  An amazing feat.  I feel amazingly proud to have written one memoir, one novel and one short story collection that I don´t consider TOTAL manure.  That elusive good book is still a few years in the future.  Maybe I´ll even have a bit of greatness rub off on me along the way.  

But the rest of it? Getting it out through the right channels?  That´s a completely different animal.  And let´s be honest - is largely reserved for people in a position to get it done.  Like living in New York certainly doesn´t hurt.  Or another big US city.  And then there´s the thousands of doors you have to knock on and the rejections.  

So then there is the other side of the coin.  Create the buzz, get the following with your insight, wit, helpful tips etc.  It´s the same thing as coming here and writing a post but you do it for yourself on your own site so the benefit is possibly for yourself.  I do appreciate that this site doesn´t seem to be super commercialized but I have in the past contributed to a bunch of forums that whose owners were making a bundle .... I was basically a dumb cyber-slave.  

Why not build your own community?  Hell, since I am completely fascinated with every thought that crosses my mind, it stands to reason that everyone else will be too.

David Gordon Burke
Like you´ve never seen a band that truly sucks but has a huge following?  They tend to get their act together over time.


----------



## TKent (May 5, 2015)

I find it interesting that so many responses to this topic seem to be that you need to focus on being a good writer instead of building a social media presence. I don't look at it as an either/or. In talking about using social media as an author, I think it goes without saying that you need to write good books. However, the fact is, even great writers need good marketing. Certainly, if you are traditionally published by a BIG publisher, they will be handling some level of marketing. But that doesn't discount the fact that many very successful traditionally published writers use social media to their advantage. And many more authors who are published by indie presses, small presses or self-published depend on marketing themselves to be successful.

I own a small business that has nothing to do with writing and have found social media to be a very valuable tool. For that business, I use Facebook for multiple purposes: to interact with existing customers in a meaningful way (builds loyalty among other things), and to attract the attention of prospective customers.

Given my previous experience with my business, I didn't think twice about building a social media presence for myself as an author. Even though last May, when I started, I'd never had a single thing published.  I have over 5K followers now and that was with sporadic attention to gaining them. I have met many other writers this way and consider some of them my friends now. We share each other's successes on a regular basis. I came into it putting myself in the place of a 'fan' and thinking about what I like about being friended by some of my favorite authors. It adds another dimension to the reader experience to have one of my favorite authors interact with me on Twitter or Facebook. And boy does that build loyalty. Sure, I would have read their books because they are great writers. But I am more than a reader if I've interacted with them. I am firmly in their camp, retweeting their new book releases, sharing things with them of interest. It makes a huge difference to me. So assuming that I continue to write and author some good books, I want that kind of reader in my camp. I am also a very social person by nature, so I personally don't find this 'hard.'  It is quite fun to me 

If you want to know how a successful author takes full advantage of the social platform, take a look at Paul Coehlo. He is a social media genius (and it doesn't keep him from writing great books--he didn't have to choose between the two).  Here is an interesting article by Paul on the subject: http://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2011...book-twitter-to-reach-readers-and-sell-books/

Good luck!

ETA: In the article above, Paul says: 



> Currently I dedicate three hours of my day to this interaction. While the vast majority of a literary career like mine is delegated to people who belong to my universe—such as my agent, my editors, and the booksellers—I have time for and take pleasure in this direct contact.


----------



## popsprocket (May 5, 2015)

Gavrushka said:


> If you want to sell a lot of books, you need to write well, and then let other people sing your praises rather than self-proclaim.
> 
> Of course, if you can't write well, perhaps networking is the only avenue you can pursue to sell a few books.



This is utter rubbish.

50 Shades of Grey reads like it was shat out by a three legged kitten stumbling across a keyboard after a few too many. Why was it successful? Because the author had a huge network of followers on the sites where it was originally published.

How many extremely good books go entirely unnoticed just because they weren't picked up and read by the right people? Who knows, probably quite a lot.

Writing well =/= selling books.


----------



## InstituteMan (May 5, 2015)

Not only is 'building a platform' vs 'writing well' not an either/or proposition, I think one supports the other (for good or for ill). 

You know what blogging is? It's writing. You know what tweeting is? Also writing. Facebooking? Also often writing. None of those are exactly book writing, but they're still writing. My guess is that if you're someone who's going to write terrible blog posts that turn off people you are also the sort of writer who's going to write terrible books. 

Sure, the skills aren't _exactly _the same, and I can imagine someone who writes epic and brilliant novels struggling with a short blog posts or even shorter tweets, but on average talent or a lack of talent at one type of writing will be vividly apparent in the other type of writing.

