A not-so-funny thing happened in Blog-lala-land.
I had a nifty badge [note past tense] where you, my sweet sisters in Christ, could subscribe to this very blog for the Christian woman who want to change the world because Christ has changed them. How you changed the world isn’t the big deal, but that you proclaim the excellencies of Christ: through blogging, writing books, waiting on tables, cutting hair, heading a Fortune 500 corporation, whatever.
Well, guess what? In trying to inspire women to change their world because Christ has changed them, I discovered something nasty: My subscription service provider wasn’t letting you subscribe. Err.
So here’s one of my readers’ favorite posts [the readers came here via Twitter or Facebook] from March. If you sometimes read this blog, please subscribe. If you’re stumbling on it today, please subscribe. I need encouragement!!! Honest.
You’ll find the FeedBlitz subscribe box in two places.
I’m not taking any changes. Lesson learned.
Of course, if you are not a Christian or never plan to change your world, subscribe. Yeah, you heard me. Subscribe anyway. You just may someday. = )
I’ll zip my lips now. Here’s the original post:
A strange thing has happened in publishing.
Authors are expected to sell their books. Writing itself scares my pants off – I love the process but am jittery to have “me” out there, if you know what I mean – but then I found out that I must help sell books by having a platform. Even scarier!
Platform? What’s that? And if I need one, how do I get one?
I first heard this term at a Christian writers’ conference in June. Every other person was buzzing about it. The writers, the editors, the agents – everyone.
Feeling stupid and bold, I asked a writer friend at the conference to put this word in context.
“It’s your built-in audience,” she chimed.
“Huh?” That was the best I could muster.
As I eavesdropped when editors chatted and read marketing materials once I returned home, I felt frustrated, confused and hopeful as I made the decision to build my platform.
What a change from the 1990s!
Back then, when my first three books were published, the publishing houses did the publicity and promotion for the books and we writers showed up to book signings and radio shows. Most important to selling books were one’s credentials and experience. So using this model – outdated but I didn’t know it – I enrolled in the pastoral care to women program at Western Seminary, Portland, Ore., and finished my online classes a year ago. Getting a seminary degree would certainly help me land another book deal, I had figured.
And it will. Credentials still matter. But a platform matters more.
I began to build it. First I worked with a webmaster to get a high-quality website. At the same time, I developed an online ezine called Cup of Joy. (I started with a couple dozen subscribers and now have more than 575 – in four months. . .it boggles my mind.) Then I got on Facebook and Twitter to make contacts with other writers and with potential book-buyers. Remember, this is marketing. I also discovered this wonderfully encouraging online place called Christian Women Take Root and met more people and made more connections.
Now I’m blogging. I have two blogs on my website: Real Hurts, Real Hope and The Sisterhood of Beautiful Warriors. I also have a blog called Counselors’ Coach that appears on the Christian Women Take Root website.
Together, all these contacts (and the ones on Facebook and Twitter as well as the women I meet at my speaking events) make up my platform, my built-in audience.
The reason why a platform matters to publishers is book-buying has changed. Years ago, most people bought books at bookstores; now a huge chunk (at least 50 percent) are sold online. When a writer has an online presence, she is more likely to get a book deal and sell books.
This is the way things are, like it or not.
Before I decided to do things the new way – i.e., get a platform. . .yesterday – I asked myself the most important question: What does God want me to do? I knew the answer in my heart.
You see, seven or eight years ago, God gave me a call: to offer the hope to Christian women who hurt and to the people who love them through counseling, speaking and writing. To reach many hurting Christian women, I must work with publishers in the Internet age.
And if this means building a platform, and spending more time on marketing than writing, I will.
Amen, sister! This was a surprising concept to me as well! Platform . . . credentials . . . internet!
The trick is keeping God at the center, isn’t it! Thanks for these great words of wisdom and inspiration!
Remember,the writing industry is so tough to enter. After several conferences and writing events it’s still easy to fall through the cracks as a writer. You can have unbelievable talent and still not make it if your connections aren’t solid. I love the door that is opening for underdogs like myself to slip into this crazy industry via the internet. I am thankful that the platform you speak of is important to publishers. Platform and story is all I have. I’m happy to know that it matters. I’m proving myself through my blogs and reviews. I have an audience with or without a publisher. (I still pray they notice though).
These are all important questions, how to build a platform and effective marketing online. I’m glad you brought this topic to the front burner. Several other people have asked me the same. God can provide the knowledge in the area of the “online” as we begin to understand the basics. Great article!
Lucy Ann,
Thank you for sharing about your experiencing in marketing your book. I just published mine (Orphaned Into Belonging) last November, but through an independent distributor “Lulu.com.” Primarily because I can in no way afford to go a regular publisher.
As far as “pushing,” “driving” or trying to “control” sales, Father has really put on my heart not to do so. Not because I don’t want my book to sale. No! I do very much want others to read the story of how God has worked, healed, touched my life over the process of 8 years. However, because “control” used to be a definite place of struggle for me (and of course, He continues to work within me about), I don’t want to try to “force” my book on anybody.
Nonetheless, your story inspires me. My hope is that somehow, someday, when it is Papa’s time, He will open a door from a publisher or person who can help make my book more marketable, and “out-there.” My entire purpose for writing my story was to enable the Holy Spirit to speak within readers hearts, to bring them encouragement, Truth, Hope and understanding of how God’s Love and Grace enables us to overcome trauma, loss, addictions, etc.
Walking In The Spirit
http://amyiswalkinginthespirit.blogspot.com
Blessings,
~Amy 🙂
E-Mail: walkingwithintegrity@yahoo.com
Lucy Ann — Very thoughtful and helpful. I get overwhelmed with the time all the platform-building takes: it’s still a 24-hour day and my “real” work (writing, speaking, coaching) takes the same time it always did; now there’s the daily blog (http://blog.beliefnet.com/yourcharmedlife), the Facebook and Twitter, Amazon reviews, guest blogs, etc., etc. I love what one other comments said about remembering to put God first. That always seems to be the answer. — Victoira
When the Jewish holiday book SEASONS FOR CELEBRATION that I co-authored with Rabbi Karen L. Fox came out in 1992 from a traditional publisher, we had to do most of the marketing for our book ourselves. So I was prepared to do the marketing for my self-published novel MRS. LIEUTENANT that came out last April after being a semi-finalist in the first Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award.
Following my intensive quest to learn everything I could about online book marketing, I started a company to share my information with other book authors to make it easier for them. Check out my free book marketing articles at http://www.CalltoActionWebsites.com .
Lucy,
I too have been learning that we must market our books these days. Of course, I’ve not yet published one ~ either the old-fashioned way, or in this new Internet era. I’m still writing it! =)
I began praying about what to do when my book was finished a ways back. And I know that God has led me to self-publish. But even with self-publishing, one must have a platform and a plan to market.
He has been directing my steps along the way, and my blog and my website were born. But I still find that there must be balance. I am spending so much time on the blog that I have little time to write. That’s my prayer, that I will be in the right balance to get it all done and glorify my heavenly Father in the process. Afterall, it is for Him that I am writing to begin with!
Hugs and blessings,
Cheri