5 Steps to Create an Author Platform to Get More Sales

An author platform is a term used in the publishing industry to describe an author’s ability to promote their work. This can include social media presence, blogging, and other ways of promoting one’s work. An author platform is important for indie authors because it helps them connect with readers and build a fanbase.

Building an author platform is essential for success in the traditionally published space, but it’s just as salient for self-publishing authors. This blog post will cover creating an author platform if you are a self-published author. We’ve seen how to build an author platform in the traditionally published sphere, but it’s no less important for self-published authors. Author platforms are your gateway into readers’ lives―into their purchasing decisions, book discussions, and social media conversations. Giving your reader reasons to buy should be every writer’s goal. Creating an author platform will help you connect with your readers, share your content, grow your platform, and promote your book.

Here are five simple steps to create an author platform for self-publishing authors:

Step 1: Build an Author Website

The author’s website is the most important thing to consider when building an author platform. It lets your readers find you, connect with you, and learn about your book. This is where you can share your content, build a following, and promote your book. An author’s website should be a one-stop-shop for your readers. Your author’s website should provide information about your book, promote your book, keep readers engaged, offer exclusive discounts, offer free content, be visually appealing.

Step 2: Create Content

Now that you have a website, it’s time to start creating content. Create blog posts, publish short stories, write guest posts for other authors, create e-books, and create additional content to keep readers engaged. The more content you have, the more exposure you will get and the more you can share. You can also offer free content, like giveaways. You can also use this content to build an email list.

Step 3: Promote Your Book

Promoting your book can be done in various ways, but it all comes down to connecting with readers. Promoting your book is about getting your book into the minds of your readers, and connecting with readers can be done through various social media platforms. The key is to connect with readers in a way that makes them want to buy your book.

Step 4: Grow Your Platform

Your author platform is a reflection of your personality. This means that if you are a shy author, you may not be comfortable sharing too much of your personality on your author’s website. In fact, you may not even want to share much of your personality.

Many authors are introverted and don’t want to share their personalities with the world. This is fine, but there are still ways to promote themselves without having to put on a show. One way is by answering questions from readers in blog posts or on social media. Another option is writing guest blogs for other sites about topics that interest you and your fans. You can also ask readers how they discovered your books and what they liked most about them, so you know which parts of your marketing strategy need more work. Finally, as an introvert, it may be hard for you to interact with acquaintances at events such as conferences or book signings because these interactions require a lot of energy – something you might not have much left over after writing all day. Try bringing one close friend with you who can help balance things out.

If you are an extrovert, then your author platform could reflect that. For example, if you are comfortable talking to people at conferences or book signings, you will be able to use these events as a great way to meet readers and share your personality with the world.

Step 5: Build an Email List

One of the best ways to get more sales is to offer free content. However, it’s important to make sure you give your readers value, not just content. Build an email list to make sure you’re giving your readers value. Building an email list will help you communicate with your readers. You can send out emails that will share your content, give your readers a discount, and share other things your readers might find interesting. You can also use your author’s website to collect email addresses. You can use a tool like MailChimp to help you collect email addresses, but you can also do this manually.

When creating an author platform, an important thing to remember is that you can always improve. It’s never too late to build an author platform, so start building one today.

Do you already have an author platform? Are you in the process of building one? Share your thoughts on creating an author platform in the comments below.