Author Archive

I chimed in to a discussion on LinkedIn last week with this very same title: Is An Author’s Platform Now A Prerequisite?

Little did I know just how much commentary there was going to end up being.

A few people had commented before I found the post, saying that they felt an author platform was important. One of my favorite responses was from Ian Miller, who said, “You don’t need a platform to, write, but you need one to attract readers.”

I then chimed in with the following:

I agree with most of the comments here. That doesn’t mean that it’s impossible to get published without an author platform, but it means that you’re starting with a great disadvantage if you don’t have one. Put yourself in the position of a publisher: if you’re deciding between two or three authors, which one would you choose to publish? The one who has shown that he or she knows how to market books and has already built a following, or the one who hasn’t?

There have probably been 20 responses to my comment, mostly in agreement. But I thought I would give you some of the excerpts so that you can decide for yourself:

Beverly Bistransky • @Karen, Yes and No. I think the connection between the writer/author and editing publisher have quite a bit to do with who they choose to deal. At least the better publishers etiquette if you will, know that this is just as important as the author already having a current following especially if the author is changing their subject demeanor.

Elly Taylor • And, as I’m just finding now, there is a lot of platform building to be done between being published and achieving commercial success. In hindsight, I could have done more while waiting for the book to be published, especially as far as social media is concerned.

Nancy Root Miller • Karin sums it up nicely. I am in the process of researching agents and publishers for my cookbook. Nearly every one asks for details on your platform: what social media do you use, do you have a blog and/or website, do you teach, are you a regular guest on television or radio. If you’re a terrific writer without a “platform” and you’re lucky, you may be able to find a publisher or editor who will take a risk on you anyway. You’ll increase your chances if you participate in Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn (!), Pinterest, and so on.

Sean Concannon • A unique proposal, and demonstrated ability to write are just as important in getting published as having a platform. With a high quality project, and a strong platform, you are almost certain to get published. If you have a high quality project to sell, and no platform or very little in the way of a platform, it’s worth getting started. A strategy for nurturing your platform will make your project more attractive to potential agents, who will know that they can use the quality of your project in combination with the potential of your platform to sell your proposal to a publisher.

Tannera Kane • I recommend authors develop a platform before publication. ONe can always adjust the platform after publication if one aspect of marketing doesn’t work.

Brad Windhauser • Today, I think a writer needs a platform more importantly, an author needs to figure out how to construct a sensible platform. How can you attract an audience that compliments your work? I have a traditional website where people can find samples of my work, etc. I plug away on Twitter. I have FB. along with four other writer friends, I started a group blog (5writers.com), a blog site we use to discuss writing. Since it’s a group blog, the burden of posting is spread out–and we all benefit from the attention each writer brings. I also started my own blog project (BibleProjectBlog.com) where, as a gay author, I chronicle my reading of the Bible for the first time. Since I don’t openly court “Christian” readers, I’m using this blog to develop my voice and expose my style to a new audience (hopefully).

Allison Bruning • I think its especially important nowadays for authors to build a platform. There are so many books in the market it’s easy for a new author to get lost in the sea. But if they can work on making their presence known throughout the social networks and various writing oppurtunities out there then they may be able to drive traffic towards the fans they have acquired.

James Hockey • I think we are falling into the error of comparing apples with pears. Elly’s case above demonstrates the classic route forward for non-fiction where there is a manifest social need whether it be parenting or home electrics.
Fiction on the other hand is very different and without building a platform the author is likely to die the death of total invisibility.

Beverly Bistransky • The subject also in itself can end up being the platform. For example: a disorder that is rarely ever talked about. If it is well written and touches the audience in a tangible way, it will be its own platform, the subject disease that is.

Reynold Conger • In spite of all the articles about platforms, I still do not understand what a platform is. Obviously a good publicity campaign helps the sales of a book, but does this need a platform?