For me, I believe in my writing enough to blog and tweet and submit my work hither and yon and even self-publish if it comes to that (and I'm pretty sure it will). No one has to follow a similar route, but I can't see a single reason not to try.


----------



## TKent (May 5, 2015)

See you are a prime example of how your blogging and tweeting gained a loyal fan. Me!



InstituteMan said:


> Not only is 'building a platform' vs 'writing well' not an either/or proposition, I think one supports the other (for good or for ill).
> 
> You know what blogging is? It's writing. You know what tweeting is? Also writing. Face booking? Also often writing. None of those are exactly book writing, but they're still writing. My guess is that if you're someone who's going to write terrible blog posts that turn off people you are also the sort of writer who's going to write terrible books.
> 
> ...


----------



## Bevo (May 5, 2015)

I see the error of my ways, I stand corrected.... And will start a blog :razz:


----------



## InstituteMan (May 5, 2015)

TKent said:


> See you are a prime example of how your blogging and tweeting gained a loyal fan. Me!



This is sweet of T to say, but also true on a few levels. I honest to goodness have a few fans of my blog. It's a little hard to discombobulate returning visitors from one-shot visitors, but I at least have dozens (arguably a few hundred) of people who read my writing frequently as a result of my "platform building," and thousands who have read me once or twice. I only started my blog less than a year ago, and I only got serious about it around six months ago. During that time my blog has only cost me money, but it hasn't cost me much. It certainly seems like a worthwhile investment of time and a small amount of money.


----------



## Gavrushka (May 6, 2015)

popsprocket said:


> This is utter rubbish.
> 
> 50 Shades of Grey reads like it was shat out by a three legged kitten stumbling across a keyboard after a few too many. Why was it successful? Because the author had a huge network of followers on the sites where it was originally published.
> 
> ...



Thanks for your, umm, honesty, but it does make me smile when someone posts an 'exception' and claims it as a universal proof.

My argument is there is a very strong correlation between book sales and quality of writing. I argue that *you market when you have something worth marketing*. Your argument is 'E L James'. Hmmm...

Ah, your role is as a media manager... I forgive you! *snickers*


----------



## popsprocket (May 6, 2015)

Gavrushka said:


> Thanks for your, umm, honesty, but it does make me smile when someone posts an 'exception' and claims it as a universal proof.
> 
> My argument is there is a very strong correlation between book sales and quality of writing. I argue that *you market when you have something worth marketing*. Your argument is 'E L James'. Hmmm...
> 
> Ah, your role is as a media manager... I forgive you! *snickers*



Hysterical. Did you know that I get paid to do this stuff in the real world? In fact, yes, that's right, I work for an agency of 50 odd people who _all_ do this stuff for a living. Good job, you just dismissed marketing with a snicker. Should probably just keep scrolling, marketing doesn't happen whether or not you think it's important or anything. Go watch some TV, scroll down a webpage, walk down the street even: no attempts at marketing will be found. Nope. None.

But 50 Shades isn't an exception. Twilight, Hunger Games, Maze Runner, The Tomorrow Series... all hugely successful, all written with the apparent skill of a 12 year old. Good writing still doesn't equate to good book sales. The fact is that companies tip millions of dollars into social media because the return is of at least equal value to their brand, and what that means for authors is that having a social presence is important. 

And guess what? You can't build a social presence overnight. Literally impossible; right up there with pigs spontaneously sprouting wings.

You complete that book you're working on to an extremely high standard, _then_ set up your facebook and twitter accounts and your mother takes pity on your and follows you. Good job! Gunna sell 10,000 copies in the first week! It takes time to build a presence and it's just not good enough to do it as an afterthought - even in the case where you are publishing traditionally.

_Yes_ you need to have a good product to market, but not having completed your book doesn't preclude you from setting up a blog and a corresponding set of social media pages and beginning to engage with people long before you ever find yourself wondering whether you should trade or self publish.


----------



## SarahStrange (May 6, 2015)

> I find it interesting that so many responses to this topic seem to be that you need to focus on being a good writer instead of building a social media presence. I don't look at it as an either/or. In talking about using social media as an author, I think it goes without saying that you need to write good books.



I agree, it's not either or. I see it as a way to make my writing better too. Personally, I get better at writing not just from writing my particular genre, but simply _writing. _Being able to come up with interesting article ideas every week seems like a solid way to go about teaching my creative juices to flow exactly when I want them to regardless of the medium.


