!!!!

GET!YOUR!PLATFORM!MOVING!!!By!!

Tracy Krauss !!!!!

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Get$Your$Platform$Moving$!

Copyright!2017!by!Tracy!Krauss!!No#part#of#this#publication#may#be#reproduced#without#permission#from#the#author#

#Published$by$Fictitious$Ink$Publishing$

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GET$YOUR$PLATFORM$MOVING!$$

By!Tracy!Krauss!!

WHAT!IS!A!PLATFORM?!!

Think!of!a!platform!like!a!stage.!(Where!we!get!the!metaphor.)!It!is!the!method!and!the!tools!you!use!to!reach!and!connect!with!your!audience.!It!includes!a!lot!of!different!components!and!can!be!both!online!and!physical.!We!will!be!focusing!mainly!on!the!online!part!of!platform!building,!but!I!will!touch!on!some!physical!aspects!as!well!at!the!end.!!My!plan!is!to!show!you!a!very!systematic!approach!to!building!your!platform.!I!will!be!referencing!several!experts!on!the!topic,!whose!names!are!in!the!‘Highly!Recommended!Resources’.!Be!aware!that!it!is!less!about!the!individual!tools!and!more!about!the!system.!Tools!mean!nothing!if!not!used!properly.!(Owning!tools!doesn’t!mean!you’ve!built!the!house.)!!

WHY!DO!I!NEED!A!PLATFORM?!!

If!you’ve!written!books,!are!a!public!speaker,!are!in!ministry,!blog!I!!whatever!it!might!be,!you!presumably!want!to!connect!with!your!audience.!Unfortunately,!the!line,!“build!it!and!they!will!come,”!or!in!our!case,!“write!it!and!they!will!read”,!just!isn’t!always!true.!How!can!people!come!if!they!don’t!know!you!exist?!!Marketing!without!a!plan!is!like!throwing!stuff!at!a!wall!and!hoping!something!sticks.!I’ve!also!heard!it!called!the!‘spray!and!pray!method’,!which!isn’t!very!effective!!Although!building!your!platform!takes!time,!it!will!save!time!in!the!end,!freeing!up!valuable!minutes!for!other!things!–!like!writing.!I’m!going!to!show!you!a!system!that!is!sustainable!over!time!and!that!moves!forward!at!a!gradual!but!steady!pace.!Implement!it,!and!you!won’t!head!down!the!path!to!marketing!burnIout.!!

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THE!BICYCLE!MODEL!!

!I.!!THE!FRAME:!Trust,!Value!and!Engagement!!These!are!the!three!most!important!principles!that!hold!everything!else!in!place:!!1.!Trust:!Marketing!is!never!sleazy,!unethical,!intrusive,!and!it!does!not!involve!trickery.!!2.!Value:!Offer!value!to!your!audience!in!everything!you!do.!Ask!yourself,!“What!does!my!audience!want?”!!3.!Engagement:!This!is!about!building!relationships!and!making!real!connections.!Picture!someone!on!stage!shouting.!No!one!likes!to!be!shouted!at.!Unfortunately,!this!is!some!people’s!idea!of!marketing.!If!it’s!always,!‘Buy!my!book’!or!‘Look!at!me!’!people!will!tune!out!or!disconnect.!!!Tim!Grahl!defines!marketing!as!“the!act!of!building!longIlasting!connections!with!people”!through!being!what!he!calls!“relentlessly!helpful”.!(Grahl,+p.8)+!!

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II.!THE!WHEELS:!Online!Hub!&!Email!!!An!online!HUB!and!an!EMAIL!subscription!provider!are!like!the!wheels!on!the!bicycle.!You’re!going!nowhere!without!them!!!

