So you have published your manuscript, had it evaluated, run over it with a fine-toothed comb, and put everything into it. But apparently, no one will take it on. Why?Your story is captivating, your framework is well structured, your style is unique, and your writing is clear. What more do these publishers want?
Well, the buzzword lately in the world of publishing seems to be 'platform'. The author platform.
Existing authors have them, most new authors have them, and even many of the publishing employees themselves have them! So what is an author platform and what makes it so important?A platform is how you can get seen in a noisy world. It is a prominent level you are promoting yourself on to provide yourself with a name.
By promoting your work in a particular area you can gain some experience and get known out there by the people who may be interested in buying your work. This can mostly be done through online sources such as weblogs, websites, podcasts and creating Facebook and Twitter pages, but it can also be achieved through physical means such as speeches and training courses.
A friend of mine is an example. She is writing her first novel and knows that she has no hope of being noticed by a publisher, simply because she has no prior experience - she is an 'unknown'. She has come to realise that she needs to prop herself up on a platform.
She is taking it upon herself to be noticed in this noisy world.
She is a nurse, and the concept of her first novel revolves around psychological wellness. She has therefore set herself up on a weblog which is devoted to psychological wellness. She blogs about all kinds of subjects relevant to psychological wellness, and has collected quite a few followers to her website. She has now started to promote her upcoming book (which isn't yet complete) on her website, and through her newsletter. People who are enthusiastic about her subject are also becoming enthusiastic about her upcoming book. Now, when she completes the manuscript and takes it to an agent, she has evidence that there is a market for her work.
Now, when she finishes the manuscript and submits it to an agent or publisher, she is armed with a list of people who are interested in buying her book. This takes an enormous amount of risk away from the publisher, as with her being an 'unknown', they may have no one interested in her story, and they could waste a lot of time and money on publishing her work. So for them, knowing that she has a potential 'client base' and an author platform, her manuscript is looking so much more appealing!
Well, the buzzword lately in the world of publishing seems to be 'platform'. The author platform.
Existing authors have them, most new authors have them, and even many of the publishing employees themselves have them! So what is an author platform and what makes it so important?A platform is how you can get seen in a noisy world. It is a prominent level you are promoting yourself on to provide yourself with a name.
By promoting your work in a particular area you can gain some experience and get known out there by the people who may be interested in buying your work. This can mostly be done through online sources such as weblogs, websites, podcasts and creating Facebook and Twitter pages, but it can also be achieved through physical means such as speeches and training courses.
A friend of mine is an example. She is writing her first novel and knows that she has no hope of being noticed by a publisher, simply because she has no prior experience - she is an 'unknown'. She has come to realise that she needs to prop herself up on a platform.
She is taking it upon herself to be noticed in this noisy world.
She is a nurse, and the concept of her first novel revolves around psychological wellness. She has therefore set herself up on a weblog which is devoted to psychological wellness. She blogs about all kinds of subjects relevant to psychological wellness, and has collected quite a few followers to her website. She has now started to promote her upcoming book (which isn't yet complete) on her website, and through her newsletter. People who are enthusiastic about her subject are also becoming enthusiastic about her upcoming book. Now, when she completes the manuscript and takes it to an agent, she has evidence that there is a market for her work.
Now, when she finishes the manuscript and submits it to an agent or publisher, she is armed with a list of people who are interested in buying her book. This takes an enormous amount of risk away from the publisher, as with her being an 'unknown', they may have no one interested in her story, and they could waste a lot of time and money on publishing her work. So for them, knowing that she has a potential 'client base' and an author platform, her manuscript is looking so much more appealing!
About the Author:
If you would like to creating an author platform or even novel writing go to http://www.howtowriteabookadvice.net. This article, Beginning Authors Making Themselves Known in a Busy World is released under a creative commons attribution license.
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