Build Your Author Platform: The New Rules: A Literary Agent's Guide to Growing Your Audience in 14 Steps
A great book is no longer enough. An author platform is the most powerful key to success in today's saturated market, and increasingly, publishers are demanding that new authors come to them with an existing audience of interested followers. Authors who are self-publishing have an even bigger need to build an engaged audience.

Social media makes building the author platform easier than ever, but, unfortunately, most authors struggle to get it right. How can authors create their unique platform, connect with followers, write a manuscript, and grow their business?

In Build Your Author Platform: The New Rules, top literary agent Carole Jelen and tech expert Michael McCallister apply their combined 35 years of expertise to outline 14 practical, hands-on steps to create a presence that will produce high book sales and expanded audience.

From pre-publication through book launch and beyond, authors will learn how to:
  • Define goals and a unique brand
  • Employ successful website strategies, content, social presence, media authority, and training
  • Secure positive reviews
  • Attract viewers efficiently without cost

    Filled with detailed lessons, examples, success stories, and techniques used by marketing departments at major publishers, Build Your Author Platform is an indispensable guide for anyone looking for insight into publishing, promoting, and marketing books.
  • 1117341888
    Build Your Author Platform: The New Rules: A Literary Agent's Guide to Growing Your Audience in 14 Steps
    A great book is no longer enough. An author platform is the most powerful key to success in today's saturated market, and increasingly, publishers are demanding that new authors come to them with an existing audience of interested followers. Authors who are self-publishing have an even bigger need to build an engaged audience.

    Social media makes building the author platform easier than ever, but, unfortunately, most authors struggle to get it right. How can authors create their unique platform, connect with followers, write a manuscript, and grow their business?

    In Build Your Author Platform: The New Rules, top literary agent Carole Jelen and tech expert Michael McCallister apply their combined 35 years of expertise to outline 14 practical, hands-on steps to create a presence that will produce high book sales and expanded audience.

    From pre-publication through book launch and beyond, authors will learn how to:
  • Define goals and a unique brand
  • Employ successful website strategies, content, social presence, media authority, and training
  • Secure positive reviews
  • Attract viewers efficiently without cost

    Filled with detailed lessons, examples, success stories, and techniques used by marketing departments at major publishers, Build Your Author Platform is an indispensable guide for anyone looking for insight into publishing, promoting, and marketing books.
  • 27.95 In Stock
    Build Your Author Platform: The New Rules: A Literary Agent's Guide to Growing Your Audience in 14 Steps

    Build Your Author Platform: The New Rules: A Literary Agent's Guide to Growing Your Audience in 14 Steps

    Build Your Author Platform: The New Rules: A Literary Agent's Guide to Growing Your Audience in 14 Steps

    Build Your Author Platform: The New Rules: A Literary Agent's Guide to Growing Your Audience in 14 Steps

    Paperback

    $27.95 
    • SHIP THIS ITEM
      In stock. Ships in 6-10 days.
    • PICK UP IN STORE

      Your local store may have stock of this item.

    Related collections and offers


    Overview

    A great book is no longer enough. An author platform is the most powerful key to success in today's saturated market, and increasingly, publishers are demanding that new authors come to them with an existing audience of interested followers. Authors who are self-publishing have an even bigger need to build an engaged audience.

    Social media makes building the author platform easier than ever, but, unfortunately, most authors struggle to get it right. How can authors create their unique platform, connect with followers, write a manuscript, and grow their business?

    In Build Your Author Platform: The New Rules, top literary agent Carole Jelen and tech expert Michael McCallister apply their combined 35 years of expertise to outline 14 practical, hands-on steps to create a presence that will produce high book sales and expanded audience.

    From pre-publication through book launch and beyond, authors will learn how to:
  • Define goals and a unique brand
  • Employ successful website strategies, content, social presence, media authority, and training
  • Secure positive reviews
  • Attract viewers efficiently without cost

    Filled with detailed lessons, examples, success stories, and techniques used by marketing departments at major publishers, Build Your Author Platform is an indispensable guide for anyone looking for insight into publishing, promoting, and marketing books.

