This month’s ALL ABOUT PLATFORM BUILDING guest blogger is author, teacher, and mentor text maven, Marcie Flinchum Atkins. Thank you, Marcie, for sharing your story with us.
A Case of the Why Nots
How I Built (and am still building) My Platform
By Marcie Flinchum Atkins
The buzz about platform always intrigued me. What is a platform? What would/could my platform be? I read lots of books on platform before even attempting it. You see, many years ago, when blogging was newish, I had a blog where I reviewed children’s books. But it ate away at my writing time because I had to read all of those books and then review them. I loved it, but I knew my new platform couldn’t be that. People were already doing that. I had nothing new to add to the conversation.
I knew I didn’t want to start a new blog until I knew how I was going to focus it. But I also knew that I wanted to develop a blog and a website BEFORE I had a book deal because I knew that once I did, I’d be too busy to learn all of these skills.
I’m an obsessive list maker.
I made a list of things I was passionate about:
- Using mentor texts to teach kids how to write
- Making time to write
- Organizing
Unfortunately, they weren’t really related and they were for two different audiences—teachers and writers. While I knew there would be some overlap (people like ME were both teachers AND writers), I wasn’t sure how it would turn out, but I knew I could blog about those things.
I wanted to put things on my blog that I was already using in some other capacity. In other words, I didn’t want to create MORE work for myself. I wanted to share things I was already doing.
I was writing mentor text lessons for my favorite books. Why not share them for other teachers to use?
I was doing tons of crazy organizing stuff for my writing life. Why not share them with other writers?
I was using many spare moments between my full-time job and being a mom to write, nearly everyday. Why not share my tips with other mom writers? Making Time to Write and Mom’s Write were born.
Later, I started adding one more thing. Mentor texts for writers. For years, I’ve been using the techniques I did with students in my own writing life. Some writers I knew had never even heard of the term “mentor texts.” Why not share my tips with other writers?
All of those WHY NOT’s became my platform.
I made a list of things I knew I needed to learn more about:
- Metadata and SEO
- Using WordPress and particular plug-ins
- Mailchimp and newsletter writing
- Creating an e-book
- Setting up sales on my website
- Making video
Each month, I spent time learning a new skill. I felt overwhelmed, but I did learn new skills.
Over that learning time, I did several things with my platform:
- Gave webinars and workshops on using mentor texts
- Created a printable giveaway for joining my newsletter using my most popular blog post
- Set up a monthly newsletter sign up for writing teachers using Mail Chimp
- Created an e-book of some of my “Mentor Text Tips” to sell on my website and on Teachers Pay Teachers
- Guest posted on mentor texts for other bloggers (like Alayne, Carrie Charley Brown, and Grog)
- Gathered many of my previous blog posts on mentor texts for writers into a printable PDF e-book “Mentor Texts for Writers” that I sell on my website.
This all sounds like I spent all of my time on platform. I promise I spent very little. I chipped away at all of these things over a few years. Eventually they added up. They are still adding up.
Have I figured out this whole platform thing? Nope.
I am still VERY passionate about organizing and making time to write, but I have very little NEW wisdom to pass along. If I come across something interesting or a new tip, I will do an occasional post about it. But all of my tips are archived on my blog. I imagine, just like my career, my website and blog will evolve along with me.
But the good news is that I’m not bored with my website yet. There are times when I simply do not have enough time to blog, but I have yet to run out of ideas. I followed my passions—things I was interested in and knew a little something about. Then I thought about how I could make those things available to my audience. Why not share those passions with others?
About Marcie
Marcie Flinchum Atkins teaches fourth grade by day and writes in the wee hours of the morning. Her book-nerdiness shows through because she is a certified school librarian and also holds an MA and MFA in children’s literature from Hollins University. She blogs about making time to write and how to use books as mentor texts at: www.marcieatkins.com.
Most excellent post. This is such great insight, Marcie! I like that you found a niche and shared what you were already doing. Your site is extremely helpful to me as a writer. I know teachers must love it, too. Thanks for sharing your knowledge.
And Alayne…ditto! The series you do are extremely applicable and helpful. Thanks!