1. Online!Hub:!!!You!need!an!online!hub!!The!best!is!a!website!or!a!blog!!I!somewhere!where!people!can!easily!find!out!all!about!you!and!your!product!or!service.!You!can!use!a!free!service!like!wordpress.com!or!blogger.com,!but!I!recommend!purchasing!a!domain!name!and!using!a!service!that!you!have!full!control!over.!A!self!hosted!website!like!wordpress.org!means!someone!isn’t!going!to!change!the!rules!on!you!or!delete!your!content!unexpectedly.!You!own!it!and!can!do!what!you!want!there.!!!Do!not!use!your!facebook!page!or!your!Amazon!author!page!as!your!hub.!It’s!like!growing!a!garden!on!borrowed!land.!You!might!have!permission!for!now!and!maybe!you’re!growing!the!most!beautiful!vegetables!imaginable,!but!at!some!point!in!time!the!owner!might!sell.!(Or!die!or!whatever.)!Facebook’s!rules!are!always!changing.!Amazon’s!algorithms!are!always!changing.!They!can!add!and!subtract!content!whenever!they!like.!Changes!are!going!to!happen!and!it’s!impossible!to!stay!ahead!of!them.!That’s!why!you!need!a!platform!that!you!own!and!that!you!have!control!over.!!At!some!point!you’ll!want!to!think!about!‘branding’!and!a!website!is!the!perfect!place!to!do!it.!What!is!branding?!It’s!about!instant!recognition.!It’s!about!people!knowing!what!they!can!expect!from!you.!It!starts!with!such!simple!things!as!consistency!in!fonts,!formatting!style,!colour!choices!and!obviously!moves!on!to!the!quality!and!consistency!of!your!content.!A!tagline!is!also!a!good!way!to!brand!yourself.!For!instance,!my!current!tagline!is,!“Fiction!on!the!edge!without!crossing!the!line.”!I!write!novels!and!stories!from!a!faithIbased!perspective!that!sometimes!also!include!what!some!in!the!Christian!community!would!consider!‘edgy’!content.!It’s!a!small,!niche!market,!but!there!are!people!out!there!who!want!this!kind!of!fiction,!and!I!try!to!deliver.!!You!always!want!to!put!your!best!foot!forward!on!your!website.!Professionalism!goes!a!long!way.!(Have!a!professional!looking!author!

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headshot,!for!example)!The!minimum!requirements!for!any!website!are:!An!about!page,!a!book!page!(or!coming!soon!if!the!book!isn’t!out!yet),!a!way!for!people!to!contact!you,!and!an!email!sign!up!form.!!!One!of!the!primary!goals!of!your!website!should!be!to!get!people!to!sign!up!for!your!mailing!list.!This!is!NOT!the!same!as!signing!up!to!follow!the!blog.!This!is!a!key!point!and!is!why!‘email!provider’!and!‘online!hub’!are!the!two!wheels.!They!work!in!tandem!!!!*To+learn+how+to+build+a+self+hosted+wordpress.org+website+step+by+step+watch+the+AWESOME+video+tutorials+by+Simon+Whistler+of+‘Rocking+Self+Publishing+listed+in+the+‘Highly+Recommended+Resources’+section’.+These+are+so+stepKbyKstep+that+anybody+can+do+it!+!

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2.!Email!Subscription:!!

According!to,!well,!EVERYONE!I!building!your!mailing!list!should!be!

your!#1!marketing!goal.!You!might!be!thinking,!“Why!email?!Isn’t!that!

old!fashioned?”!Email!is!still!the!best!way!to!speak!directly!to!your!

audience.!!

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Facebook!has!billions!of!users;!it’s!easy!to!see!how!you!can!get!lost!in!

the!crowd.!At!the!time!of!this!writing,!facebook’s!policies!allow!only!

12%!–!16%!of!the!people!who!‘like’!your!page!to!actually!ever!see!it.!

Your!posts!just!don’t!show!up!on!their!feed.!Of!those,!many!of!them!will!

miss!it!because!it!will!get!buried!in!other!updates.!The!same!goes!for!

twitter!and!other!social!media.!People!are!going!to!miss!what!you’ve!

shared!!!

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Email,!on!the!other!hand,!goes!directly!to!each!individual!inbox.!Does!

that!mean!everyone!is!going!to!open!every!email?!Probably!not,!but!the!

percentages!are!staggeringly!higher.!And!this!is!just!talking!about!

people!seeing!your!posts.!When!it!comes!to!actual!book!sales,!for!instance,!various!experts!have!tested!the!results!and!have!shown!an!

80%!conversion!rate!from!email!during!a!book!launch!as!opposed!to!a!

fraction!of!a!percent!conversion!rate!from!facebook.!!

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The!bottom!line!is!this:!You!need!a!way!to!communicate!directly!with!

your!audience!and!other!than!telephoning!each!and!every!person,!email!

is!the!best!way!to!go.!!!

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Be!aware!that!you!can’t!just!use!‘Outlook’!or!‘gmail’.!They!have!rules!

about!sending!out!too!many!large!group!emails!and!these!will!be!

blocked!as!spam.!Instead!you!need!an!email!subscription!provider.!I!use!