Gaurav Bhatnagar • Coming to the answer on the original post from @Gemma, yes, indeed, it’s required. Problem is not with book discovery or authors discovery… Today’s book lovers are much aware on what they want to read than ever. A platform can give an author a boost to their books, an enhancement to their knowledge, increased fan base, new friends helping each other and so on.

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There are about 20 more comments in the conversation, but I’m going to stop there. The general consensus? “Yes, authors do need a platform to sell books.” That platform can manifest itself in various ways — an author website, a blog, a presence on social media, etc.. — but every author needs to be doing something. Just writing isn’t enough to be a professional writer any more.

If you’re interested in discussing your needs for an author website, contact us today for a free consultation. Good luck!

Clare O’Donohue is a published author with multiple book series under her belt. She’s also a savvy marketer of her own work; Clare regularly gets over 500 visitors to her website, ClareODonohue.com, every month.

So how does she do it? Here’s what she had to say…

Who built your website? How was the experience?
I’ve had three websites since I started. The first was built by a friend and I did that because I thought it would be cheaper, which it didn’t really turn out to be because it took her so long and I paid her by the hour. Plus I didn’t really like it. Then I had godaddy. It was okay, nothing special or personal and I was limited in the number of pages. Then after doing a lot of research I chose Smart Author Sites for my current website. I like that they specialize in authors because I didn’t need to explain what I needed – they already knew. They were able to offer suggestions based on their experiences that made my site better. It was fast, adaptable to my changing needs, and a great value for the money.

Which social networking sites do you regularly participate in? Facebook? Twitter? GoodReads? LinkedIn? Any others?
I use Facebook and Twitter mostly, though I have a presence on GoodReads. I still have a day job, so I keep LinkedIn for that.

How many online followers do you have? How many pageviews have you gotten on your website?
I have about 3,400 Facebook friends between my personal and book sites. And I had just over 500 visits to my website in December alone. I’m pretty excited about that. Half the battle, maybe 90% of it, is just getting people to have heard of you; so when 500 people visited my site in a single month I knew that lots of new folks were checking me out..

Has your online presence (be it through a website or social networking profiles) increased your visibility/book sales?
Absolutely. People expect a website – that’s where they go to find out about the next release or to send an email. If you don’t have one, it’s like not have a phone in the regular world. No one can reach you. Facebook is the way for me to maintain contact with a large group, but a website is an absolute must.

What is your “secret” to achieving this success? Were there any tricks or creative ideas (i.e. a contest) that you used?
I’ve done all sorts of things. One of my most successful was having a character-naming contest. If you wanted your name in my book, you had to get friends to vote for you. It was a fun way to get people who are already fans to spread the word to her friends.  I’ve also given away books, guest blogged, had other authors blog on my site… there isn’t one secret (at least that I know) it’s doing lots of things, being part of the larger community of writers, keeping an on-going presence on social media, and of course, constantly creating new books. I’ve also branched out to writing e-only stories, which is another way to generate new readers because the price point is so much lower than a full novel.

Is there anything you would do differently if you were starting over again?
I’d start with a more professional website so I didn’t have to keep changing it. In an effort to save money, I cost myself more. I also would have gotten involved in the mystery community sooner, as this is a valuable resource and great friendships. And I would have taken more control of the marketing and publicity. I love my publisher and the publicist they assigned me, but the truth is no one will harder for you than you.

How and where do you promote your website? Is the URL on business cards? Your email signature?
My website is on business cards, bookmarks, the back jacket of my books, bathroom walls in men’s rooms….anywhere I can put it.

Final words of wisdom for any new authors wondering how to get started….
In terms of an online presence, first check out lots of author websites to help you decide what you like and don’t like. Join all the social media sites you think you will keep up with. I joined lots of sites, and realized there were some  I rarely go to because I only have so much time. I’ve pared down my social media to a few places and I post frequently. That helps you stay connected and create a base of “early adopters” who will help spread the word. In the off-line world, join professional organizations and get involved in them. The best way to get blurbs, be asked to guest blog, get recommendations for everything from building a website to the best writer conventions, is by connecting with other writers. Plus no one knows what you’re going through like another writer.

