Author Platform

Put your energy into people and places that are a good fit for you and your writing goals, and your literary community will thrive.

One author threw herself into platform building and engagement, only to lose sight of what really mattered—her writing.

Publishers and literary agents know this, even if they pretend otherwise to conveniently reject you and your work.

When soliciting blurbs or appearances on podcasts, its important to convey—in just a few lines—what you and your writing are about.

Advice on getting your foot in the door as an on-air expert, from someone who spent two decades booking authors for TV appearances.

Writing an opinion piece about a topic in the news or in the zeitgeist is a way for even inexperienced writers to get the attention of editors.

An amateur historian finds that her passion has led to enough expertise and authority for her book proposal to be taken seriously.

The debut author discusses writing an illustrated book for adults, platform building, and listening to the little voice inside.

Learn a few simple tricks to schmooze like a pro at your next writing conference—or at least operate like a less awkward version of yourself.

A smart and strategic author should evaluate their platform strength on three levels: (1) ability to reach new readers, (2) ability to engage existing readers, and (3) ability to mobilize super fans.

If you're preparing to pitch your nonfiction work to agents or publishers, you may have heard about the necessity of platform. What if you don't have one?

When deciding whether to write for free—or for exposure—here are 5 questions writers should ask.

Author platform is one of the most difficult concepts to explain, partly because everyone defines it a little differently. Here's what agents and editors mean by platform, plus a clear definition of what platform is NOT.

Kirsten Oliphant details how to find, create, and edit branded graphics for blogs and social media.

Author Gigi Rosenberg describes how she redesigned and relaunched her author website primarily on her own, only hiring assistance at the end.

by Sal Falko / Flickr The backlash against Literary Citizenship is underway, and perhaps it was inevitable. For those unaware

It's not unusual for authors to be told by their publishers that author websites aren't necessary or effective. Should their insight be trusted?

In this talk from the 2013 Midwest Writers Workshop, I explain the process of growing my readership since 2008, then share a few key principles I follow to make it an enjoyable and sustainable process.

Platform Inventory Worksheet, reduced size Last weekend at the Midwest Writers Workshop, I offered a workshop on author platform building.