Mailchimp,!but!there!are!others!like!AWeber,!Constant!Contact,!

Infusionsoft,!ConvertKit…!the!list!goes!on.!Do!your!research!on!what!will!

work!best!for!you.!

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Once!you’ve!signed!up!with!a!provider,!they!will!show!you!how!to!

generate!a!sign!up!form!which!you!will!then!embed!on!your!website.!

You!should!also!put!the!link!to!this!form!in!the!back!of!all!your!books,!on!

your!blog,!on!your!facebook!page!if!you!have!one…!basically!put!your!

email!sign!up!form!everywhere!you!can!think!to!put!it.!!

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!Now,!just!splashing!the!sign!up!form!everywhere!isn’t!going!to!get!a!lot!of!traction!once!your!friends!and!family!have!signed!up,!so!you!need!to!make!a!compelling!offer!to!encourage!your!target!audience!to!sign!up.!(‘Get!my!news’!or!‘Sign!up!for!my!newsletter’!are!not!compelling!)!!!Address!a!need!or!a!want.!Let!readers!know!what!the!benefit!is!to!them.!(This!goes!back!to!our!discussion!about!being!relentlessly!helpful!–!the!idea!that!trust,!value,!and!engagement!are!the!framework!for!success.)!One!good!strategy!is!to!give!something!away.!Make!it!easy!and!obvious!because!people!are!naturally!very!distractible.!!Believe!it!or!not,!popIups!(although!seemingly!annoying)!actually!convert!very!well,!so!consider!that!as!well.!This!is!also!something!that!your!email!provider!can!do.!!!!Once!people!start!signing!up!for!your!email!list,!the!next!question!is,!“What!am!I!supposed!to!say!to!them?”!Again,!it’s!about!building!trust,!offering!value,!and!being!engaging.!Story!goes!a!long!way,!as!does!being!authentic.!Use!a!conversational!style.!Share!news!about!new!releases,!a!funny!story,!links!to!other!content!you!think!they!may!enjoy!like!a!video,!blog!post,!or!podcast,!or!something!else!that!is!helpful.!!!Keep!it!short!and!simple!but!remember,!you!are!trying!to!build!a!relationship,!not!just!ask!for!sales.!If!you!work!on!building!trust,!engagement!and!adding!value,!when!it!comes!time!to!ask!for!help,!people!are!more!likely!to!respond.!!!Various!experts!recommend!emailing!your!list!once,!or!at!the!most!twice,!a!month!for!fiction!authors.!You!don’t!want!to!bombard!people!with!too!many!emails!or!appear!spammy.!NonIfiction!authors!can!email!more!frequently,!apparently,!because!their!target!audience!tends!to!be!narrower!and!more!engaged!by!default.!!!

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III.THE!MECHANICS:!Strategic!Content!!!We’ve!got!our!frame!and!our!two!wheels!I!which!are!nonInegotiable!I!but!now!it’s!about!choosing!what!mechanical!parts!work!best!for!you.!This!is!what!I’m!calling!‘strategic!content’.!It’s!what!you!can!talk!to!your!email!subscribers!about.!This!is!like!the!gears!and!other!mechanical!parts!of!the!bicycle.!Some!bicycles!have!one!gear!and!very!few!bells!and!whistles,!while!some!have!several!gears!and!many!other!options.!!Your!content!must!be!targeted!and!strategic,!‘geared’!toward!your!audience.!Choose!the!right!type!of!content!for!YOUR!needs.!You!don’t!need!to!do!everything!(and!shouldn’t!because!you!will!burn!yourself!out!)!Here!is!a!list.!Keep!in!mind!it!is!not!in!order!of!what!is!better!or!more!effective.!That!is!up!to!you!to!decide.!!

!1. Write!more!books!!

This!is!pretty!self!explanatory,!but!it!needed!to!be!said!up!front.!Some!authors!don’t!bother!with!blogging!or!any!of!the!other!ideas!I’m!going!to!list.!They!just!write!more!books.!Prolific!authors!will!find!they!have!plenty!to!share!with!their!audience!just!with!new!releases,!excerpts,!and!things!like!that.!!2. Blogging!

