Building a Platform

Okay, well first off, new layout. Easier to read, better picture, and so on. Hope you like it! You can see more pictures like the islands at http://inrugia.zxq.net. And now, I'll tell you a little more about building a platform as an author.

One night, I was talking with my dad about Twitter. He's a programmer, and knows a lot about the new social networks. Unfortunately, everything he thinks is negative. He hates Twitter, Facebook, and similar applications with a passion. So when I told him I was on Twitter, he frowned and said, "So you get to see a bunch of people tell you what they had for lunch? Or is it, 'Oh! I picked my nose!'?"

I couldn't help but laugh. "No, dad," I said. "I use it as a platform. I talk to agents, authors, and publishers." Well, part of it is true. Truth be told, it can be a little nerve wracking talking to some of the people on Twitter. But, if you don't, you're missing a HUGE opportunity to sell yourself--and your work.

"Why would they listen to you?" he asked.

At first, I didn't have an answer. Why would an agent, or publicist, listen to what I had to say on Twitter? Especially if all I say is, "Writing today! Yay!" Well, I have an answer for you. The first thing I did was read a bunch of blogs and articles about Twitter as a platform-building tool.

Yes, I did research. Gasp! And after I did the research, I went back to my dad and said, "They'll listen to me because I've got a cool picture, interesting posts, a nice Website, a good story, and I stand out from the crowd."

His response: "Do you tell them what you ate for dinner? I don't see how anyone would want to listen to that. Besides, it's a finite amount of people seeing what you have to say. How do you expand this so-called platform of yours?"

Good question. More research gave me the answer, and in one word: Hashtags. Yes, the hashtag. I began to add "#writing" "#amwriting" and "#write" to every post at some point. But it's more than just ADDING those. You have to say something interesting. I write fantasy and follow a number of agents. One agent in particular, Donald Maass, gives writing prompts every day. He asks a writer to think about what they do. So I decided to do something similar without redoing exactly what he does. I started trying to come up with quick tips and little tidbits of information that authors might find interesting.

And what did my dad say? "Interesting. But don't all of these people just talk about their lunch?"

By that point, I was ready to give up on him. I really wanted him to see what it means to build a platform as a writer and stand out. I might not be the most interesting person on Twitter, but I did research on how to turn Twitter into a platform for selling myself and my work. And guess what? It worked.

The next night, I went to him with a big grin and said, "They may talk about their lunch, but I got five new followers on Twitter in one day, dad."

"Oh? That's nice."

"Yeah. That means I have five more people listening to what I say. Five people I've never met, spoken to, or seen before. What happens if they see what I post and they like it?"

"They tell others about it."

I couldn't help but be happy. "Exactly."

And this was the best part. My mom and dad grinned. My dad said, "I like this idea of a platform on Twitter."

"Will you ever join?"

"Heck no. I'm just glad my daughter isn't telling people what she had for lunch."

He's not an ignorant man, my father. Nor is he against social media. He might not want to be a part of it by having an account, but he was part of building my platform. He pressed me, probably on purpose, to do research about how to make Twitter less of a "what I had for lunch" social site, and to build a platform for my work.

Of course, building a platform doesn't mean you can just sit back and do nothing once it's done. You have to keep up on what people are doing. Talk to them, get to know them, and spread ideas. It's like a virus, but a virus of words. Ideas can get around far faster these days than ever before. Use that to your advantage as a writer. Push forward and build a platform people will be interested in.

I write high/epic fantasy, but with a touch of horror. Who do I talk to on Twitter? Who do I follow? Anyone who interests me. And some of them follow me back. You can't be on Twitter and just assume you're going to get followers. You have to put forth the effort--write blogs, update a Website, and most important, have a catchy bio.

Make your page unique. If you have art you've done, put that up. Anything to make you stand out!

So, if you're a writer, singer, artist, or what have you, use Twitter. Not to socialize just in the conventional sense, but to spread your ideas. Get people interested, and be interested in what they do. It will help you build a platform and get noticed.