Tag Archive for: media

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Building Your Platform as a Non-Fiction Author

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BONUS FREEBIE: I have a resource for you that will help you prepare to talk with media and audiences. It’s the 10 Questions Every Author Needs to Answer. You can grab the fiction and nonfiction lists here.

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Building a platform is one of the most important things you can do to invest in your career as a non-fiction author. Creating a platform is how you build authority and credibility with your readers — and with publishers and the media!

A platform is how you reach your readers and connect with them. It’s all the channels of communication you use, from email newsletters to social media to speaking engagements. Think of your author platform as a central hub with lots of access points. 

1) Identify your audience.

Before you narrow down your strategy for building your author platform, think about who you’re trying to reach. As a non-fiction author, you’re presenting your readers with something new and novel — a solution to a problem, a creative way of considering an issue, or a toolkit for improving some aspect of their lives. This is true whether you’re writing a cookbook or a history book. 

Think about who is looking for the message that you have to offer. Who can benefit from this knowledge?

For instance, if you’re writing a cookbook about easy and affordable veggie-forward recipes, your audience might include busy parents, older adults trying to be more health-conscious, and college students. Those are specific groups who will come to your work in different ways. The college students might find you on TikTok — but the health-conscious grandma probably won’t. So how are you going to connect with all of these groups?

Use Video to Grow Your Audience with TikTok

2) Define your narrative.

Before you decide which online and in-person channels you want to focus on, you need to decide what you’ll do with those opportunities. Defining your narrative before you dive in head-first means your author platform will be well-considered, coherent, and professional.

One of the best ways to approach this task is to sit down with a pencil and paper (or a blank Google Doc!) and write down answers to these questions:

  • Why did you write a book?
  • Why are you the right person to tell this story?
  • How will your book improve people’s lives?

These answers should get personal!

10 Questions Every Author Needs to Answer

For instance, if I was doing this exercise, I’d write about how I wrote my first book, Listful Living, because lists made my life as a busy TV producer so much less stressful and more manageable. I’d write about how I’m the right person to tell the story of lists because I’ve been using them for over twenty years now, and I’ve been blogging about productivity for nearly fifteen years. I’d write about how my books are packed with actionable tips that help readers manage their tasks and introduce more joy into their lives.

Look for a narrative arc in your answers. Are there defining moments that emerge?

For me, one defining moment is when my appendix burst after my first book came out. I knew I had to prioritize my well-being and for me, that meant using productivity strategies (including list-making!) that I’d written about. I talked the talk — and then I had to really walk the walk. That experience shaped my second book, Listful Thinking. 

Once you know the story you want to tell, you can use online communication channels more effectively. This story should come across in all your content.

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3) Curate your online presence — and be consistent.

Create author profiles on all the major social media platforms (Instagram, Twitter/X, Facebook). If you think TikTok would be a good fit for your audience, create a profile there too. And make sure to follow other author accounts!

It’s also a good idea to create an author website. Your website should have information about your background, links to your social media profiles, and an option to sign up for your email list. Email lists are a great tool for creating a channel to get in touch with your readers about blog posts, videos, events, and media appearances. 

Website Tips to Amplify Your Brand

You might also consider a podcast (I have tips on this here!), short videos (here’s how to create great ones), or a live-stream show. 

But… don’t start doing all these things at the same time!

Take it slow and think about what your audience is most likely to connect with. What types of media does your audience already consume? Find them there first. If you start a whole bunch of projects at the same time, it’s going to be difficult to keep up with all of them. Which brings me to my next point — consistency!

Consistency is key to building an online following. I suggest creating an editorial calendar for yourself. You can plan out social media, blog posts, newsletters, live streams, and more. Come up with a schedule that’s reasonable and then stick to it. 

4) Find opportunities to connect with other authors.

The internet is great for connecting with readers and fellow authors. And you should definitely follow other authors in your area of expertise. In-person events are also important for forming these connections.

Attend book events in your area. Check out speakers at local universities. Go to conferences. Join a writing group. These are opportunities to learn from other authors about how they communicate with their audience and with their colleagues in the world of non-fiction authors.

Having an author platform is related to being a good literary citizen — so check out these tips for being an engaged author. 

5) Be your own advocate.

Building your author platform means acknowledging the fact that no one is going to come up and catapult you to success. You need to build authority and credibility yourself. So toot your own horn!

