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This is not about a short-term follower boost.

Or mindless clicks.

Or sacrificing your writing time.

In Zero-to-Platform Bootcamp, we’ll channel the work you’re already doing (and want to do) to find joy in sharing your work and building publishing opportunities. You’ll learn to write more, write better, and be read.

Platform isn’t ten thousand followers. It’s a continuing (sorry!) presence in your life as you share your words with the world. But it doesn’t have to be draining or exhausting, and it should support your writing time.

In this weekend intensive, we’ll break down how to think about your particular literary or commercial position, then dive into the specifics of mailing lists, pitching, public speaking, and what the heck to actually write that will build that platform. You’ll leave with a plan to sustain platform-building in your daily writing life—to reach readers, get published and sell books.

This bootcamp includes:

• Specific challenges and downloadable worksheets get you moving
• Focused self-assessment helps you discover the right combination of publishing and social media
• Expert guidance to help you determine where to spend your energy—and your precious writing time

And yes—you’ll kick a** at social media if that’s what you want.

You will benefit from this class if:

• You’ve received rejections saying that you need more platform
• Agents or publishers tell you “I don’t know how to sell this book”
• You want to build platform through your actual writing that’s not focused on social media
• You’re a memoirist who is shy about publishing or worried about privacy
• You’re a novelist wondering if you really need platform at all—but you want to be ready to sell books
• You’re planning a launch for a forthcoming book
• You’re an issues-driven writer seeking the readers who need their words
• You want to spread the word about your work in the mainstream media and/or literary publications

What this bootcamp will cover

• What’s YOUR platform? You’re a writer, not an influencer. Your platform content must feed your work as well as reaching readers. Learn where you should publish and post, and how to build relationships with your comp authors—and their readers!  
• Get invited in: newsletters and blogs. Your most important asset is your own list. Get your mailing list going from zero—or accelerate growth for the list you already have.
• Reshare, reuse, repurpose: infinite painless content. Attract readers with quality content, broaden your audience and get things DONE with resharing.
• What your readers want to know. Discover the key to writing a “hot essay” and how to know when you’re “good enough” for a journal or the right fit for a media outlet.
• Newsworthy and camera ready: public speaker, public self. Find the newsworthy angle in your work and interest fellow professionals with press releases and one sheets. Look and sound great when you share yourself and your work with the world.
• Pitching and publishing: your great big idea in a two-minute package. Speak confidently and coherently about your work to agents, editors and readers. Learn the key elements of a mass-media pitch.
• Connection, community, commerce: how platform sells books. Ask for support without feeling like a huckster or a mooch, and get friends invested in your success. Start building your launch team and connect with other authors on joint projects.

Effective platform means developing a personal combination of publishing, social media and real-life activities. We’ll look at high-level decision-making to choose which methods are right for your work, and share key strategies for platforms such as Facebook, Twitter/X, LinkedIn, Substack, blogs, and email newsletters. We’ll also discuss how to apply these strategies to YouTube, TikTok, Discord/Reddit and Quora. Most importantly, you’ll learn how publishing short work, appearing in local and national media, guest blogging, being a podcast guest, and engaging with in-person communities is actually more powerful than being “big on social.”

Will I get 10,000 followers?

We wish! Fortunately, as a writer rather than an influencer, 10,000 followers is not your actual goal. You need engaged followers who are interested in your writing and invested in your success. What we can promise: you will understand who your readers are, make a specific plan to reach them, and share your work with confidence and joy.

Who should take this class

• You want your platform to focus on your writing and your desired areas of interest—not just clicks. 
• You’re eager to improve your technical social media skills and learn ways to streamline posting. 
• You want to write better and more often. 
• You want to publish your work more widely, or pitch to media outlets.

Beginners will get a solid grounding in the principles of platform building, while writers with more experience will learn extra tips and accelerated techniques. If you’re already publishing, you’ll learn strategies for breaking into your dream publications. If you’re still unpublished, you’ll have a stronger start. In Q&A, we’ll address individual challenges and help you raise your level—wherever you start.

Please don’t enroll if: you’re not ready to focus on reaching your readers as an active process; if you’re still struggling with the reality that authors must publicize their own books; or if you’re pursuing short-term follower growth.

Session structure (7 total hours of class time)

Both Saturday and Sunday will have the same basic structure:

• 12:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. EDT: Presentation by Allison
• 1:30 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. EDT: Lunch break
• 2:00 p.m to 3:30 p.m. EDT: Presentation by Allison
• 3:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. EDT: Additional Q&A time and/or breakout room networking

How do I attend the live class?

This class uses Zoom webinar technology. You will join through your Internet-connected computer or mobile device. When you register, you will receive information via email on how to join the class. If you don’t receive it within 1 hour of registering, please contact us.

• When: Saturday & Sunday, July 20–21, 2024
• Time: 12 p.m.–4:00 p.m. Eastern Time / 9 a.m. Pacific Time
• Fee: $199

The webinar is broadcasted via the internet with live audio delivered through your computer or mobile device speakers. The visual presentation is displayed directly from the presenter’s computer to your computer screen. The Q&A is managed through a chat-style submission system with questions read and answered by the presenter for the entire class to hear.

Closed captions are provided during the live class. We use Zoom’s automated closed caption service (powered by Otter), which is about 80%+ accurate. We also use Otter AI to generate an unedited transcript, provided with the recording.

All students receive the following

• Access to the live sessions. The instructor will take questions during class using in-class chat/text. The class will end after roughly 4 hours each day.
• A recording of the class—audio and video. This is especially helpful if you have a conflict with the class time or something comes up and you can’t make the live session. Each registration comes with access to the archived version of the program and the materials for six months. You do not have to attend the live event to access the recordings.
• Presentation slides. All participants receive a copy of the slide presentations in PDF form.
• Rough transcript. We use Otter to create an automated transcript of each webinar, which we’ll share with you in addition to the audio and video recording.

Event Attendance & Anti-Harassment Policy

We strive to provide an environment where all present—whether attendee, presenter, or staff—can feel supported. In order to ensure a welcoming event, here is what we expect from all who participate.

• That the presenter and the presenter’s work be treated with respect by attendees and that all attendees treat each other with respect and a generosity of spirit.
• That attendees will refrain from harassment of any sort including (but not limited to) comments or questions of a racist, homophobic, sexist/sexual, or threatening nature. This includes actions that disrupt or interfere with anyone’s ability to participate. Offenders will be disconnected from the live event.