Christina Katz’s book, Get Known Before the Book Deal lived on my Kindle for a few months, camped out between Betty Halbreich’s I’ll Drink to That and Noah Lukeman’s The Plot Thickens. I skimmed through it while I was writing my novel, thinking I’d never need such a book. So few people get published, especially unknown authors, a book deal was something I’d never have to deal with.
Well, turns out I was wrong. Lightening struck and that book deal did happen, so I went running back and read Get Known Before the Book Deal with increased urgency. Didn’t I already kind of have a platform? I had a new website and Google Analytics said five hundred or so people had visited it that month, sixty of them from France. Some from Russia and Brazil. And one from China. Plus I blogged and tweeted about book stuff.
Once I actually read Christina’s book I realized what I thought was my platform was barely step stool. Her definition of a platform:
Your “platform” refers to what you do in the world with your professional expertise that makes you visible and influential in the world. Having friends on Facebook or followers on Twitter is not your platform, unless the majority of those people know who you are, what you do, and are enthusiastic about your work.
I found the rest of her book equally enlightening, but she asked questions like, What is your value? Your audience? Questions I had no answers to.
I checked out Christina’s own website, a dynamic haven for her writing classes and challenges and other projects that help writers sell what they write and was drawn in. I decided to sign up for a phone consultation. Clearly, her website was working.
I was excited for my call with Christina. Would she be impressed with my new website? My blog posts? Christina broke it to me somewhat gently: I had no platform. And my website was not doing its job. Where was the announcement of my book deal? That needed to be front and center. “You have to tell people what you want them to do,” she explained, “be in control.” The good news? There was hope for me if I followed her advice. I had enough time to ramp up before my pub date.
My one hour went so well (she sent me off with a list of tasks to perform, including her quick 24 questions course, which was really helpful) I did another phone session. In these two hours she helped me focus on what needs to be done and best of all it’s also been fun talking to her. She dispenses her advice with a refreshingly honest take on the publishing world, a genuine caring and great sense of humor.
If you need advice on what to focus on with your own author platform, check out Christina Katz. Just go to her website. She’ll take it from there.
Find Christina here: http://christinakatz.com