I spend a good chunk of time each week browsing author conversations on LinkedIn. This week, there happened to be a lot of discussions regarding what other authors are doing to promote themselves and their books. I took it upon myself to gather some of the highlights and share them with you…

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One of the best ways to create visibility is by getting a story in the local newspaper, or an interview on radio and TV. Once this happens, there is the potential to reach thousands of people at the same time.
–Rachel M. Anderson

Every author needs a blog – even traditional publishing houses are now recommending authors blog. Of course, you need a plan to make the most of it. I blogged for 2 years before publishing my first book and my (award winning) blog is the home base for all my book marketing.
–Marquita Herald

I recommend doing guest posts on blogs relevant to your material.  Also, giveaways can sometimes drum up some attention (ie Goodreads)
–Cynthia Vespia

Not a secret, but speaking in public has worked well for me. It builds a very loyal following because the audience feels they know you like a friend.
–Carol Topp, CPA

Every time I give a book away free, I sell two. I’m sure the one I give away is passed around among friends, but so what if there are sales in there somewhere. Of course, this works with digital books. Print books are much too expensive for this tactic.
–Larry Winebrenner

I’ve found that having lectures in libraries, book stories and having friends throw book signing parties, advertising anywhere and everywhere, placing ads in the local papers and the list goes on and on…
–Pattimari Sheets Cacciolfi

TWITTER! I have made a great deal of “contacts” and friends there. I have made MANY on this site joining groups and participating in conversations like this one: www.KristinaLouise2012.com
–Kristina Louise

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Hope this helps!

Whenever I have an initial conversation with an author who is interested in building a website, there’s one question I ask that basically determines everything going forward: What are your goals for your site?

Why is this question so important? And how does it determine how the website will function?

Here are the three most common goals for an author website, and how each one manifests itself in how the site functions:

Goal #1: To Sell Books
Some authors have one, very simple goal for their author website: to sell copies of their book(s). They don’t want to build a profile for themselves. They don’t want to be doing a “greater good.” They just want to sell books. And once a site visitor clicks that “buy the book,” link, mission is accomplished.

If this is an author’s goal for the site, then the books need to be the central piece of the site. The design should resemble the book covers(s). The name should resemble the book title(s). The books should be front and center, and links to purchase them should be in every possible place.

See examples of book-oriented sites we’ve built at:
lostinplainsight.net/
bloodandsilk.com/
loveofmike.com/

Goal #2: To Build an Author Presence
Sure, an author has written books. But, for some authors, the website isn’t about selling those books. For many authors I speak to, the website is supposed to be about them. Maybe it’s a place for them to bring together all of their writings under one umbrella. Maybe it’s because they want to become a recognized name in their genre. Maybe they want to build a career doing speaking engagements and media appearances on the topic. Regardless, these authors want a website that gets their name out there, builds a list of followers, and so on.

This site would be completely different from a website about one or more books. This site is about the author. It would be named after the author, be centered around the author’s name and photo, and focus on what the author brings to the table. The most important elements on a site like this include a place for visitors to sign up for e-mail notifications from the author, an author blog, and any media/press the author has gotten.

See examples of author-oriented sites we’ve built:
richardbard.com/
annweisgarber.com/
sheldonjacobs.com/

Goal #3: To Spread the Word
This is probably the least common of the three author goals, but it’s no less important than the others. You see, some authors write a book because they have a very important message that they want to get out there. And they view the website as an extension of that message. This type of author website is a place where people can learn more about the subject after they’ve read the book, where they can share their own stories, and where they can recommend other resources on the topic.

Such a website needs to be chock full of information — links, resources, a blog, a place for readers to chat, etc… It should offer what the book does and more.

See examples of these types of sites that we’ve built:
themanopauseman.com/
walkingonsunshine.org/
alliephillips.com/

See? There’s no such thing as one type of author website. It’s extremely important that you figure out exactly what your goals are for your site before you get started.

Ready to take advantage of your free consultation? Contact us today!