You are welcome, and thanks, Penny.
Oh thank you, Penny!
Yeah, Marcie! Way to share the goods! I like how you also anticipate the inevitable evolution of your blogging experience. Didn’t Rilke say, Only if you change can you stay true to yourself – or something like that, I think!
Thanks, Julie! Yes, I know that my blog/platform will change with time, so I have to do the best for today. 🙂 Thanks for reading!
Great advice Marcie. Found your niche. And for that many are thankful because your blog is very helpful.
Thank you so much, Keila!
Great to see your process, Marcie! I went through the same thing in deciding what my blog would be about — took me a year to finally land on the right thing for me. I am currently trying to figure out several other aspects that you mentioned, so I’m off to your site to see what you’ve done over there. 🙂 Thanks for this excellent series, Alayne!
I’m enjoying the series myself, Renee. I think it’s good to see how each of the guest bloggers approached things and to learn their view regarding author platform. We have such a great mix of wisdom!
Thanks, Renee! I’m in awe of all that you do! I think we do better work when we are passionate about our topics (and I know that you definitely are). 🙂
Marcie, you are my organization hero. I love the way you used what you do already to make the time to write an share w/others. Love this post.
Kathy, as always, I’m so glad you are on my street team. 🙂
Really good stuff Marcie! I was one of those “a mentor what?” people and now I am loving what they teach me! After doing Carrie’s ReFoReMo I have really been looking at PBs in a different way. I’m going to dig through your archives! Thx for sharing your lessons!
You are so welcome, Angie! Yes, looking at books as mentor texts can change the way you see books for sure. It’s fascinating!!! 🙂
What a great post Marcie! I am like Angie – I had heard the term mentor text and read a TON of PBs, but had not really understood what a mentor text was. Going through your archives is now a top priority on my own To-Do list!
Aww thanks, Debra! I hope you find it helpful!
Hey there, mentor text pal. 🙂 You are amazing! Thanks for the mentor text knowledge and awareness you bring our community!
Thanks, Carrie! Thanks for continuing to encourage folks to use mentor texts.
My problem, exactly, Marcie! I will be following your blog, and gleaning from your insights. Thanks so much. . . great post!
Jarm, I chipped away at it and am still chipping away at building a platform. 🙂 You can do it!
What a brilliant and organized way to create a blog and build a writer platform! Marcie makes it seem so easy and effortless but I know a lot of thought and work went into all that. Thanks for yet another informative post on the subject, Alayne and Marcie!
I am so happy to have such wonderful guest bloggers, Teresa. They do all the heavy lifting! Thanks for stopping by and always being so supportive.
Teresa, Thanks so much! And thanks for your support from the beginning. 🙂
Thanks for this info on platform building.
You are welcome! I hope it’s helpful!
[…] As many of you know, I write mostly about mentor texts (both for teachers and for writers) and I also write occasionally about organization and time management. All of that is part of my “platform.” I’m over at Alayne Kay Christian’s blog talking about platform. Check out my post called “A Case of the Why Nots: How I Built (and am still building) My Platf… […]
Thanks for giving us an insight into how you approached platform building, Marcie, and thanks so much for featuring her, Alayne!
I love your resources on mentor texts and appreciate how you used your strengths to find a focus for your platform that did not necessarily relate to reviewing books.
Thanks so much! I loved reviewing books, and I’m so grateful so many people are doing it, but I knew–for me–it took up so much time that wasn’t writing related. Now, if I talk about books on my blog, I talk about them in the frame of mentor texts. And that feels like it’s adding to my writerly toolbox. 🙂
Marcie, the penguinposse7 comment is from Yvonne Mes. In case you haven’t put 2 + 2 together. Thanks for stopping by Yvonne.
Sorry, the comment above was mine, I forgot to log out and back in!
Ha, I was just going to go into the Penguin group, Yvonne and question who forgot to log out.
[…] A CASE OF THE WHY NOTS: How I Built (and am still building) My Platform by Marcie Flinchum Atkins […]
[…] A Case of the Why Nots: How I Built (and am still building) My Platform (Alayne Kay Christian, April 18, 2015) […]