Blogging!can!seem!like!a!daunting!task!and!I!do!not!believe!everyone!needs!to!blog.!For!some!people!their!blog!is!their!online!hub!and!that’s!fine.!Others!like!myself!like!to!differential!between!their!website!(which!is!typically!more!static)!and!a!blog,!which!is!constantly!changing.!!!Blogging!is!an!excellent!tool!for!creating!content!that!is!sharable!and!can!be!quickly!published.!It!is!also!useful!in!that!it!boosts!your!search!engine!optimization.!However,!it!is!not!the!place!to!establish!what!Tim!Grahl!calls!‘permission’.!(Grahl,+p.+57)+That!is!the!job!of!your!email!subscription!list.!Getting!people!to!sign!up!for!your!blog!is!not!the!same!thing.!Blogging!is!not!as!effective!when!it!comes!to!direct!communication!with!your!target!audience.!It!is!also!not!the!best!way!to!reach!out!to!new!people!to!grow!your!audience.!!!When!it!comes!to!blogging,!quality!and!consistency!are!more!important!than!quantity.!There!is!nothing!wrong!with!posting!less!often!as!long!as!

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you!are!consistent.!It!is!also!a!myth!that!you!must!only!post!new!content.!Trying!to!post!new!content!everyday!may!lead!to!burn!out.!There!is!nothing!wrong!with!recycling!your!content!because!truthfully,!most!people!probably!haven’t!seen!it!yet.!!!Targeted!content!is!more!important!than!random!fluff.!If!you!are!using!your!blog!as!an!online!journal!or!if!it!is!primarily!for!your!own!family,!then!go!ahead!and!write!whatever!you!want.!But!if!you’re!using!your!blog!as!part!of!your!platform,!make!sure!your!content!is!geared!toward!your!target!audience.!!!Know!your!own!boundaries!if!you!decide!to!blog.!The!old!‘80/20’!rule!is!in!play!here,!so!take!stock!of!‘why’!you!blog!and!if!it!is!really!meeting!your!needs.!!3. Podcasts!

Podcasting!is!a!lot!like!blogging!but!in!audio!format.!Often!people!who!podcast!either!don’t!bother!blogging!or!they!recycle!their!podcasts!into!blog!posts!later.!!4. Videos!

Video!blogs!(Vlogs)!are!an!option!instead!of!blogging!or!podcasting.!These!are!really!good!if!you!are!offering!‘how!to’!information.!I!search!topics!up!on!‘Youtube’!all!the!time.!It’s!a!gold!mine!for!‘how!to’!on!almost!any!topic.!So!if!you!can!offer!something!of!value!via!a!video,!this!might!be!a!great!option!for!creating!good!content!that!your!audience!will!want.!!5. Booklets,!pdfs,!cheat!sheets,!and!more!!

Create!stuff!that!you!can!use!as!incentives!for!signing!up!for!your!email!list,!to!give!away!as!prizes!during!contests,!or!as!rewards!for!your!loyal!fans.!PDFs!work!really!well!and!can!be!created!from!deleted!scenes,!excerpts,!interviews!or!whatever.!Think!outside!the!box!!Graphs,!charts,!cheat!sheets…!the!sky!is!the!limit!when!it!comes!to!creating!‘oneIoff’!content.!!!PDFs!can!be!attached!directly!in!an!email,!can!be!put!on!a!special!hidden!page!on!your!website,!or!can!be!stored!on!‘google!drive’!or!some!other!‘cloud’!for!sharing.!I!use!Amazon!S3.!It’s!a!fantastic!way!to!store!and!share!this!type!of!content.!It!costs!a!small!fee!but!I!like!the!ease!of!use.!

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6. Funnels!Funnels!are!a!concept!that!work!if!you!have!more!than!one!book!or!a!series!of!books.!To!creat!a!funnel!you!need!three!products:!!!i)!Free!product:!(or!cheap)!This!can!be!a!book,!novella,!or!whatever!which!casts!a!wide!net.!Have!a!call!to!action!in!both!the!front!and!the!back!in!exchange!for!an!email!address.!!!ii)!Second!product:!(another!free!book!or!bonus!material)!This!is!given!to!those!who!signed!up!via!email.!These!people!tend!to!be!more!committed!because!they!actually!signed!up!–!thus!the!‘funnel’!is!narrowing.!Have!another!call!to!action!in!this!book!offering!an!‘upsell’.!For!instance,!the!call!to!action!might!suggest!the!boxed!set!at!a!discount.!!!iii)!Third!product:!This!is!usually!a!bigger!ticket!item!like!a!complete!collection!or!boxed!set.!!!Do!you!need!to!do!everything?!NO!!!!Do!what!fits!YOUR!audience,!your!level!of!commitment,!your!interests,!and!your!budget.!As!long!as!you!have!some!valuable!content!to!share!with!your!audience,!that!is!all!you!need.!!

