Exploring Your Author Platform and Branding Options
27th March 2023
In this article, we will be looking at what an author platform is and its types, your thoughts about it, and finally, its importance to you as an indie author. Even if you are still anticipating about writing and publishing a book, this article is for you. This is because knowledge is a potential power. You can also share it with someone else, and they will bless you for it. Okay, let’s get started!
What Is Author Platform?
An author platform is any system that represents the author and her works, online, offline, or both. A website, for example, is just one element of an author platform. An email list tool such as MailerLite or MailChimp is part of the whole system. Social media networks are part of it, too.
This is a tool authors must make use of before they lose it. It doesn’t matter if you are traditionally published or self-published, you need a platform. This is your business branding. It has to represent you or your author. This is because you might read this article either as an author or publisher.
Related: Self-Publishing Ultimate Guide
You need a system if you help authors succeed. In the same way, if you are an indie author like me, you need a platform. It can be a digital platform or a physical one, such as a sign post, or a website. If it serves your purpose, that’s your ideal platform.
Types of Author Platforms
An author platform as mentioned in the introduction section above can have many types and options to choose from. For example, johnshalom.com is a good example of my platform. It’s a type of platform that I use often. It works even when I am writing or sleeping.
Another platform type is my social media presence. I use Facebook more than any other social media. These days, Facebook means a lot. It includes other platforms and networks such as WhatsApp, Messenger, Facebook, and Instagram.
All these are referred to as Meta Technologies. There are several platforms, but a website is the best platform for any author. It’s good because you can include many things into it such as blogging. This article is part of my platform because it can make you become aware about me and my books. It’s a marketing tool, a system I use all the time. You might also need to include that into your menu.
Most authors started out as bloggers. You can blog about the things you love most. You can even blog about your writing processes. You can even start writing about why you have been thinking about writing something for years but you never got started with the actual thing. Procrastination is a real thing. It’s there for a good reason: quality.
Author Platform and You
Now, what do you think about author platforms? In other words, what is your take on them? Do you already own one? If yes, what is it? If no, would you like to do so after this article? Have you ever been reading something like this before about author platforms?
These are reflective questions on your end. I never want you to answer for me unless you want to do so in the comments below. However, you have to answer them to yourself, inside your heart, in your inner being. This is because your beliefs matter, a lot. You are a sum total of your beliefs. There’s nothing less and nothing more.
For example, if you strongly believe you don’t need a platform, then no one will be able to convince you about it. Just life self-publishing, many authors think they can’t manage their own platforms. However, I want to let you know that writing is a business, and you must see it as such.
Am I commanding you in any way? That’s not my intention. All I want to insert or stir up in you is the need for independency. To be independent, you need your own house. You don’t need to rent anymore. You need to buy a plot and then build on it. Your website is a rental agreement, and I know that, but it’s yours, anyway.
The Importance of Author Platform
If this was a question, the answer to it would have been a big YES! It’s very important to own a platform of your choice – it can’t be overstated or overemphasized. You need one. You can afford it. You can start with a free one for now, if at all you don’t have capital. I started with a free blog, and it’s still free today even though I don’t update it.
Well, do you really need a website? Do you need a blog? What if you don’t have any of these things? Would you not have a platform you can call your own? The answer to the last question depends on how you want to set yourself up as an indie author.
A freelance writer may not need a blog or a website, at least for the time being, but an author must own a certain platform of her choice. This also means that a website or blog is only an element of the whole system.
Some authors don’t own websites, yet, they own their own platforms. There are some tools meant for authors of all kinds apart from websites. For example, the Amazon Kindle website is a tool for you. You can even use their Author Central feature, which serves as a website for you, if you published your book(s) on the KDP platform. However, that alone is not adequate enough for your audience.
Tools such as MailerLite require you to have a custom domain website, something you can technically conform in order for you to send out email campaigns to your readers. However, that calls for a personality type. Not all writers and authors are tech savvy. But don’t allow this to scare you away.
It all depends on your personality type. This is true. It’s a harsh reality. You can’t manage this business alone unless you possess the mindset for it, and this mindset stems from a personality type, something you can’t easily manage or change.
If you don’t believe you can do yourself, hire someone to manage your channels, and that will work fine. That’s being honest to yourself and to me, and to your world, and the nature around you. Honesty pays dividends. But if you believe you can do it, then go ahead and give it a try.
That’s how important it is to own a platform for yourself and your books. This is true for both traditionally published and self-published authors alike. They all need platforms to present themselves and their products to their potential customers.
Summary
You have done it! But what have you learned from this article so far? Was there anything new to you in this article? Did you know everything in it before you found this article? I just want you to reflect a little after reading all the way down. Your thoughts help you understand the content well.
I will be glad to hear from you in the comment section below this article. Just scroll down until you find that box. You can also share the whole article, or a link to it, with your family and friends, if you think they can greatly benefit from it. Thank you so much for taking your precious time to read my article.
In this article, we looked at what an author platform is and its types, how it relates to you personally, and finally, how important it is to own a platform as an author. It doesn’t matter if you were traditionally published or self-published. You need a platform of your own. Go and create one. Go and improve one. Go and do it, now.
Hastags: #digitalmarketing #lifecoaching #selfpublishing #technology
Further Readings
- What Is Author Platform and Why Have One?—authorplatform.com
- A Definition of Author Platform—janefriedman.com
- The Ultimate Guide to Author Platforms—selfpublishingadvice.org
