(A quick note: ?I?ll be posting on?Drawing on the Power of Resonance in Writing, by David Farland, sometime early next week. If there?s a book you?re interested in learning about but don?t have the means to peruse yourself, please let me know. I?ll see what I can do about it.)
In the second section of Create Your Writer Platform: The Key to Building an Audience, Selling More Books, and Finding Success as an Author, author Chuck Sambuchino said writers should do two things right away: create a web site, and start using a few different ways to build a platform.
Web sites was discussed in detail at the beginning of the section. My first question was?can my WordPress blog count as a web site? That was answered in one sentence:
?Know that, by web site, I do not mean merely a blog.
I felt chagrined for a moment, until I read the following:
That said, if you have nowhere to turn to, just use WordPress?simple software that will guide you through creating a web site or blog or both.
If I understand right, one the advantages of a web site is a static landing page (compared to the fluid landing page of a blog).? There should be an ?about me? page with a short bio?not a long one, if you?re just starting out?and a head shot. A page listing your books or showcasing your portfolio is a good idea, and a ?contact me? page is essential.
Sambuchino spends an entire two pages discussing your head shot.
??You?ll need it for your website and interviews and lots of other places?and sooner is better for having it done because you ain?t getting any younger.?
He?s not kidding. That?s probably what makes me feel so shy about it.
His notes on bios are to keep them short:
Over the years, I?ve noticed that long bios can actually hurt you. The more things you sell/mention (i.e., the more you stuff into a small space), the thinner everything becomes.
An entire chapter is devoted to blogging. Surprisingly, my favorite advice from that chapter is to avoid posts that are too personal or boring. Who doesn?t like to write about their personal life? I know I do. Since I work at home, it?s sometimes difficult to separate my work life from my home life, and I?m pretty sure that shows here.
Like Godin, Sambuchino suggests spending a significant amount of time on each blog post headline. At least five minutes per headline, he said?which can be difficult to do when your mind is bursting with thoughts for the next post.
The last portion of this section (Chapters Nine through Thirteen) deal with the optional things you can do to build your platform. They include:
- Starting an e-newsletter
- Article and column writing
- Public speaking
- Using social media, such as Facebook and Twitter, effectively
- Side doors to Platform
There?s just too much in those sections to write about, and there?s more to do than can possibly be done here. I sincerely appreciate Sambuchino?s advice at the beginning of this section, when he says you shouldn?t try to do everything.
You should not dive in everywhere. That?s right. I am officially telling you not to tackle every opportunity or go down every path.
Nice, isn?t it, to know there are so many options out there? And that you?re free not to use them, if you so choose?
This section of reading has left me with three questions for my fellow bloggers:
- Has anyone reading this used WordPress to generate a web site? I?m intrigued. Is that different than what I?ve done with my blog?
- Does the idea of having a head shot here make anyone else feel shy?
- Who has experience with public speaking? What did you speak about, and what was it like?
I?m looking forward to your replies!
Due to a sick baby, this was as far as I read in Chuck Sambuchino?s book. I?ll be finishing it this afternoon, but this is as far as I plan to post. The final section is filled with case studies of authors who have been through what Sambuchino writes about in this book.?I recommend buying the book and keeping it on hand for future reference.
Source: http://gwenbristol.com/2012/12/28/more-marketing-tips-for-writers-from-chuck-sambuchinos-new-book/
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