----------



## TKent (May 6, 2015)

Hey SS,  If you read that article by Paul, you'll see he uses social media as a 'writing' platform, not just a social platform. He does some very cool things!  As you can tell, I am a fan of his writing and by virtue of his social media presence, feel like I know him. So I'm firmly in his camp on so many levels. Which was one of the points I made. I want the feelings and energy someone like me, has for writers like him, Margaret Atwood, and a whole host of others who are very active in social media. Margaret Atwood even partnered with a young girl and has posted work on Wattpad. She sees the value in reaching the millions of readers there 


SarahStrange said:


> I agree, it's not either or. I see it as a way to make my writing better too. Personally, I get better at writing not just from writing my particular genre, but simply _writing. _Being able to come up with interesting article ideas every week seems like a solid way to go about teaching my creative juices to flow exactly when I want them to regardless of the medium.


----------



## LeeC (May 6, 2015)

If you all will forgive me, what I see here is what our world has become today with so many choices and distractions that it's confusing to the point of wearisome.

At one end of the scale there are individuals who feel quality (itself another subject) is an important aspect of a product. With the pressures of just getting by today though, this aspect is decreasing in importance, even in cases being a detriment to "bean counter bottom line" success within an increasingly shortened time frame of our expectations. 

At the other end of the scale are those that have adapted to this changing situation in seeing manipulation of perception as the key to success regardless of product. If one considers this in the context of natural order drives — i.e. 'survival of the fittest' (as in adaptability not brutishness) — it's an expected outgrowth. 

Where all this may lead is anybody's guess, but to me is like driving headlong fixated on outrunning the past in the rearview mirror. Personally, not enamored with fame and fortune in what short time I have left, I'd be content in achieving a measure of quality that has potential longevity to outlast me. Of course, bearing personal preferences in mind, quality in writing to me is something meaningful (again individual perception) that comes alive in my mind's eye, not what catches the fleeting attention of readership's critical mass at any one point in time. 

I suppose though that I'm that past in the rearview mirror that younger generations are trying to outrun, exemplified in not being familiar with many of the examples cited because they don't interest me. To each their own, and I wish you all happiness in life. In the meantime I'll go back to reading what I think has meaning, like the following:

“Men say they know many things;​But lo! they have taken wings, —​The arts and sciences,​And a thousand appliances;​The wind that blows​Is all that any body knows”​~  Henry David Thoreau​
Best wishes


----------



## ppsage (May 6, 2015)

> uses social media as a 'writing' platform, not just a social platform.


This is where things start getting interesting, even around here.


----------



## TKent (May 6, 2015)

I've seen many a poet share 140 character poems on twitter. In fact, WF hosted a Twitter poetry contest in February. So yes, it can be used as a platform for writing.

Paul Coehlo mentions this in the article:



> *D. **The language changes.* Of course, I  could use these social communities solely to promote my books, but what  would be the point? The art of writing is not limited to the printed  book—it is the act of communicating a message. An inner voice told me:  “Don’t be pushy. What you and any writer wants is to be read by the  largest number of people possible. So use this language and do that.” I  created what I call “reading in 20 seconds,” adapting stories and  reflections to the longest time period a person will spend on a web  page.



There are so many cool things that can be done in social media.  Writeoncon.com did some incredible twitter pitch events with agents commenting in real time on a series of twitter pitches of 140 characters or less that had been selected from submissions. The comments ranged from: "We're not looking for anymore zombie stories" to "That is a unique premise. Send me the first ten pages." 



ppsage said:


> This is where things start getting interesting, even around here.


----------



## TKent (May 6, 2015)

Wattpad is also a prime example of a social platform designed specifically for writers to share their writing. Well-known, established, successful writers of quality product such as Margaret Atwood and R.L. Stine have a presence on the site. Those two in particular have had writing contests that allowed their readers to essentially write a story with them. Highly engaging.


----------



## bazz cargo (May 6, 2015)

Fame. or infamy sells books. 

Would you consider ghost-writing for a premier league footballer?


----------



## David Gordon Burke (May 6, 2015)

Paul Coehlo and any and all writers that made it before the current industry revolution might have opinions on the issue but they are no longer in the game. They have already arrived.  Their names are a brand and it sells.  

It´s a new world order.  If Paulo Coehlo were a struggling writer today, he´d be blogging and facebooking with the best of them.  

David Gordon Burke


----------



## TKent (May 6, 2015)

Not quite sure I follow you. He does blog/Facebook/Tweet with the best of them. Do you think that because he's had success with some of this books that he can gain no value with social media. He would beg to differ. 



