Build Your Author Platform in 10 Simple Steps

by Tracy J. Thomas

Do you dream of landing a traditional publishing contract or watching your self-published book shoot towards the top of Amazon? Whether you have your sights set on a large advance from a publishing house or simply long to see an increase in royalties from your Kindle sales, you won’t achieve either without the development of a solid author platform.

The days when traditional publishers handled 100% of the book marketing and sales for their authors has long gone. Today, the majority of publishers expect their authors to play a significant role in marketing their own books. In fact most publishers will not take on an author who does not already have an established author platform.

When it comes to self-publishing, building your platform is imperative to the success of your book. Without a built-in platform at the time you launch a new book, the prospect of your book finding its way towards the top of an already crowded marketplace is very slim.

What if you had the tools available to build a loyal following of people who would buy your next book the moment it was released? What if those same people decided to broadcast the link to your book sales page to all their connections without pause?

This book will help you reach beyond your current fold of family, friends, and devoted followers, and provide you with the action steps and tips you need to find more targeted and loyal connections by way of social media marketing tailored for authors.

94 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 20, 2016

About the author

Tracy J Thomas is an award-winning photographer, artist, author, and educator. Her work has been published in multiple international mainstream media sources and displayed in galleries and private collections around the world. She holds her M.F.A. In Photography from the Academy of Art University, San Francisco and her M.A. From the University of San Francisco.

She was a contributing writer to the 2012 Seal Press anthology Dancing at the Shame Prom: Sharing the Stories That Kept Us Small. Her current book Zen in the Garden: Finding Peace and Healing Through Nature is the first of several non-fiction works to be released this year.

In 2013 she was honored to serve on the faculty of the San Miguel Writer's Conference in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico where she presented a workshop on social media for authors. She was also a member of the speaker's panel "Women Write Their Lives" along with several other notable authors including Samantha Dunn, Laura Davis, Suzanne Braun Levine, Sarah Stonich, Amy Ferris, Brooke Warner, Hollye Dexter, and Brooke Axtell.

Website: Tracy J Thomas
Blog: A Thousand Words
Facebook: Tracy J Thomas, Author
Amazon Author Page: Tracy J Thomas

Reviews

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

good social media book IF you already have a book published. It is a nice step by step guide once you are at that point. It is not helpful , I think, for those who are not published yet.

[Dawn Brookes · Rating 5 out of 5]

A useful guide for new authors. Could be quite time consuming but offers a realistic plan.

[Teri Ames · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book for any author who is trying to get started with social media. It presents a helpful overview of the various options with instructions and prioritization. If you are already active in social media, this book is probably too basic for you. But, if you're not, it's a good kick in the pants to get you started. My only complaint is that it sometimes falls short on logistical details. For example, the author suggests that you should have a Facebook author page separate from your personal page but doesn't explain that it is virtually impossible to create an author page unless you already have a personal one with enough friends to validate your author page. That said, I got my money's worth out of this book because it had some good ideas and practical advice.