This month’s ALL ABOUT PLATFORM BUILDING guest blogger is the one and only Julie Hedlund. Thank you, Julie, for taking the time to share your thoughts on platform building.
Before I move on, I want to mention that registration for Julie’s 12 x 12 picture book writing challenge begins next month. If you don’t know about this wonderful writing community and challenge, it would be worthwhile to give the 12 x 12 page a look.
Now, here’s Julie. . . .
BUSTING MYTHS ABOUT AUTHOR PLATFORMS
BY Julie Hedlund
Thanks Alayne for hosting me today! I’m a big fan of your blog, so it’s an honor.
Never has a word inspired so much fear and angst into the heart of an author. Part of that fear, IMHO, is based on myths about platform that I want to bust for you today. My goal is that by the end of this post, you’ll feel a LOT better about what author platform is (and isn’t) so you can embrace it as part of your journey as a writer.
The first big myth about author platform is that it is primarily about online activities, particularly social media and, to a lesser extent, websites and blogging.
But since we are writers, let’s take a look at a couple of definitions in the dictionary for the word platform:
“A place, means, or opportunity for public expression of opinion.”
Another definition: “A formal declaration of the principles on which a group
makes its appeal to the public.” We could change that to say: “A formal declaration
of the principles on which a writer makes his or her appeal to the audience/readers.”
Under these definitions, platform is not a set of tasks or tactics. Platform is an opportunity for you to establish your identity as an author and communicate that identity, that worldview, to your audience.
As Tara Lazar aptly explained in her post, everything you do that you intend your potential readers and audience to see is part of your platform. Everything. School visits, presentations, book signings, mailings and newsletters, promotional materials such as business cards and book swag – even conversations at conferences.
And yes, your website and/or blog and social media presence is a part of your platform, but only one part. Choose which aspects of online platform you enjoy and leave the rest behind. It’s okay. Really. Because if being on Twitter is anathema to who you are, that will come out in your participation anyway. Luckily, there are many options for online platforms, but we don’t have to be tied to them all.
The second platform myth I’d like to bust is that it’s all about promotion, and you establish it for the primary purpose of being able to sell your books.
Wrong.
Your platform should not be used to blast your message out to a bunch of people in one direction but rather, to create a conversation and a two-way dialog that will help you build relationships and make connections with people (as Miranda Paul pointed out in her post).
Your platform should be a means by which you help others. Sometimes that takes the form of a helpful blog post, sharing a resource on social media, or giving a workshop on writing. Sometimes it takes the form of making people aware of a book you’ve written that you think they will enjoy and/or will enrich their lives. You wrote the book for people to enjoy, so promoting it in that way is a just another way of helping others.
Helping people is not only rewarding all by itself, but it also builds awareness of you and your work in an organic way. Like Tara is well known for her picture book idea month challenge, I am best known as the founder of the 12 x 12 picture book writing challenge. I embrace that role because I LOVE helping other writers, and it’s a huge part of who I am. I get a great deal of support (and yes, some book sales) through that community because they already know me and are therefore likely to enjoy my books.
The last myth I am going to bust today is that platform is a drain on time and creativity. That it “takes away” from your writing. If you approach your platform in the right way, holistically and as an extension of yourself, it can actually be a huge part of your creative journey AND fun!
Connecting with readers and fellow writers is a big part of why we write, is it not? Platform provides the means to make those connections and reap those rewards by giving of yourself and receiving from others. How great is that?
ABOUT JULIE
Julie Hedlund is an award-winning children’s book author, founder of the 12 x 12 Picture Book Writing Challenge, monthly contributor to Katie Davis’ Brain Burps About Books Podcast, and a frequent speaker at industry events such as SCBWI conferences.
Her picture book, A TROOP IS A GROUP OF MONKEYS, Little Bahalia Publishing, 2013, first published as an interactive storybook app, was the recipient of the 2014 Independent Book Publisher’s Association Benjamin Franklin Digital Gold Award. Her storybook app, A SHIVER OF SHARKS, Little Bahalia Publishing, 2013, was a 2014 Digital Book Award winner.
Her latest book, MY LOVE FOR YOU IS THE SUN, released in September 2014 from Little Bahalia.
Julie is passionate about helping fellow writers achieve success. With her friend and colleague Emma Walton Hamilton, she created The Ultimate Guide to Picture Book Submissions – a soup-to-nuts resource for crafting a winning query and landing an agent or book deal. As a single mother of two young children who earns a complete living as an author-entrepreneur, Julie also created a course called How to Make Money as a Writer to help other authors build their careers and support themselves financially.
Julie lives in beautiful Boulder with her two children, ages 12 and 9, and a large and terribly misbehaved hound dog. When she is not writing or entrepreneuring, she loves reading (duh!), hiking, skiing, cooking, movie and game nights with the kids, and sipping red wine at sunset in the company of good friends and family.
Other guest posts on platform building:
Breaking the Fourth Wall: My Platform-Building Strategy by Miranda Paul
Excellent post, Julie. Thanks for busting those myths and giving some great advice.
You are very welcome Penny!
Thank you Julie! This was just what I needed today.
I love being able to hit the right chords on the right days for people. 🙂
Thank you Julie and Alayne for this wonderful post! It was so refreshing to hear that I don’t need to do it all!
You are very welcome, Doris.
I agree, Doris. It takes some of the pressure off, doesn’t it.
No, you don’t need to do it all, Doris. Find what you enjoy doing and the rest will work itself out.
You make it sound so easy, Julie, and you do an amazing job of platform-building! I definitely have learned a little bit from you on what to do right in this area. Thank you, Julie and Alayne, for this helpful post!
I’m so happy that you enjoyed Julie’s post, T.
It is my pleasure to have Julie as a guest. I’m so glad you found her post helpful, T.
It’s not easy Teresa, but it IS easier than most people think to do a good job and have platform-building be a natural and enjoyable aspect of your career.
Julie gave great, realistic advice here about platform. I am so glad it’s not just social media! Who we are and what we do to help others is the best platform. We are lucky to have examples and mentors such as Julie, Miranda and Tara out there from whom to learn.
I’m with you, Kathy. I was thrilled when all these fantastic women agreed to be a part of this series.
It takes a while to realize that platform is so much more than social media – in a good way. 🙂
I hope to live up to all the great advice in this post. Thanks Julie and Alayne!
It’s almost like Julie’s (and Tara’s and Miranda’s) post(s) give(s) us permission to lighten up and take our best authentic path to our author platform.
I have no doubt you already are, Marlaina!
Super post, and I love your holistic view of platform building.
Thanks Sylvia!!
Reblogged this on Perth Words… exploring possibilities. and commented:
Words from the very wise…
Thank you for the reblog, Frances!
Thank you for reblogging!!
YES!
Great post, Julie! Most writers are frightened of the ‘p’ word (platform)…you’ve made it seem not quite so intimidating. I love that you encourage us to choose the paths that work best for our particular personalities. 🙂
Thanks Vivian. Choosing a path that works for YOU is really the only way. Of course, you know that because you’re already doing it. 😉
I agree with Vivian we are frightened by the “p” word, but as you “busted” some of those ideas … it’s good to know we are sometimes doing some of the platform work already. Thanks Julie and Alayne. Thank goodness I can show up late to a blog post and still get great info.
That’s what I love about blogs. With many of them, you can be a year (or longer) late and still read posts. Glad you stopped by to get some myths busted, Stacy. Thanks!
Great post Julie. Clarity on the purposes for a platform that underlie what we do NOT just online but everywhere as a writer.
[…] JULIE HEDLUND BUSTS MYTHS ABOUT AUTHOR PLATFORMS […]