Lots of people feel uncomfortable about self-promotion. They think it comes across as self-centered or braggy. But it’s essential to reframe self-promotion as positive and necessary. Remember, you have a message to share. Your audience needs the knowledge you have to share. Advocating for your work is an act of service!

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BONUS FREEBIE: Your message deserves the media’s attention. So how do you get out there in a bigger way? I’ve got you covered. CLICK HERE to grab my free “Checklist to Become a Go-To Media Expert.”

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Being a Good Literary Citizen

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BONUS FREEBIE: I have a resource for you that will help you prepare to talk with media and audiences. It’s the 10 Questions Every Author Needs to Answer. You can grab the fiction and nonfiction lists here.

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To be an engaged writer, you need to be a good literary citizen. But what does it actually mean to be a “citizen” of the literary world?

It means making relationships, amplifying colleagues, participating in events, and being in dialogue with authors.

You’re probably thinking that these things sound great in theory — but how do you actually make them happen? 

It’s easier than you might think. And it’s essential for fueling your creativity and reaching your professional goals. Here’s how to be a good literary citizen:

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How to Keep Momentum Going After Your Book Launch

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BONUS FREEBIE: Your message deserves the media’s attention. So how do you get out there in a bigger way? I’ve got you covered. CLICK HERE to grab my free “Checklist to Become a Go-To Media Expert.”

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If you’ve always wanted to be an author, your book launch will be one of the most exciting stages of the publishing process. Getting recognized for your work and connecting with your readers is so rewarding. 

When you’re launching a new book, all of your strategy is focused around your book –the newness of it and the content. But what happens when the launch wraps and your new book is no longer new?

This is the stage when I meet many of my media-training clients. They’ve had a successful launch and they want to keep the momentum going. 

I shared some of my best tips for authors dealing with this in my Writer’s Digest column. 

These are the same strategies I’ve used myself for years as an author of two books, Listful Thinking and Listful Living!

1. It’s not (just) about the book anymore.

When you’re in the book launch phase, you’re really invested in the book itself. That’s only natural. It should be the focus of attention at this point! But once your book is a few months old, you have to shift your focus and start to consider how your book can support you as an author and expert — not how you can support your book!

This does not mean you shouldn’t talk about your book. Of course you should! You just need to find new ways of framing and contextualizing how you talk about your book. The attention needs to be on how your knowledge (and by extension, your book) can solve problems or shift people’s mindsets. This is something I talk you through in my free resource, 10 Questions Every Author Needs to Answer. 

2. Keep in touch. 

The relationships you build with journalists, reporters, and producers are some of the best resources for you as you consider your post-launch strategy. Thank you notes (paper ones — yep!) go a long way in demonstrating your appreciation.

These really do make an impact on fostering positive relationships between you and members of the media! You can then leverage those relationships to pitch again from a new angle. 

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3. Open yourself up. 

You might be wondering what exactly you should pitch — how can you use your book as a jumping-off point that inspires the next stage of your media strategy?

Well, here’s a little secret: everything you talk about doesn’t have to be in the book.

In fact, it can actually be counterproductive to limit yourself to only things you covered in your book. You are an expert on a topic that includes what you talk about in your book. You can absolutely pitch on related areas within your expertise that didn’t fit into your book — and you should! This is essential to any sustainable media strategy. 

For even more tips on how to keep media momentum going, you can check out my column in Writer’s Digest. 

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BONUS FREEBIE: I have a resource for you that will help you prepare to talk with media and audiences. It’s the 10 Questions Every Author Needs to Answer. You can grab the fiction and nonfiction lists here.

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It’s Time You Finally Created Your Podcast

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BONUS FREEBIE: Your message deserves the media’s attention. So how do you get out there in a bigger way? I’ve got you covered. CLICK HERE to grab my free “Checklist to Become a Go-To Media Expert.”
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It seems like everyone has a podcast these days. So…what’s your excuse?

I know, I know, it can be scary to start something new. But it’s also fun and exciting.

So if you’ve got an idea for a podcast that you’ve been waiting to share, take this blog post all about Creating Your Own Podcast as your sign to start. I spoke with author, speaker, and host of the podcast, The Good Life Coach (which ranked in the top 1.5% of the most popular shows globally), Michele Lamoureux on my live-streaming show Inside Scoop all about how to get started.

Here are three highlights from our conversation.
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It’s Time to Get Published…Here’s How!