  • Product Details

    ISBN-13: 9781939529251
    Publisher: BenBella Books
    Publication date: 05/13/2014
    Pages: 392
    Product dimensions: 6.40(w) x 8.90(h) x 1.20(d)

    About the Author

    Carole Jelen, founder of Jelen Publishing and vice president of Waterside Productions, has been representing authors as a top-producing agent for over two decades. She specializes in areas of tech, business, and self-help. Jelen holds a master's degree in English/Linguistics from the University of California, Los Angeles. Carole also speaks at writing/publishing conferences and works as a publishing consultant, aiding authors and companies in the publishing process.


    Mike McCallister is a writer, programmer, web designer, and software tester with an in-depth understanding of the digital world. He is the author of openSUSE Linux Unleashed and co-author (with Bud Smith) of WordPress in Depth. McCallister is committed to helping people make the most of "tech tools" and was named one of the Mindtouch Most Influential in Technical Communication and Content Strategy. McCallister is president of his local Society for Technical Communication chapter and works as the Senior Document Architect at PKWARE.

    Table of Contents

    New Rules by Chapter Number xvii

    Acknowledgments xxi

    Foreword xxv

    Preface xxxv

    Introduction xxxix

    Chapter 1 Your Author Website: Home Central 1

    Why Your Author Website Is a Must 2

    Plan Your Author Website Strategy 3

    Creating Your Author Website 7

    Create Your Author Site with WordPress 10

    Build Your Audience Through a Regular Newsletter 19

    Optimize Your Theme for the Mobile Web 20

    Adding Widgets and More Plugins 21

    Best Practices for Website Content 22

    Checklist, Step 1: Author Website 26

    Success Spotlight: Waterside Client David Meerman Scott 27

    Chapter 2 Blog to Build Your Readership Community 29

    Your Blog Is About More Than Content 30

    Blogging Is Beyond an Advantage, It's Essential 32

    Blog Strategy 32

    Start with a Hosted Blog 37

    How to Create a Blog 40

    Best Practices 41

    Writing Blog Posts 43

    Getting Comments on Blog Posts 46

    Author Blog Promotion Strategies 50

    Measure Your Blog Results to Understand Your Audience 51

    Link Your Blog to Your Social Sites 54

    Checklist, Step 2: Blog 55

    Success Spotlight: Waterside Client Andy Rathbone 56

    Chapter 3 Twitter: The Instant Handshake 59

    Why Twitter Is Important 62

    Best Practices 63

    Twitter Defined 64

    Twitter Strategy 64

    Getting Started on Twitter 66

    Automating Your Posts with HootSuite 70

    First Steps on Twitter 72

    Checklist, Step 3: Twitter 77

    Success Spotlight: Waterside Client Susie Cox 78

    Chapter 4 Google+: More Than a Social Network 81

    Why Google Is Important to Authors 82

    Use Google+ Circles 90

    Best Practices for Interacting on Google+ 95

    Strategy for Posting on Google+ 97

    Automate Your Google+ Posts 98

    Connect Your Content Through Google Authorship 98

    More Google+ Features 101

    Google Services Beyond Google+ 105

    Connecting Your Google+ Account to Your Website 105

    Checklist, Step 4: Google 106

    Success Spotlight: Waterside Client Dave Taylor 107

    Chapter 5 Your Author Brand and Book on Facebook 109

    Along Comes Facebook 110

    Why Facebook Is Necessary for Authors 111

    Your Facebook Profile 112

    Your Facebook Pages 113

    Developing Your Facebook Strategy 120

    Facebook Best Practices 122

    Join Facebook Groups 123

    Create a Facebook Group 123

    Mobile Apps 126

    Checklist, Step 5: Facebook 127

    Success Spotlight: Waterside Client Kellyann Petrucci 128

    Chapter 6 Using LinkedIn: Not Only an Online Resume 131

    Definition of LinkedIn 132

    Why LinkedIn Is Important to Authors 132

    Creating and Optimizing Your LinkedIn Author Profile 134

    How to Increase LinkedIn Connections 137

    Update Your LinkedIn Profile Regularly 142

    Articles to Repost 143

    LinkedIn Strategies 144

    LinkedIn Ads 145

    Best Practices of LinkedIn Networking 146

    Benefits of LinkedIn Premium Accounts 147

    Checklist, Step 6: LinkedIn 148

    Success Spotlight: Waterside Client Ed Tittel 149

    Chapter 7 Inform, Educate, and Entertain: The Power of Personal Appearances 151

    Short Talk vs. Long Speech 152

    Personal Appearance Options 154

    Advantages of Live Personal Appearances 155

    Personal Appearances Strategy 156

    Best Practices for Teaching and Training 159

    The Simple Course Format 161

    Teaching and Training Strategy 162

    Types of Online Teaching and Training 163

    Types of Live Teaching 165

    Live Speaking Strategy 167

    Checklist, Step 7: Personal Appearances 168

    Success Spotlight: Waterside Client Jay Elliot 169

    Chapter 8 Create Your Article Bank: Original, Excerpted, Repurposed Variations 171

