When writers are trying to build platform—in order to land a book deal—they often ask me questions like:
- How many Twitter followers do I need?
- How many Facebook likes should I have?
- How many website or blog visits are required?
- How many people need to be on my email newsletter list?
Every agent or publisher will throw out a different number to such questions, and usually that number is made up. What’s even more frustrating: building a platform only to land a book deal usually ends up short circuiting. (Here’s why.)
A smarter and more strategic author should evaluate their platform strength on three levels:
- ability to reach new readers,
- ability to engage existing readers, and
- ability to mobilize super fans.
Over at Writer Unboxed, I explain how to take a holistic view toward building your author platform.
Jane Friedman has spent her entire career working in the publishing industry, with a focus on business reporting and author education. Established in 2015, her newsletter The Bottom Line provides nuanced market intelligence to thousands of authors and industry professionals; in 2023, she was named Publishing Commentator of the Year by Digital Book World.
Jane’s expertise regularly features in major media outlets such as The New York Times, The Atlantic, NPR, The Today Show, Wired, The Guardian, Fox News, and BBC. Her book, The Business of Being a Writer, Second Edition (The University of Chicago Press), is used as a classroom text by many writing and publishing degree programs. She reaches thousands through speaking engagements and workshops at diverse venues worldwide, including NYU’s Advanced Publishing Institute, Frankfurt Book Fair, and numerous MFA programs.
[…] https://janefriedman.com/building-a-strong-author-platform/ “A strategic author should evaluate their platform strength on three levels: […]
[…] Friedman reminds us that a strong author platform is about more than numbers, Kristen Lamb dissects what platform is and why do authors need it, and Jami Gold asks if your […]
Hi Jane, thank you for your dedication and for sharing your insights. Question. How many pages make for a good marketing plan?
It’s kind of like asking how long is a piece of string, because so much depends on context, but you can find good examples over here in some nonfiction book proposals: https://businessofwriting.org/supplemental-resources/