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!IV.!PEDALING:!Sharing!and!Outreach!

!You’ve!got!your!online!hub!built,!your!email!subscription!provider!is!in!place!and!is!capturing!emails,!and!you’re!producing!some!great!content.!Now!is!the!time!to!find!ways!to!share!that!content.!I!have!listed!them!in!a!descending!order!of!importance,!but!of!course!this!is!according!to!me.!You!will!need!to!figure!out!what!works!best!for!you.!!!One!thing!to!keep!in!mind!is!that!sharing!may!keep!your!wheels!spinning,!but!it!can!also!make!you!to!‘spin!your!wheels’!!!!Many!of!these!tools!can!become!very!time!consuming!yet!do!not!necessarily!bring!big!results.!Make!sure!you!understand!that!these!‘sharing’!tools!are!not!meant!for!gaining!permission!(like!an!email!subscriber),!are!not!efficient!as!online!hubs!(like!a!website)!and!are!rarely!suited!to!creating!content.!!!

1. Amazon:!!

i) Keywords!and!categories.!Amazon!is!a!search!engine!first!and!foremost.!Make!sure!your!book’s!metadata!such!as!keywords!and!categories!are!as!targeted!as!possible.!This!is!a!whole!other!book!!Check!out!Nick!Stephenson’s!videos!in!the!‘Highly!Recommended!Resources’!or!find!another!good!source!online!or!elsewhere.!!

ii) Amazon!Author!Profile!I!If!you!have!books!for!sale!on!Amazon!it!is!a!noIbrainer!to!set!up!your!Author!profile!there!and!it!is!easy!to!do.!(Go!to!‘Authors!Central’!to!sign!up.)!Add!a!bio,!a!picture!and!link!to!your!website.!You!can!also!add!the!RSS!feed!from!your!blog!or!website,!you!can!add!videos,!you!can!start!discussions!about!your!books…!there!are!also!various!sales!stats!and!analytics!that!you!can!view!for!your!books!and!you!can!make!sure!that!all!your!titles!are!linked!to!your!author!page.!!

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2. Social!Media:!(facebook,!twitter,!pinterest...etc.)!!Used!properly,!social!media!can!be!an!effective!tool.!Let’s!face!it.!Facebook!is!probably!the!social!media!of!choice,!like!it!or!not.!Use!it!to!promote!giveaways,!host!events,!cross!promote!with!other!authors,!or!even!cross!promote!between!social!media.!Keep!in!mind!that!social!media!is!supposed!to!be!social.!It’s!about!relationship!building,!but!is!not!the!best!for!selling.!Social!media,!according!to!every!one!of!the!experts!I!list!in!the!resource!section,!is!an!80/20!tool.!You!can!spend!80%!of!your!time!and!get!a!20%!result.!!

!View!social!media!as!a!connection!BOOSTER!not!the!DRIVER.!Social!media,!except!when!used!in!a!very!targeted!way,!is!not!useful!for!content.!It!is!used!for!sharing!the!content!you!create!elsewhere.!(Your!blog,!book!etc.)!Make!your!content!easy!to!share!–!use!buttons!or!sharing!widgets!on!your!website!or!blog,!or!share!small!tidbits!of!content!as!teasers.!

!Don’t!focus!on!numbers!!Focus!on!engagement!!The!numbers!game!is!such!a!trap.!Understand!the!difference!between!social!media!for!business!and!for!pleasure.!(Go!ahead!if!you!find!it!fun,!but!don’t!call!it!marketing!when!it’s!not!)!!

!Don’t!try!to!use!every!social!media!platform!I!use!what!fits!you.!Find!out!where!YOUR!target!audience!hangs!out!and!be!present!there.!I!used!to!think!I!had!to!be!everywhere.!When!I!first!started!out!I!got!some!bad!advice!that!said,!“Be!everywhere!”!So!I!created!a!profile!at!about!twentyIfive!or!thirty!different!places.!It!was!too!hard!to!keep!up!!Now!my!main!focus!is!on!Facebook,!but!I!also!share!everything!to!twitter,!google+,!LinkedIn!and!pinterest.!These!aren’t!necessarily!‘best’,!just!what!works!for!me.!!!Automate!your!sharing!as!much!as!possible.!Most!blogs!and!websites!have!ways!to!automatically!share!to!the!main!social!media!sites!in!their!set!ups,!and!you!can!also!add!a!sharing!option!via!‘Share!this’!or!some!other!app.!Other!useful!tools!for!automation!are:!!hootsuite,!bufferapp,!and!twuffer.!!

