The following post by guest author Dana Lynn Smith, The Savvy Book Marketer, is the second part of a two part post. Part 1 was published last week.
In Part 1 we discussed the first aspect of an author platform: branding. In Part 2 we will talk about the other two aspects: reputation and connections.
Reputation
Your author reputation is a factor of how well known you are, what you are known for and how credible you are. Consider these questions:
- Do you have a degree, special training or extensive experience in the topic that you're writing about?
- What awards or other recognition have you received?
- What kind of media experience do you have?
- How many people do you reach each month through speaking and interviews?
- How many articles have you written and posted or published in the past month?
- What leadership positions do you hold?
- Why should people listen to you or read your books?
Authors can gain a reputation as an expert in their topic through such activities and writing books and articles, speaking and teaching, appearing on talk shows, being quoted in other people's articles and writing the foreward for other books. Your reputation and author platform can be further enhanced by winning awards, receiving excellent book reviews and obtaining testimonials.
Connections
When selling your book, it's not what you know, it's who you know! To sell books in today's marketplace, you need to be connected. Here are some examples of the type of connections that are valuable to authors in promoting their books and themselves:
- Contact database - clients, prospects colleagues, friends and family.
- Opt-in mailing lists - people who have given you permission to contact them.
- Influencers - well-known people in your field that can help spread the word about your book.
- Online networks - Facebook, Twitter and other online networks, groups and forums.
- Blog readers
- Professional associations
- Alumni associations, civic and service organizations, hobby clubs, etc.
Improving your author platform should be a continuous project. You should be constantly asking yourself what you can do to strengthen your brand, boost your reputation and increase your connections. The better your platform, the greater your success.
[Dana Lynn Smith helps authors and independent publishers learn how to sell more books through her how-to guides and coaching. She can be contacted at www.TheSavvyBookMarketer.com.]
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