John Kuhn and Mark Mullins are business consultants with decades of corporate, entrepreneurial and academic experience. Their newly published book is Street Smart Disciplines of Successful People – 7 Indispensable Disciplines for Breakout Success. And their website, StreetSmartDisciplines.com, has been a success as well, with over 500 visitors in the past month. So how did they do it? Read on to hear their answers to our questions…

Who built your website? How was the experience?

Smart Author Sites did our website. It was a great experience. A very seasoned team of pros that understand what authors need. Outstanding guidance and quality creative suggestion. Completed ON TIME and ON BUDGET!

Which social networking sites do you regularly participate in? Facebook? Twitter? GoodReads? LinkedIn? Any others?

Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google +, GoodReads

How has your online presence (be it through a website or social networking profiles) increased your visibility/book sales?

We have used our website as the primary platform to communication our book’s message and the value to the reader… As we designed our social media campaign, we built it to direct people to our website and let the website do the selling for us.

What is your “secret” to achieving this success? Were there any tricks or creative ideas (i.e. a contest) that you used?

Provide overwhelming and compelling evidence to our potential readers that they will gain tremendous value from reading our book. We recommend that all authors provide entertaining and informative details regarding the book and be selling ALL the time.

What is the greatest lesson you’ve learned in the process of building your online presence as an author?

Being “famous” online does NOT translate to book sales! You have to be actively soliciting people every day to buy your book… use blogs, use articles about your book, post pictures and create some video to post as well… Any time we posted these items we got more traffic, which usually resulted in more book sales.

How and where do you promote your website? Is the URL on business cards? Your email signature?

EVERYWHERE… Every blog, every article, email signatures, business cards, in our book, in our videos, we mention it in all radio interviews and have the show host post it to their website and on all promotional materials.

Final words of wisdom for any new authors wondering how to get started….

Don’t quit! This is really hard. Edit your work a bunch of times and then have other editors look at it too… Then have someone, at the end, when you think you’re done proof the entire book… You will be shocked at how much you missed that was just about to be published! Yikes!

It’s one of the things I push to all authors I work with: amass an email list. Facebook “likes” and “fans” only go so far. There’s nothing like a ready-made list of email addresses with people you can notify when you have a book signing, upcoming radio interview, or new book available on Amazon.

That said, collecting email addresses is the easy part. The hard part is creating emails that are effective. Despite what you may think, putting together a successful email campaign takes a whole lot of thought, planning, and testing.

Here’s what you need to know…

1. Pick your time wisely. When do you schedule your emails to go out? Chances are, you’re not thinking nearly enough about it. Did you know that click-thru rates from emails spike between 8 am and 10 am? And then again between 3 and 4 pm? Make sure to schedule your emails to arrive in people’s boxes at or near the beginning of those time periods. Keep time zone differences in mind, as well. Personally, I would lean towards the afternoon times instead of the morning: people are less likely to be bogged down with emails towards the end of the day.

2. Be late and you’re dead. Did you know that five hours after they’re sent, an email is essentially dead. In other words, if your email isn’t opened in the first five hours after it’s sent, it’s likely never to be read again. So avoid sending middle-of-the-night emails, weekend emails, or emails when people are commonly on vacation (like when school is out, for example.)

3. Choose your subject line with care. Authors commonly spend a lot of time perfecting every word in an email. And the subject line? That’s usually just an afterthought. But that’s a big mistake. For example, an author might tell me to use a subject line like “Newsletter — January, 2013.” Okay … but would you open that? Does that pique your interest? New York Times best-selling author Chris Brogan recently shared a killer list of email subject lines. They included, “2 Minutes to Read …” “Need Your Decision: …” and “Yes or No: …” Now those encourage people to read and take action.

4. Keep it short. Sure, we might call it a newsletter. But don’t make the mistake of putting tons of text in it. People just don’t read that much in an email. Keep your points brief, and include links and calls to action where people can learn more, by the book, etc… Here’s a rule of thumb. If it takes up more than one screen, it’s too long.