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You!may!want!to!create!a!separate!facebook!‘page’!that!brands!you!as!a!

writer,!speaker!or!whatever,!rather!than!just!use!your!personal!account.!

Don’t!make!a!new!page!for!every!book.!You!want!to!brand!yourself,!not!

just!one!book.!(Unless!you!only!plan!on!ever!writing!one!book.)!!

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Finally,!don’t!spam!people!on!social!media.!Think!of!each!site!you!visit!

as!a!cocktail!party.!You!wouldn’t!burst!into!the!room!and!yell,!“Look!at!

me!!Buy!my!book!”!Some!people!do!that!and!you!know!how!annoying!it!

is!!!Stop!it!!Be!intelligent!and!relevant.!It’s!about!engagement!and!

relationship!building,!remember?!!

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3. Goodreads!!

Goodreads!actually!fits!into!the!social!media!category,!but!I!wanted!to!

put!it!separately!because!I!think!it!is!a!valuable!tool,!especially!for!

fiction!authors.!Basically,!goodreads!is!a!place!for!people!to!share!about!

books!–!it!is!primarily!where!readers!hang!out!online!I!and!next!to!

Amazon!it!is!the!place!where!authors!want!to!get!reviews.!You!can!start!

a!profile!as!a!reader!but!then!you!can!also!apply!for!an!author!profile.!

This!is!a!great!place!to!highlight!your!books,!share!giveaways,!start!

discussions!etc.!!

!

4. Reviews!!

These!are!vitally!important!to!an!author.!The!two!most!important!places!

to!get!reviews!are!#!1!I!Amazon!and!#2!I!goodreads.!How!do!you!get!

reviews?!Well…!ask.!!!Sending!ARCs!or!offering!review!copies!for!an!honest!review!are!good!strategies.!At!one!time,!Amazon!required!that!

the!reviewer!state!whether!they!were!given!a!free!copy!“in!exchange!for!

an!honest!review”.!This!may!have!changed,!so!check!the!current!rules.!

Keep!in!mind!that!a!few!negative!reviews!are!not!necessarily!a!bad!

thing.!It!means!that!real!people!are!reading!and!reviewing!your!books,!

not!just!friends!and!family.!A!couple!of!less!than!stellar!reviews!actually!

add!credibility!to!you!as!an!author.!(I!know!that!sounds!counter!

intuitive,!but!apparently!it’s!true.)!

!

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5. Networking!with!other!authors!!!

This!is!an!important!strategy,!especially!within!your!genre!or!with!

authors!who!have!similar!core!values.!You!can!network!with!other!

authors!on!social!media!by!reading!and!commenting!on!their!blog!posts,!

or!by!visiting!online!forums.!However,!don’t!expect!other!authors!to!buy!

and!read!all!your!books.!They!are!also!busy!trying!to!promote!their!own!

books.!Selling!to!them!isn’t!the!goal.!It’s!about!making!connections,!

which!can!be!very!helpful!when!it!comes!time!for!a!book!launch,!or!

asking!for!an!endorsement!etc.!It’s!about!finding!common!ground!and!

then!helping!one!another.!This!can!pay!off!when!it!comes!to!the!next!

couple!of!points.!!

!

6. Guest!posting!!

This!is!a!powerful!way!to!expand!your!own!sphere.!However,!once!again!

it!comes!down!to!doing!something!valuable!for!your!host.!Be!

relentlessly!helpful.!Just!saying,!“I!want!to!guest!post!on!your!blog,”!

especially!if!that!person!already!has!a!larger!platform,!probably!won’t!

get!you!anywhere.!However,!if!you!can!bring!something!to!the!table!or!

fill!a!need,!or!even!highlight!something!that!they!are!doing,!they!are!

more!likely!to!allow!you!to!guest!post.!!

!7. Finding!influencers!!

!

