Platform or Book—Chicken or Egg? by Diana Flegal
The nonfiction writer often asks the question, “Should I focus on building my platform, or find a publishing home for my book that I can sell as I grow my platform?”
This is a great question, but it depends on your topic and audience.
I want to offer a CAUTION here. It is all too easy for a writer to self-publish their first book, but it is not always in their best interest to do so. I am of the persuasion a writer should build their platform first. I will go over the exceptions further on in this blog.
The best way for a nonfiction writer to build their platform is to seek out speaking engagements and to blog on a routine basis . I am assuming if you have a book in mind, it is on a topic you know well and are passionate about.
The many advantages of blogging once a week or twice a month:
- It allows you to build an audience as you develop various speaking topics.
- You can test what aspects of your topic resonate with your reader.
- Is there a felt need for what you are offering or a saturated market?
- Do you have the perseverance to stay the course required of a speaker and writer or did you romanticize the process?
I once romanticized the job of making biscuits at McDonalds. Yet when I had to punch in at 4AM every day, heft a HUGE stainless steel kettle, roll out pounds of dough, cut then bake a gazillion biscuits an hour, the romantic notion I had of the job evaporated.
Research all it will take to become a successful nonfiction author.
- The next time you enjoy a speaker, ask them how long it took for them to become an “in demand” speaker.
- How often do they speak each month/year?
- If they have a book to sell, how many books do they typically sell at each event?
- Which came first for them- the book or their platform?
- Has the sale of their book, brought them speaking engagements?
- Google your favorite author and look for interviews where they talk about their writing journey.
Face to face, speaking/video/or live chat, is a great way to reach your audience, widen your area of influence, and sell books.
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EXCEPTIONS to the RULE:
Publishing your book BEFORE developing your platform often leads to disappointing sales and provides you a small area of influence. I represent a few nonfiction authors who published their book first. Sadly, after supreme efforts on both our parts, they still have not met the measure of success they are worthy of.
Yet, in every circumstance there are exceptions to the rule .
- If the author has the beginnings of a speaking platform to a niche market; such as speaking to caregivers of Dementia, having a book to offer this underserved audience is beneficial and can lead to future speaking engagements as well as healthy book sales—retail and back of the room sales.
- If the writer has some connection to celebrity (wife of, sister to, nosey neighbor of), and writes to a current trend that is wildly hot and understands the benefits of using social media to influence others.
- If the writer is asked by large audiences to speak on his/her topic, and they are now ready to step out.
In our Reality TV-driven world, readers want to connect to the author, especially if they write or speak on a topic near to their own experience. This is the value of social media.
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If you have something of worth and value to share with an audience—share it.
- Speak
- Blog
- Write your book.
You will then have a waiting audience to launch your book to.