5. Include forward/share links. If you write a good newsletter, people are going to want to share it with their friends. And that’s the best thing that can happen to you. So make it easy for them to do so. Embed “share” links whenever possible. Include a blurb at the bottom that encourages people to forward the email to their friends, or encourage them to sign up themselves. Remember … there’s nothing more powerful than word of mouth!

Most authors would kill to get 500 visits to their website in a month. But that’s exactly what Chip Wagar accomplished in December on his author website, AnAmericaninVienna.com.

So how did he do it? Here’s what he had to say…

Who built your website? How was the experience?

Smart Author Sites.  It was a great experience. They listened carefully to my ideas and carefully crafted a website that conveyed the essence and spirit of my book.

Which social networking sites do you regularly participate in? Facebook? Twitter? GoodReads? LinkedIn? Any others?

Facebook, Twitter, GoodReads, History News Network, Bees Knees Reviews, Book Page Shoutouts, Deranged Book Lovers,  among others.

How many online followers do you have? How many pageviews have you gotten on your website?

I have over 134 Twitter followers and a similar number of “Likes” on Facebook.  I generally range between 12-40 page views a day on Facebook.

How has your online presence (be it through a website or social networking profiles) increased your visibility/book sales?

I don’t think there is any question that my book’s sales would not be nearly what they are without an on-line presence in this day and age.  I do not advertise in any other way.

What is your “secret” to achieving this success? Were there any tricks or creative ideas (i.e. a contest) that you used?

I try to find users on Facebook or Twitter who share common interests with the themes and times of my book.  For example, genealogy, history, travel and so forth are all good areas for me given the book involves historical fiction.

Is there anything you would do differently if you were starting over again?

Get started sooner on FB and other social media sites.

What is the greatest lesson you’ve learned in the process of building your online presence as an author?

Posting frequently helps a lot in building online presence.

How and where do you promote your website? Is the URL on business cards? Your email signature?

I usually funnel users to my website through social media.

Final words of wisdom for any new authors wondering how to get started….

There are very few “instant” successes among authors, particularly for your first book.  Be patient.  I believe that there are many Pulitzer Prize quality books out there that have not gotten recognition or sales because of flawed marketing efforts.

I need to start this post with a confession. I build author websites, not apps. So I’m a bit biased in writing this post. That said, I’m going to do my best to give you an honest opinion on this issue, with quotes from others in the field who know more than I do about apps.

Okay, now that I’ve got that off my chest, let’s start by defining both websites and apps. Most of you use both of these on a regular basis, but may not be totally clear on the differences. For example, you might read news on the NY Times website or you might get highlights on the top stories from the NY Times app. In cases like this one, they’re almost one in the same.

The Differences
But when it comes to authors, there are distinct differences between the two. And it’s important that you understand these before deciding what you’re going to spend your money on.

The first — and most important — difference to understand is that websites are used for browsing, and an app is a bit more of a commitment. For example, when you’re looking for a good restaurant in the area, you may use your favorite restaurant app. You would then click on the links to some local restaurants that you’ve never tried and “browse” those restaurants’ websites. Let’s say you then pick a restaurant for the evening and absolutely love it. You may decide later on that you want to download that restaurant’s app, through which you can regularly browse the menu, order meals for pick-up, etc…

See what I mean? A website is something that you “visit.” An app is something that you use regularly.

When a LinkedIn member recently started a conversation about whether or not authors should create apps, there were a few interesting responses. The one that I found most helpful was from Kristen McLean, Founder & CEO at Bookigee, Inc.

She said, “Apps are costly, and will generally not return their cost unless you have a good way to promote them, or you make it so awesome that it will spread virally. I have yet to see an app related to a specific book that has performed this way. So, I guess this is a long winded way of saying ‘No, I don’t think so.’”

So does this mean that an app is a bad decision for all authors? That they should all build websites instead?