This!follows!nicely!on!the!last!point.!Asking!to!guest!post!is!one!way!to!

find!‘influencers’!–!people!whose!platform!is!more!developed!or!who!

have!a!wider!sphere!than!you!do.!But!be!helpful!and!offer!them!value.!

Do!not!be!self!serving.!The!laws!of!reciprocity!are!at!work!in!this!area!

and!must!be!followed.!Building!trust!is!key!to!finding!influencers.!Offer!

to!do!something!for!them!I!even!with!no!expectation!of!payback.!Post!on!

your!own!blog!about!people!you!admire.!If!you!followed!someone’s!

advice!or!enjoyed!their!book,!tell!the!world!–!and!then!tell!them,!too.!

You!are!offering!your!audience!something!of!value,!but!also!forging!a!

potential!relationship!for!the!future.!This!takes!time!–!it!is!neither!fast!

nor!easy.!

!

!

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!8. Street!teams!

!Sometimes!called!‘Launch!teams’!or!‘Readers’!Groups’,!this!is!a!core!group!of!people!who!like!your!brand,!who!are!excited!about!your!books,!and!who!have!committed!to!help!you!market!when!needed.!Things!you!can!do!with!a!street!team!include:!Give!out!ARCs!in!exchange!for!a!review!when!the!book!comes!out,!get!them!to!blast!their!social!media!during!a!launch,!or!become!beta!readers!for!your!next!book.!!!Please!note:!You!want!readers!on!your!team,!not!just!your!author!friends.!This!is!something!I!see!regularly!(other!authors!targeting!one!another)!and!I’m!not!sure!how!to!get!away!from!it.!Invite!people!through!your!newsletter!and!don’t!be!offended!when!people!decline.!Everybody!is!busy.!You!want!the!people!who!actually!want!to!help,!not!reluctant!participants.!(Or!only!your!author!friends.)!!!Reward!their!loyalty!with!something!exclusive:!Free!books,!advance!copies,!giveaways,!or!contests.!One!author!I!know!uses!$25!gift!cards!each!month!and!picks!randomly!from!her!launch!team!members.!Another!just!basically!offers!every!upcoming!book!free!for!life!so!that!they!can!read!and!review!it!in!advance.!Exclusivity!is!important,!though.!Do!this!through!a!separate!email!list,!a!private!facebook!group,!or!a!Yahoo!list.!!!

9. Book!launches!!Leverage!social!media!by!getting!your!followers!to!tell!THEIR!followers,!rather!than!try!to!create!your!own!larger!following.!Provide!ways!for!them!to!share.!Make!it!easy.!Book!launches!are!a!whole!other!topic!so!I!won’t!go!into!them!in!details!here.!!!

10. !Online!events!!Facebook!events!and!online!giveaways!(goodreads!does!this!well,!but!there!are!many!other!‘giveaway’!platforms)!are!good!short!term!strategies!to!gain!traffic.!!!!

!!

15!

!11.!Press!kit!

!You!may!want!to!have!a!professional!‘Press!kit’!on!your!website!that!makes!it!easy!for!others!to!find!and!use!your!information.!An!easy!to!navigate!website!with!an!‘About’!page!and!a!good!photo!is!often!enough.!However,!I!know!from!my!involvement!in!planning!conferences!and!such!that!being!able!to!find!the!information!easily!through!a!Press!(or!Media)!Kit!makes!life!so!much!easier.!It!is!also!useful!if!you!hope!to!get!radio!interviews!or!other!media!interviews.!!!

12.!Press!releases!!If!you!publish!through!a!publishing!company!they!will!likely!create!the!press!release!for!you!and!send!it!to!all!their!contacts.!If!you!are!self!publishing!you!will!need!to!make!these!yourself!and!find!a!way!to!get!them!in!the!hands!of!your!local!media,!book!sellers,!etc.!!

!13.!Book!trailers!

!I!have!several!that!I!paid!someone!else!to!make.!I’m!not!convinced!they!are!really!very!effective!in!converting!‘watchers’!into!buyers!of!books!but!they!are!fun!and!look!good!on!a!website.!!!

!

!!*You$do$not$need$to$do$all$of$the$above,$but$you$do$need$to$choose$what$things$work$for$you$in$your$unique$situation.$$

!!

16!

!V.!THE!OPEN!ROAD:!Your!Physical!Platform!

