This month’s ALL ABOUT PLATFORM BUILDING SERIES guest blogger is the sensational and talented Tara Lazar. Thank you for sharing your wisdom with us, Tara. Just a quick note about Picture Book Idea Month (PiBoIdMo). PiBoIdMo is a free November writing challenge for picture book writers and illustrators. The object is to jot down one picture book concept daily. By the end of the month you’ll have at least 30 bright & shiny new ideas! You can then refer to these ideas throughout the year to jumpstart your creativity and write new manuscripts. Registration begins October 25 and ends November 4.
YOU ARE YOUR PLATFORM
by Tara Lazar
An author platform cannot live by social media alone.
You already know this, right? While it’s great to have a popular blog, witty Facebook page or oft-followed Twitter feed, social media does not equal your author platform.
Author Brook Warner outlined this so well for SheWrites.com last month—reminding those of us who remain slave to our blog that we need not be so post-obsessed. Your social media presence, while increasingly important, especially to sales and marketing professionals at publishers, is not your entire author platform. It’s only a small piece of it.
Remember, YOU are your platform. Your books. Your personality. Your message. For what do you want to be known? It should be shared through a variety of outlets, not just via an animated-gif Tumblr.
That being said, I suppose you’re wondering how I built my blog to reach over 4,000 followers?
It was all a lucky accident. I founded a writing event that touched a nerve with those passionate about picture books. Maybe you’ve heard of it? It’s PiBoIdMo—or Picture Book Idea Month.
The popularity of this 30-ideas-in-30-days challenge has grown steadily from 100 participants in 2009 to nearly 1200 in 2013. This year? It’s anybody’s guess, but I’m planning on welcoming 1500 folks to the fun.
But it’s not like I planned all this carefully. When I founded PiBoIdMo, I wasn’t thinking about throngs of people clicking on my blog. There was no plan for writing-world dominance. I was just jealous of NaNoWriMo participants and wanted something to do in November! I thought maybe a dozen people would join me! I had no idea it would become what it has. Listen, it’s not my fault. I was just being ME.
And that’s really what your platform is all about. As an author, you’re a personality. Why should people read your books? Why should they invite you to speak? What do you stand for? (The band Fun. asks this question repeatedly on my radio.) You should have a message and certain je-ne-sais-qua that engages an audience.
So I’ve built an event for writers, attracted writers, and therefore continue to serve this audience via social media.
But is this the right audience for me? Truth be told, as a picture book author, my desired audience is comprised of librarians, school teachers, and parents/family/caregivers of young children. A writing event doesn’t appeal to this group. I’m like Michael Keaton in Mr. Mom: “You’re doing it wrong.”
However, PiBoIdMo has become part of who I am as an author and a person. I enjoy inspiring writers to create great literature for children. I share this message on my blog but also via appearances at conferences and literacy events. I donate PiBoIdMo proceeds to Reading is Fundamental. And I write books that I hope children will love—quirky, off-beat, laugh-out-loud books. Books that I wish I had when I was a kid.
Let’s go back to the platform question: For what do I want to be known? Primarily, I want to be known for writing great books for kids. But if you look at my platform, I’m probably more well-known for PiBoIdMo than anything else. So platform is a tricky thing. Be sure you are creating something that really reflects you and what you ultimately want to accomplish.
PiBoIdMo really is who I am, though. I like making other people happy. Perhaps that’s my message, my legacy as an author. Whether it’s a child reading my book, a parent enjoying time with their child, or a writer getting a burst of inspiration, I hope what I do spreads joy.
Joy!
What better platform is there?
ABOUT TARA
Street magic performer. Hog-calling champion. Award-winning ice sculptor. These are all things Tara Lazar has never been. Instead, she writes quirky, humorous picture books featuring magical places that adults never find. Her debut THE MONSTORE was released in June 2013, with I THOUGHT THIS WAS A BEAR BOOK and LITTLE RED GLIDING HOOD to follow in 2015. She’s the founder of PiBoIdMo, Picture Book Idea Month, an annual November writing challenge. Tara lives in New Jersey with her husband, two daughters, and far too many stuffed animals.
To learn more about Tara, her books, and Picture Book Idea Month, visit her blog.
What an insightful post, Tara! Yes, I think you will always be known for PiBoIdMo (so excited about this year’s challenge!), after reading Monstore and seeing the other pbs you have in the hopper, your name will also be associated with great children’s books. 🙂
You made some really good observations! I’ve been thinking about platform and target audience a lot lately. When I first started blogging, I focused entirely on parents…I had yet to connect with writers.. But as I got deeper and deeper into writing picture books, my interaction with parents dropped. Although I would not want to give up this incredible kid lit community, I do want to reestablish a thread with parents and teachers and librarians…because my books will be for the children they read to.
Alayne, as always, this series is fantastic!
Thank you, Vivian.
World domination! 🙂
Thanks for stopping by, Julianna.
Tara, thank you for sharing your words of wisdom. I am thrilled that you agreed to being a part of this series.
