Publishing E-Books For Dummies

Establishing a Strong Author Platform with a Website

You often hear the phrase author platform in the publishing world. To me, it always sounds like I’m supposed to be standing on a soap box — though having an author platform simply means that you have the ability to reach people. For example, if your e-mail list has 2,000 subscribers — people who’ve specified (by opting in) that they want to hear from you regularly — you have a strong author platform of committed readers. You can easily send out an e-mail that reaches all those people.

Your platform is important, for two key reasons:

The platform helps you sell copies of your e-book. If you have no online platform, you won’t easily persuade anyone to notice your e-book; it’s only one among hundreds of thousands. If you have a platform, though, even a fairly modest one, you can get some true momentum behind your e-book.

Agents and traditional publishers will be interested in your platform. If your goal is to attract a prestigious publishing house to your book, they’ll want to know whether you have a blog or an e-mail list with established fans.

Social media accounts can be a useful addition to your platform, but I recommend building your own website as a home base. That way, you’re in full control, and you have ...