!Continuing!with!our!‘bicycle’!theme,!here!are!some!other!ways!to!build!your!platform!outside!of!the!internet.!!!1. Business!cards!and!other!‘swag’!like!bookmarks!or!brochures!2. Branded!banner!for!book!events!and!signings!3. Register!your!books!with!the!Public!Lending!Rights!Commission!4. Always!have!books!in!your!car!!5. Approach!local!media!–!radio,!TV,!newspapers!etc.!6. Host!an!‘In!house’!book!launch!!7. Approach!Public!libraries/church!libraries!about!buying!your!book!(or!accepting!a!donated!copy)!

8. Ask!to!place!your!books!in!local!bookstores,!visitor!centres,!specialty!shops!etc.!Sometimes!the!commission!is!steep!but!consider!it!exposure.!

9. Attend!trade!shows!and!craft!fairs!10.Schedule!book!signings/readings!and!other!author!events!11.Solicit!speaking!engagements!and!have!books!for!sale!12. Donate!your!book!as!prizes!for!various!events!13. Face!to!face!connections!at!conferences!etc.!

!!

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17!

ACTION!STEPS:!!

1. Build!Website!(wordpress.org!recommended)!2. Sign!up!with!an!Email!provider!(Mailchimp!recommended)!3. Set!up!a!contact!form!and!put!it!on!your!website.!4. Add!it!as!a!link!to!the!back!of!your!books,!and!anywhere!else!you!can.!

5. Offer!an!incentive!for!signing!up!and!make!sure!you!have!a!way!to!deliver!the!incentive!!(Google!drive/Amazon!S3)!

6. Consider!offering!a!perma!free!book!to!get!more!traffic.!(To!make!a!book!free!on!Amazon!you!must!first!make!it!free!on!another!platform!like!Kobo!or!Nook.!Then!Amazon!will!price!match.)!

7. Create!consistent!strategic!content!that!you!can!share!with!your!readers.!Automate!your!sharing!as!much!as!possible!and!make!it!easy!for!others!to!share.!!

8. Check!your!book’s!meta!data!for!keywords!and!categories!to!get!the!best!search!engine!optimization!on!Amazon.!

9. Create!and!maintain!your!Amazon!Author!profile.!Consider!doing!the!same!on!Goodreads.!

10.!Find!the!Social!Media!vehicle!that!best!suits!your!needs!and!focus!there.!Do!not!try!to!be!everywhere!at!once.!!11.!Pick!one!or!two!other!strategies!that!are!achievable!as!time!and!circumstances!permit.!12.!Build!trust!by!engaging!with!your!audience!and!adding!value.!It’s!about!making!connections!first.!It’s!not!about!the!numbers.!

!!

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18!

RECOMMENDED!TOOLS:!Wordpress.org!I!(website)!Mailchimp!I!(email!subscription)!Optimize!Press!I!(for!building!landing!pages!and!optIin!pages)!My!Book!Table!I!(for!authors!with!multiple!books!–!for!use!with!Wordpress)!Amazon!S3!or!google!drive!I!(incentives!delivery!system)!Hootsuite,!Bufferapp,!twuffer!–!(automated!sharing)!!‘HIGHLY’!RECOMMENDED!RESOURCES:!Grahl,!Tim:!!Your+First+1000+Copies:+The+Step+by+Step+Guide+to+Marketing+Your+Book+!+!Stephenson,!Nick:!Reader+Magnets:!Build+Your+Author+Platform+and+Sell+More+Books++

!*Awesome!Free!Videos!by!Nick!Stephenson:!go!to!‘Your!first!10k!Readers’!!!Simon!Whistler:!!*Awesome!Free!Videos:!‘Create!an!Amazing!Author!Website’!from!‘Rocking!Self!Publishing’.!(look!on!right!sidebar)!!!OTHER!REALLY!GOOD!RESOURCES:!Platform+University:+Maximize+Your+Message+by!Michael!Hyatt!Write.+Publish.+Repeat.!by!Sean!Plett!and!Johnny!B.!Truant!(language+warning)+

Every+Writer+Needs+a+Tribe+by!Jeff!Goins!How+I+Sold+80,000+Books+by!Alinka!Rutkowska!!

!!

1!

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Tracy!Krauss!!Author!.!Artist!–!Playwright!

Fiction'On'the'Edge'Without'Crossing'the'Line…'

'Website:!tracykrauss.com!

!Email:!tracy.krauss@gmail.com'

!Subscribe!to!my!monthly!newsletter!and!receive!the!first!two!volumes!of!

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