100 Tips for Maintaining a Killer Platform

Happy Monday, y’all!

Many would argue that novelists don’t need a platform, but I’m not convinced that’s true. Whether you write fiction or non-fiction, you can benefit from having a solid platform and a unique brand.

With that in mind, take a look at the following list titled 100 Tips for Maintaining a Killer Platform then spend some time thinking about how you can apply these tips to your work in progress.

 

Think like an entrepreneur.
Work hard to build your platform, acquiring a core audience. (Get your audience before your book’s release.)
Create a brand and stick with it.
Join professional organizations.
Educate yourself.
Build momentum by involving your readers.
Ask your readers what they want, then give it to them.
Give your readers free stuff.
Speak to other writers.
Offer real discounts.
Continue to offer fresh/compelling ideas to editors.
Hustle, hustle, hustle! (Don’t procrastinate.)
Stay on a continual learning curve.
Find your niche.
Communicate with your fans. Let them know how grateful you are for their support.
Discover your personal strengths and use them to your advantage.
Create new content on your website so it stays up in the Google rankings.
Conduct focus groups.
Volunteer at writing conferences.
Engage people who have different opinions.
Create a public “wave” by running an interview on several blogs at once.
Hold seasonal contests.
Offer webinars.
Join online communities and forums.
If you’re shy, work on breaking out of that shell.
Speak at local libraries.
Write a series. (Fans love authors to give them a series of books. They will fall in love with your characters, for sure.)
Offer online courses.
Send out surveys.
Know what you’re going to say…and say it.
Offer products related to your brand.
Speak to kids at your local public school(s).
Learn how to use Facebook and other social media outlets.
Give 100%, and then give some more.
Comment on blogs in your niche.
Give organizations discounts to buy your book in bulk.
Speak on topics relevant to your book(s).
Write down your marketing plan for each new book.
Slant your speaking topics and articles to your specific audience.
Set quarterly goals.
Be a guest speaker at a local college.
Stay in touch with other writers.
Approach local radio stations for interviews.
Engage people.
Ask a multi-published author to mentor you.
Make sure your editors are aware of your flexibility.
Don’t get discouraged.
Hire a publicist.
Work on that next book, even if you haven’t sold it.
Have bookmarks made promoting your book.
Support other authors.
Think outside the box.
Endorse books (it helps get your name out there).
Enjoy the process!
 Seek high-end endorsements for your book.
Include testimonials from your readers (on blogs, bookmarks, interviews, press releases, etc.).
Interview “famous” people on your blog.
Remember the 70/30 plan. If you have product (a book) to sell, spend at least 70% of your article/piece giving away info, then 30% selling product.
When you are interviewed on blogs or websites, put a link back to your site. (This ups your Google rankings.)
Create a tribe (a close-knit group of your best supporters).
Do “top ten” lists on your blog.
Review books.
Add your tagline to your email signature (along with the title of your most recent book).
Thank reviewers for reviewing your book (leave comments on their blog, thanking them).
Even if you’re multi-published, attend conferences to connect with other writers and to “grow” yourself as a writer.
Set up a shopping cart on your website.
Offer “deals” (three books for $25 instead of one for $10).
Offer pre-buy specials.
Create a mailing list.
Read marketing blogs.
Join Amazon Connect (to “connect” with your readers there).
Thank online bookstore owners for carrying your book.
Visit your local bookstore and offer to sign copies of your book. While you’re at it, take some cookies to the manager and his staff.
Apply to teach at conferences.
Become an online bookstore affiliate.
Promote through associations (either online or in person).
Learn how to write a great press release.
Don’t get caught up in singing your own praises.
Market to a book-buying audience.
Identify your target audience and spend time with them.
Market locally, then state-wide, then nationally.
Become “famous” in your area/region.
Offer people meat and potatoes, not milk and toast. (Make sure your articles and books are filled with actual/helpful info.)
Be consistent. (My former pastor used to say, “We want to be a people who finish well.”)
Keep clips of all your magazine articles and reviews.
Keep your press kit handy.
Give out business cards to new acquaintances.
Always follow up.
Build a reader’s list. Offer a “book-club” option on your site, giving “members” discounted prices if they receive your books automatically.
Enter your books in contests.
Create a great elevator pitch about your book so you won’t wear people out with a long explanation.
Speak before signing books. (I always sell far more books when I have an opportunity to speak first.)
Do your best to get “big” reviews. (Publisher’s Weekly, Library Association, Booklist, etc.)
Be creative when it comes to “where” you sell your books. If you’ve written for children, why not sell at homeschool fairs? If your book has a state angle, why not sell at your state’s library events?
Stay on top of industry changes.
Get your book in libraries. (Ask your friends/associates to request it.)
Don’t throw good money after bad. If something doesn’t work, it doesn’t work.
Don’t be too proud to write “small” (and often “free”) pieces.
Remember, you have a life outside of writing.

100. Pray.

There you have it, authors. . .one hundred great ways to keep your platform fresh and alive. I will leave you with the words of my good friend, multi-published romance author, Gail Gaymer Martin, who said: “Honing your craft continues whether you’ve written one or fifty novels. The better your story the more readers remember your novels and buy the next release. Learning never ends for novelists.” – Gail Gaymer Martin, author of Writing The Christian Romance from Writers Digest.