    Everyone Is Now a Journal Publisher on the Web 172

    Advantages to Writing Articles 173

    Choosing Topics for Original Articles 175

    Types of Articles 176

    Article- Writing Strategy 177

    Generating Content for Articles 179

    First Stop for Publishing Articles: Blogs 181

    Second Stop for Publishing Articles: Publications Seeking Content 182

    Additional Online Tools 187

    Checklist, Step 8: Article Bank 187

    Success Spotlight: Waterside Client Bob LeVitus 188

    Chapter 9 Finding Your Voice: Radio, Podcasts, and More Audio Adventures 191

    Your First Audio: Record a Sound Clip for Your Author Website 193

    Pitching Local Talk Shows 195

    Pitching Larger Radio Stations 199

    Finding Online Podcast Interview Opportunities 200

    Making Your Own Online Radio Station (Podcast) 203

    Getting Your Podcast in the Directories 208

    How to Use Your Book Cover as Your Podcast Logo 210

    Checklist, Step 9: Audio 211

    Success Spotlight: Waterside Client Thorn Hartmann 212

    Chapter 10 Video: Book Trailers, YouTube, Linking, and More 215

    The Rise of YouTube 216

    More Reasons to Make Video Part of Your Platform 217

    Author Video Strategy 218

    Making a Book Trailer 219

    Uploading Your Videos 225

    Uploading Your Videos to Vimeo 228

    Video Blogging 231

    Video Interviews 232

    Checklist, Step 10: Video 234

    Success Spotlight: Waterside Client Dr. Brian Alman 235

    Chapter 11 Publish a Book Website to Attract More Audience 237

    Think Like a Publisher 238

    Create a Website for Each Book 239

    Book Clubs, Booksellers, and Your Book Site 241

    Choose a Model Book Site 243

    A Simple Format for Your Book Website 244

    Book Website Content Strategy 246

    Create Your Book Site in WordPress 248

    Linking to Booksellers 251

    Checklist Step 11: Book Website 252

    Success Spotlight: Waterside Client Tee Morris 253

    Chapter 12 Amazon.com-Your Author Toolbox and World's Largest Online Bookstore 255

    Reasons Readers Flock to Amazon 256

    Reasons to Use Amazon Author Central 256

    Create Your Author Central Page 258

    Amazon Book Reviews 262

    Connecting Your Site to Amazon 265

    Amazon Strategy #1: Connect with Your Readers on Your Author Page 267

    Amazon Strategy #2: Create Listmania Lists 268

    Look Into Your Sales 270

    More Tools 272

    Checklist, Step 12: Amazon's Author Toolbox 273

    Success Spotlight: Waterside Client John C. Havens 274

    Chapter 13 Motivate Your Audience to Talk About You: Book Reviews 277

    Why Reviews Are Critical 279

    How to Ensure Reviews: Build Your Audience in Advance 280

    Strategy for Managing Negative Reviews 282

    Best Practices for Getting Reviews 282

    Other Online Book Review Sites 287

    Review Others' Books 298

    Incorporate Reviews Into Your Author Platform 298

    Checklist, Step 13: Reviews 299

    Success Spotlight: Waterside Client David Busch 300

    Chapter 14 The Celebration Announcement: Launch Parties and Virtual Tours 303

    Advantages to Holding Your Book Launch Party 304

    Live Book Launch Party Strategy 305

    Steps to Prepare Your Live Book Launch Party 307

    A Simple One-Hour Book Launch Party Format 308

    The Virtual Book Launch Tour 310

    Strategy for Virtual Book Launch 311

    Steps to Creating Your Virtual Book Launch Tour 312

    Virtual Tour Stops 315

    Checklist, Step 14: Launch 318

    Further Reading 319

    Tear-Out Sheets: Author Platform Publicity Plan 321

    About the Authors 327

    Index 329

    From the B&N Reads Blog

    Customer Reviews