Tara, if making people happy was your secret goal from the beginning, I’d say that you more than achieved that! 😀 “Platform is a tricky thing” is a great way of putting it. Like most things in life, it doesn’t always go the way we planned. But you are an incredible writer and person and that shines through no matter what your current platform may be. 🙂
Thanks for featuring Tara, Alayne!
It is my pleasure to feature Tara, Teresa. Thank you for stopping by to read her post. I agree that Tara is an incredible person and she certainly does spread the joy.
great post, Tara. You can be PiBo-known AND be a famous writer, too.
Wonderful post Tara!
Great post! I often wonder about how I want people to know me, and I think you’re right–it can be what you set out to do, but it can happen by accident as well. And, Tara, I discovered who you were through NJ SCBWI, but I’m getting to know you as person and writer through your blog and PiBoIDMo, and that’s how I know your books (for my kids and my students)! So grateful to have you and your writing in my world!
Great post, Tara, and thanks for giving back to all of us picture book writers and readers!
As Tara points out, it’s tricky in the beginning when you’re trying to be know for something at least related to what you’re working toward (but nothing is “ready” yet…) and I knew that in building T.A.A. I was building something that’s very much part of me, and I hope to entice more lay readers alongside the writers who gather in T.A.A’s community.
I always feel a bit awkward around parents, and not just because I’m not one (and please, with all due respect, I really don’t want to have the “You don’t have to be a parent to write for kids” talk, it’s not about that), I just feel nervous because my view of parenthood in skewed for having a more “Fend for oneself” family versus the more inclusive and open families a lot of my writer friends (who are parents) have.
So that, for whatever reason, makes me more nervous around parents, and I know given what I write I need to face them, I just find it scary in this hard to explain way without sounding nuts…
Anyway, I want to be known for writing solid and entertaining books, but I also want to empower boys and men in the ways so many programs and personalities do now for girls and women, and as nervous as I am about what I’m working on toward the latter goal, I have to do it for my own sanity if nothing else, but while I’m for girls and women fighting for their ongoing rights, I do feel as consequence (particularly in the U.S. and Canada) we’re in some way creating a reverse gender scarcity where boys and men feel left out of the rediscovery movement.
Just as girls and women can be cruelly labeled for being assertive, boys and men are stigmatized for simply incapable to be stoic, emotionally restrained, sports-obsessed, simple-minded so and sos (trying to not to sound jerky to those who love sports and other “typical boy” things I’m personally not as keen on…)
I’m not saying certain “types of boys” don’t exist, I’m just saying they aren’t the SOLE template nor should they be.
I want to see (and write myself) books with boys and men that frankly aren’t seen, but exist no less true than the snarky loners, insecure pranksters, and the “Psycho Pervs” that seem to hang out a lot in the YA+ landscape.
Yikes, I’ll stop here before I depress myself, or anyone else…
(I say it from a caring place, even if it sounds angry)
Tara, all you have given back and ‘paid forward’ to other writers like me is a tremendous legacy…but your books are treasures to me to.
Nicely put. Thank you for stopping by.
Thanks for this post Tara and Alayne. As a writer I love being part of Tara’s PiBoIdMo community and I loved reading how organically her platform grew and became part of Tara’s online identity.
Thank you for taking the time to stop by and read Tara’s post, Yvonne. I’m with you. I love being part of PiBoIdMo.
Excellent advice Tara and you are so generous. Thanks Alayne for the post. I’m looking forward to PiBoIdMo and I feel so lucky to have the opportunity to participate.
Thanks for stopping by, Kaye. I love PiBoIdMo, and I’m glad you are a part of it.
Thank you, Tara, and I am so glad PiBoIdMo is who you are! You’ve made a difference in the lives of many, so THAT’S who you are. Whether you are changing lives through your books or PiBoIdMo, it’s all about helping. Helping others think through inspiration, helping kids love to read and enjoy literacy…just like a picture book with a solid underlying theme, you’ve got one, too! A solid foundation holds the platform up. 🙂 Thanks for featuring Tara, Alayne!
I agree with everything you said, Carrie. It is a real pleasure and honor that Tara shared part of herself on my blog.
Great post, Tara. I love how you grew your platform organically from a passion of yours, and without the goal of creating a platform. I’ve realized the more you do what you love and passionately enough, you will find things work out. Thanks Alayne for doing this series.
Dear Alayne & Tara,
Am so excited for this series & this 1st post, about the way the world thinks of & looks at, a writer/author.
As a 2nd year PiBoIdMo newbie, it’s too much fun, which flows from your personality, Tara. Appreciations!
Hope the November weather is warm there in Texas, Alayne.
And Tara, say hello to my child days playground, Quakertown (Reading Twnship Schools) & Clinton, N.J., & the Red Mill & Stone Mill, if you happen ramble that a-ways with your kiddos this autumn.
Happy November to All,
j a n
Jan Godown Annino/Bookseedstudio
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Alayne, you have wowed me this morning with your tech ability and writing. I’m a past and present participant of three author’s programs and have gained much, meaning my last two rejection letters were specific and encouraging. Not yet defined a platform, but will narrow the social media today. Thank you.