Whether you have a work in process (WIP) or you are a published author, it is never too early (or too late) to build your author platform. An author’s platform establishes their online presence and includes their website, blog, social media, mailing lists, and participation in online communities. Authors use their platforms to publicize themselves online, sell books, and establish their brands.
Author platforms help you reach out to your target audience, generate interest in your books, and engage with your audience, which hopefully leads to book sales. Here are a few ways you can start to build your author profile and how the WCYR can help you with this.
Build a Website
Having a website and maintaining a blog is a great way to establish a permanent online presence. You can use both to
- demonstrate your expertise as a writer
- generate excitement for upcoming releases
- share accolades and achievements on your writing journey
- talk about any topics relevant to your WIP
- share excerpts to generate buzz about your book and
- sell books online
Free platforms like WordPress, Wix, and (Google) Blogger are great places to start. Once you have created your webpage, try to post regularly, and be sure to brag about each post on social media.
Know Your SEO
SEO stands for search engine optimization, a series of tricks you can use to get search engines like Google to notice your website easier. A few SEO tactics include (but are not limited to)
- using a keyword for your blog post in your title, subtitles, and peppered throughout your article
- adding alternative text to describe images in your post
- including a short blurb in the metatags containing keywords someone might use to find your post online
To learn more about SEO and how to use it to your advantage, check out the Yoast blog.
Post to Social Media
Create accounts in your name or pen name on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, BlueSky, Goodreads, LinkedIn, Amazon Author Central, and TikTok, and start posting about your milestones and achievements. Use social media to win over potential readers by sharing your unique voice as you engage your audience with
- facts and information about themes in your WIP or new release
- great reviews you have received or written
- excerpts from your books
- calls for beta readers.
Eye-catching graphics and funny or informative videos can help grab people’s attention, and the more likes or follows your page and posts get, the more feeds you’ll show up in.
Mailing Lists
Open a free account on sites like MailChimp, Substack, or MailerLite. Add a link to your website and social media so people can sign up to receive your newsletters. Once you have added a few names to your list, use MailChimp’s built-in editor to create a professional-looking newsletter and send it to everyone on your list at regular intervals (like once or twice a month). Offering incentives, like free eBooks or swag items, is a good way to get people to sign up for your mailing list, as they’ll feel like they are receiving something of value in exchange for signing up. Fill your newsletter with
- helpful articles you have written
- announcements about upcoming events
- free book excerpts
- snippets of reviews
- calls for beta readers or help building your “street team.”
Guest Blog Posts
A guest blog post is an amazing opportunity to share your work with another author’s audience and widen your circle of readers. There are many websites online to help you find potential bloggers willing to host your post. You could also approach a fellow author with similar interests during a networking opportunity and suggest a blog swap. The best way to approach this is to write a query letter to a blog on which you would like to guest post. Be sure to do a bit of research so you can let the website owner know what your post has to offer their readers. After your guest post has been published, be sure to use it to your advantage by linking to it on your website, social media, and newsletter.
The Special Offer
The Writers’ Community of York Region’s Easy Writer Blog wants to publish your guest posts. Submitting an article to the WCYR’s blog can help build your brand by introducing you and your writing to a new audience. Each post includes your name as the author and links back to your website, social media, and newsletter sign-up to drive traffic there. The post will also be publicized on the WCYR’s social media for additional exposure and greater reach.
Posts will be considered for publication on the blog if they are about anything writing, book, or publishing-related, were not written using generative AI, and are approved by our Board of Directors. As an added bonus, members who post to the WCYR website may earn perks in exchange for multiple contributions, like free tickets to paid events.
So, what are you waiting for? Get those creative juices flowing, share your expertise with a guest blog post, and start building your online brand. To submit a proposal for a blog idea or publicity item, please complete the Submit a News Item form.