AUTHOR’S PLATFORM FOR THE NEWBIE

[samsondanjourney]

This topic has been discussed before in this forum (3 years ago), but the answers did not satisfy some basic questions I have regarding the animal called “Author Platform”. I have twice now been rejected, not because my manuscript is no good, but because I have no platform. So, what does a first-time, never-been-published, author have that is marketable? I can easily create a Facebook page as was suggested in that forum discussion, but what do I fill it with? Other than just having finished writing a non-fiction, psychology, self-help, memoir-style manuscript, I have absolutely no prior writing experience.
How does a first-time, never-been-published-in-any-manner, author develop a platform to satisfy an agent’s need to see a platform?

[Odd John]

Ideally, you want a platform that will appeal to the prospective readers of your book, or at least your genre. As I type this it sounds remarkably stupid, so what do I really mean? I'm afraid you will have to write articles that touch or run tangent to the primary subject matter of your book. You'll want a 360 degree compass of topics on display, in your case just as you have listed: pure psychology, popular self-help, personal memoir. But also: popular sociology, the subculture of your psychological interest (I think that's the "sweet spot"), age and psychology, how you see the world versus how the world sees you, and so on.

This can be done as a BLOG or on FaceBook. But vitally, in tandem you must open a Twitter account where you can gain followers faster than on FaceBook I believe. You tease them with a 280 character blurb, and then direct them to the BLOG or FaceBook. It's not easy. Although Twitter may be faster, it will never seem fast enough. (Hint: To get followers, you must follow first. You can "beg" for followbacks, but some Twitter users find that distasteful.)

That's all I got, aside from hiring a fly-by banner with the title of your book over whichever annual nonfiction gathering has the most attendees. Good luck!

[MKWrites_318]

So I don't know much about how to develop a nonfiction platform (beyond the fact that you need to be an authority with credentials and a certain degree of visibility), but I did decide to do some digging for you and see if I could find anything that could help. You may have already read this articles, and if that's the case, I apologize for wasting your time, but I found some links.

1. From NY Book Editors, a breakdown on author platform (fiction and nonfiction) by literary agent Mark Gottlieb: https://nybookeditors.com/2020/01/author-platform-is-it-relevant-how-to-build-it/

2. From Publishing Crawl a break down on building a platform through publication from literary agent and author Eric Smith: https://www.publishingcrawl.com/2018/05/23/writing-non-fiction-building-your-author-platform-through-publication-and-a-bonus-cover-reveal/

3. From Jane Friedman: https://www.janefriedman.com/author-platform-definition/

Hope that's helpful. Again, if it isn't, I'm sorry, and I hope someone who also writes nonfiction can chime in for you.

[samsondanjourney]

Thank you one and all for your replies. They were very helpful. 

[lucidities]

Hi, samsondanjourney:

I'm a newbie, still orienting to QT and the forum, and read this thread on author platform (with its good suggestions from more experienced folks).

Anything felicitous to report, about a year later?

Best of outcomes to you!

[samsondanjourney]

I gave up trying to make a platform. It's a young person's game. I am 67, retired, and don't have the strength to throw myself into it as I might have 20 years ago. About two months ago, I gave up trying to find representation on Query Tracker. After 225 rejections, as Kenny Roger's so wisely told us: "You got to know when to fold 'em..."