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BONUS FREEBIE: I have a resource for you that will help you prepare to talk with media and audiences. It’s the 10 Questions Every Author Needs to Answer. You can grab the fiction and nonfiction lists here.
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What does every author want? To be published.

I know this myself as an author of two books about productivity, Listful Thinking, and Listful Living. And I’ve been hard at work on my first novel for a few years now! If you aren’t familiar with the industry, it can be a bit of a mystery to figure out how a book goes from a draft to sitting on the shelf at your local bookstore.

Since publishing a book is a bucket list item for so many, I invited my friend Lucinda Halpern, president and founder of Lucinda Literary, to share her knowledge. She represents authors writing in all areas, including health, business, lifestyle, narrative fiction, memoir, and more. She even wrote a book on the topic, Get Signed, with tons of insider info to help you find an agent and get your message out there.

Here are three points from our conversation that will help you think about getting published in a new way.

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Promoting Your Book Over Time

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BONUS FREEBIE: Your message deserves the media’s attention. So how do you get out there in a bigger way? I’ve got you covered. CLICK HERE to grab my free “Checklist to Become a Go-To Media Expert.”
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Launching a book is thrilling. Lots of time, energy and thought goes into planning it. But that’s not the only day you should be thinking about..

You’re going to have that book for a long time. So although launch day is important, the real question is: How do you keep the book in the minds and in the mouths of people all over the world for a long time?

It’s not an easy task. I know that from promoting my first two books Listful Thinking and Listful Living.

And my client, Krystale Littlejohn, knows all about this process as well. She’s the University of Washington’s Associate Professor of Sociology and author of the book Just Get on the Pill, which came out in August 2021  and is still getting lots of attention. We spoke on my live-streaming show Inside Scoop about her book launch process and how she was able to keep promoting her book over time.

Here are three great points from our conversation to help you promote your book.

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TikTok Tips for Authors

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BONUS FREEBIE: Your message deserves the media’s attention. So how do you get out there in a bigger way? I’ve got you covered. CLICK HERE to grab my free “Checklist to Become a Go-To Media Expert.”
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You wrote a book. That’s a lot of work. But your work doesn’t stop when your book is finished. Now, you need to sell your book.

So you have to promote them! (I know all about this from my experience as a TV producer and being the author of Listful Thinking and Listful Living).

And there’s a tool authors can use to promote their books that is especially effective: TikTok.

I spoke with publishing consultant, diverse kid lit reviewer, kids fiction podcaster and BookTok expert, Miral Sattar, on my live-streaming show Inside Scoop. She’s got a huge TikTok following and had a ton of great tips to share.

Here are Miral’s tips for understanding and using TikTok to promote your books.

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1) Understanding TikTok.

You can’t use something to its full potential without knowing how it works right? Of course not. Understanding how TikTok works and how it’s different from other social media apps like Instagram is super important.

“When you first start using TikTok, it doesn’t matter how many followers you have. The app always shows your content to a small sample of people. And if enough people finish watching it, they show it to more people,” Miral said.

Because of this, every video on TikTok has a chance to go viral.

(Don’t worry. You don’t have to dance to go viral.)

“To hone in on your specific audience, there are things you can do to fine tune the algorithms based on what you post and what you watch,” Miral added.

And for authors, honing in on your audience means understanding #BookTok.

2) Using the power of #BookTok.

BookTok is kind of a subculture within TikTok where people make videos about books.

“When I first did a Tok in July, the hashtag had about 60 billion views. And I checked it right before we spoke today and the BookTok hashtag has 80 billion views right now,” Miral explained.

I’ve talked about how TV doesn’t sell books. I’ve seen it as a producer and experienced it as an author. It’s exciting to be on big TV shows like The Today Show, but it’s not great for sales. But BookTok is great for book sales.

For example, Colleen Hoover actually outsold the Bible.

 

“Colleen Hoover has been around for a few years. She traditionally published multiple books. Maybe they did well, but they never did this well. Until she joined TikTok and made videos about her books.,” Miral added.

And it’s not just online sales. It’s impacting in-person bookstores as well.

“I take my kids to Barnes and Nobles all the time. And there’s a BookTok table. And 99% of the time, if it’s on the BookTok table, it’s good and I’ll pick it up,” she said.

Like podcasts, BookTok is an incredibly powerful tool, if you know how to use the hashtag.