David Gordon Burke said:


> Paul Coehlo and any and all writers that made it before the current industry revolution might have opinions on the issue but they are no longer in the game. They have already arrived.  Their names are a brand and it sells.
> 
> It´s a new world order.  If Paulo Coehlo were a struggling writer today, he´d be blogging and facebooking with the best of them.
> 
> David Gordon Burke


----------



## InstituteMan (May 6, 2015)

I blog and tweet for my day job. Social media is just part of how I get paying work. I also go to meetings and conferences and participate in the community. I do all of those things to develop business, but also because they are interesting and fun and helpful to others. All modesty aside, I'm darn good at my day job. I get work based on my reputation, but that's not enough work to keep me busy full time, at least not yet. Maybe someday I will be so well respected and so well known that I have people beating down my door to pay me for my services. Until that happens, I'll keep participating in my community through in-person activities and online.

I just don't see how writing is any different. Both quality and promotion matters. Put both of those together for long enough, and you can build a reputation.


----------



## shadowwalker (May 7, 2015)

You know, David, I'm aware that I was voicing my opinion. I figure since that was what was asked for, that's what I should respond with. Do I buy books because an author has a blog? No. I buy books because someone who knows what I like and whose _opinion _I respect suggests I give it a try. Now, self-published authors need this sort of exposure as part of their marketing program - some use it successfully, some don't. But for a trade published author or someone who hasn't published anything yet, I don't see the point. Of course, that's just my opinion...


----------



## Kyle R (May 7, 2015)

I think it's great that social media gives fans the opportunity to interact with their favorite authors. Even it just means reading their tweets about what they had for breakfast, or about where their next book signing will be.

When I first got into writing short fiction, Ray Bradbury was my hero. I made a goal for myself that I would send him my first published short story along with a letter thanking him for inspiring me to write.

Sadly, Mr. Bradbury passed before I could accomplish what I set out to do. But it points out, at least for me, the desire readers have for a personal connection with their beloved authors, a connection that extends beyond the pages of the books they've written.

There are many authors whom I'd love to chat with, or at the very least, see what they're chatting about.

Social media provides an avenue for just that very thing.

And, on the business side, it's a great way to promote yourself and reach new potential fans. Just as long as you keep your writing a top priority! :encouragement:


----------



## InstituteMan (May 7, 2015)

shadowwalker said:


> But for a trade published author or someone who hasn't published anything yet, I don't see the point. Of course, that's just my opinion...



For me, the single biggest reason for blogging is that it's fun. There are potential upsides to blogging in terms of actually selling work in the future that motivated me to start, but I keep doing it because I enjoy it. 

[Aside: I have an Amazon affiliate account, so I know that I've sold a tiny amount via my blog. I can't buy a cup of coffee yet, but you've got to start somewhere, you know? :smile: ]

Even when I'm not in the mood to write a post, I can usually convince myself to write one as a learning exercise and simply to keep my daily writing habit going. Those who don't enjoy blogging shouldn't, because the distaste will come through. Social media is a little different than blogging, in that being on social media is increasingly part of being a sentient human being in today's world, but even there I would hope that people would engage first and foremost because it's fun and generally worthwhile.

We probably have different opinions as to the potential value of platform building for unpublished or trade published authors, but I certainly don't think platform building is worth attempting for someone who just can't stand doing it. The odds of financial success as a writer are so long that there's no need in enduring extra misery as part of the process; extra fun that might be beneficial, though, that's a bonus.


----------



## TKent (May 7, 2015)

Great point  



> We probably have different opinions as to the potential value of  platform building for unpublished or trade published authors, but I  certainly don't think platform building is worth attempting for someone  who just can't stand doing it. The odds of financial success as a writer  are so long that there's no need in enduring extra misery as part of  the process; extra fun that might be beneficial, though, that's a bonus.


----------



## shadowwalker (May 8, 2015)

There are also people who are just plain no good at it - and for an author that can spell disaster. And, as I mentioned earlier, there are some authors who have said things on social media that cost them dearly. 

My main point is that social media/"building a platform" should not be considered a necessary step toward success, at least not for the unpublished or trade published authors. If one enjoys it or is self-published, sure. But otherwise, don't think you _have _to.


----------



## Phil Istine (May 9, 2015)

Gavrushka said:


> Thanks for your, umm, honesty, but it does make me smile when someone posts an 'exception' and claims it as a universal proof.
> 
> My argument is there is a very strong correlation between book sales and quality of writing. I argue that *you market when you have something worth marketing*. Your argument is 'E L James'. Hmmm...
> 
> Ah, your role is as a media manager... I forgive you! *snickers*



Hi Gavrushka.
A question about your signature please.  Was the person's internet name Stonesigner or Stonesinger?  Either of those names would make some sense to me as they both sound like decent names - but you have used both.


----------