I would venture to say that’s pretty much the case for 95% of all authors today. After all, what’s the purpose of your author website? Chances are, it’s to sell books. And most people who visit your site probably are first-timers. The purpose of your site should be to entice readers to stay, to read an excerpt, and to buy the book. You’re probably a long way from having a list of loyal readers who will be willing to download your app — be it free or for a minimal cost.

The Exceptions
That said, even Kristen says that there are a few exceptions to the website-not-apps rule. For example, if…

1) You’re an app developer yourself, and you can build it with very little cost

2) You’ve got a project that is inherently “transmedia” in that it would benefit from some of the things you can’t do in books but can do in apps. Examples would include adding movies, animations, or game-like interactivity that moves the story forward in unique ways. Examples Kristen gives include Inanimate Alice-http://www.inanimatealice.com and Moonbot’s http://morrislessmore.com/);

3) You are Amanda Havard. http://amandahavard.com/immersedition.Yes, if you’re already a bestselling author, you probably have a whole slew of fans ready to download your app as soon as it’s released. If you’re a self-published author just getting started … not so much.

Now, none of this means that you have to choose between an author website and an app. In an ideal world, you’d have it all: websites, apps, social networking profiles, and e-books in every possible format. But in reality, you have a limited budget and want to use it wisely. In this case, think of an app as something that might be great for you to add down the line, but not a must just yet.

Almost exactly one year ago, I launched a website for a new client: Soren Kaplan. I must confess … I always did like the site that we built for him, Leapfrogging.com, but I didn’t have any idea quite how successful it would be.

After quickly browsing his recent statistics, I found that Soren has steadily been getting over 500 visitors each month to his site. That’s pretty impressive.

With that in mind, I posed some questions to Soren about what he believes is the secret to his success. Hopefully, these ideas will help other authors take their websites to the next level. Enjoy!

Who built your website? How was the experience?

Smart Author Sites.  Entire site for under $2k!

Which social networking sites do you regularly participate in? Facebook? Twitter? GoodReads? LinkedIn? Any others?

Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn

How has your online presence (be it through a website or social networking profiles) increased your visibility/book sales?

Social network is the name of the game.  Also writing for blogs like ldrlb.co and fastcompany.com provides opportunities for others to tweet out and promote articles that reinforce the book.

What is your “secret” to achieving this success? Were there any tricks or creative ideas (i.e. a contest) that you used?

Use Hootsuite to automate twitter posting.  I post 5-7 custom tweets per day and the system does it for me so I spend literally no time myself tweeting!

Is there anything you would do differently if you were starting over again?

I would be sure to integrate Facebook from the start so people could “like” my home page and each and every blog post.

What is the greatest lesson you’ve learned in the process of building your online presence as an author?

It’s a journey, not a one-time event!

How and where do you promote your website? Is the URL on business cards? Your email signature?

I’m constantly writing for blogs where my website is listed with my bio, business cards, email signature, twitter, Facebook, Linkedin.

Final words of wisdom for any new authors wondering how to get started….

Don’t worry about book sales!  Keep writing and following your passion and the sales will come.

Keep an eye on what your ultimate goal is… Is it really book sales, or is it about finding paid speaking opportunities, consulting projects, or something else?  And remember, book marketing is a journey, not a one-time event.

I stumbled across a post on LinkedIn today. The title was:

Book Giveaway: We are giving away 4 copies of this book! If you are interested, just send me your email and it will be sent to you as an Amazon gift!

Interestingly, there were a few responses (already) from people hoping to get a free copy.

This reminds me that an author really does need to think outside the box in an effort to build an email list.

Even if you offer to give away 10 free copies — which wouldn’t cost you a whole lot — it’s a great way to get people to give you their email address.

Let’s say you offer to give away 10 free copies to people selected randomly among everyone who enters their address before such-and-such a date.

You could possibly collect over 100 email addresses during that time period. That’s 100 people that you can email regularly with information about your upcoming book, news about your book being released as a Kindle, etc… In short, it’s a ready-made list of people interested in your writing that you now have the permission to reach out to regularly.

I love this book giveaway idea. If you have any others that you’ve used in order to build your email list, please share them!