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3) Getting started on BookTok.

Now that you know how powerful BookTok can be for your book. Let’s talk about using it to promote your own content.

“In the beginning when I was doing my Toks, I would get ten views, 20 views. Because I was posting all the wrong things. I didn’t realize the algorithm needs to be trained. You train the algorithm to show you what you look at,” Miral said.

For example, if you start looking at non-fiction book related topics, that’s what TikTok will show you.

“Just start following readers there, engaging with authors, and then TikTok will start showing you that,” she added.

And then you can see techniques that do and do not work and adapt similar methods for your own content. Another great way to use TikTok to your advantage is using their analytics.

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4) TikTok Video Tips.

Obviously, like any social media platform that uses video, you need to be comfortable on camera. But in addition to that, here are some tips to help your video creation.

“TikTok’s analytics tells you the best posting times, how many people watched your video. For me, I found the magic number was seven to nine seconds,” Miral said.

That’s not a lot of time to get your point across.

“A lot of people on TikTok will be like, ‘Hi, I’m me.’ Or ‘Hey guys, what’s going on?’ And then you’ve already lost them. You need to hook them in right away with an engaging picture or a question or something really interesting,” she explained.

And make sure to include a way for your audience to engage.

“You need to have a call-to-action. I put all the books I recommend in the comments. I pin it and say how to find it. For every podcast episode I’m promoting, I pin in the comments and include how to find it,” Miral said.

Here’s a successful example of one of Miral’s most popular videos that used all these tips.

“I joined TikTok to push out my fairy tales podcast for children, Bearily Bear, and also to promote inclusive children’s books. We imagine traditional fairy tales, rewritten for modern times,” she said.

Miral’s podcast is free and can be found here. To check out more TikTok Tips for Authors, watch our entire conversation here.

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BONUS FREEBIE: Your message deserves the media’s attention. So how do you get out there in a bigger way? I’ve got you covered. CLICK HERE to grab my free “Checklist to Become a Go-To Media Expert.”
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Media Training 101: When Things Go Wrong on Video

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BONUS FREEBIE: I have a resource for you that will help you prepare to talk with media and audiences. It’s the 10 Questions Every Author Needs to Answer. You can grab the fiction and nonfiction lists here.

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Be honest. Is the reason you’re not “going live” because you think something will go wrong? Well, I’ll share a secret with you…

Something will go wrong.

Not all the time. But chances are, if you shoot enough video or appear on enough television shows as a guest, at some point, something will go wrong.

It even happens to me! Yep – it happened on my show Inside Scoop and while I was producing for network television.

Here are four types of things that can go wrong and how to handle them.

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Become a NYT Bestseller

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BONUS FREEBIE: Your message deserves the media’s attention. So how do you get out there in a bigger way? I’ve got you covered. CLICK HERE to grab my free “Checklist to Become a Go-To Media Expert.”
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There’s a difference between being an author and a bestselling author.

But what does that really mean? How many books do you have to sell to qualify? Is getting on the New York Times Bestseller List a realistic goal? Is there a secret to getting on that list?

Book marketing expert, Rob Eagar, joined me on Inside Scoop to answer those questions.

Rob has helped both fiction and non-fiction authors hit the New York Times Bestseller List, along with USA Today and The Wall Street Journal. He just had a client about 120 days ago, who was on all of those. And helped a book that was 23 years old finally become a New York Times Bestseller, after already being in print for over two decades.

Here are four of Rob’s pointers to sell more books.

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Behind-the-Scenes of a Bestselling Book

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BONUS FREEBIE: Your message deserves the media’s attention. So how do you get out there in a bigger way? I’ve got you covered. CLICK HERE to grab my free “Checklist to Become a Go-To Media Expert.”
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Where the Crawdads Sing is one of my favorite books and it’s becoming a movie! It takes a team of people to create a bestselling book.

And one of the most important people on that team is your book editor! The editor of Delia Owen’s bestselling book is Tara Singh Carlson, who joined me on Inside Scoop.

Tara is an Executive Editor at G.P. Putnam’s Sons and has worked on The Light We Lost by Jill Santopolo (which was also a Reese Witherspoon Book Club pick), on The Family by Naomi Krupitsky (which was a Read with Jenna pick in November), We Must Be Brave also by France Liardet and many celebrated and bestselling authors.

Here are a few points from Tara about what editors do and how they can help your book become a bestseller.

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