These are the 4 components of building an author platform

What is an Author Platform?

An author platform is about you as an author and the people you have influenced. It’s what you represent. It is what people think of when they hear your name.

Building a platform for authors requires four components.

Authors need to think about themselves the same way celebrities do. It takes time to become famous. You don’t get famous if you don’t have a following.

Without a presence, you cannot have a following. You must be known by people as an author. To get to your brand, they must meet you.
Many new authors believe the only thing they should be focusing on is writing the book. This is far from reality. Yes, authors must write books. But, it is also important to consider how you will get in front the people that are most important to your career: your readers.

What are the four elements that make up your author platform?

1. Presence. People will find you if you don’t exist. Spend time doing things that will put you in front people who will read and promote your work. You may be able to access opportunities that you never thought possible. It’s easy to establish your online presence with social media.

2. Relationships. This is about the people who can help you reach more people and increase your exposure as an author. These people include bloggers, radio hosts, newspapers, magazines, and any other media. How are you connecting with people that will help you reach the people who could one day be your supporters and fans? How big you can make a difference in the world will depend on how many relationships you create.

3. Tribe. Your reader needs you to be the person they want and need to connect with. Your reader will want to get to know you. Spend time getting to know your readers. Authors are their best friend in my head (BFIMH). You can’t be that person if you don’t know your readers. Your tribe will only be complete when your readers get to know and love you. They will become your greatest supporters and help spread the word about your appearances and other news. Tribe members aren’t looking for compensation; they support your efforts because they love you.

4. Brand. What are you known for? Are you a hot male romance author? Are you a Christian erotica writer? Your brand is what makes you different.

Your platform as an author should be your focus. This will make or break your career. It may be time-consuming, difficult, expensive, energy-intensive, and even costly, but a solid foundation is worth it.

Sandra N. Peoples, author and publisher, is a business brain. Her extensive skill set over the years has enabled her to train many authors and entrepreneurs how to use books to help them get clients. Sandra is a published blogger and author who has won numerous awards.