Platform Building For Creative Writers: Is It Worth It?
Did you know that platform building is one of the primary ways nonfiction creative writers obtain book deals with traditional publishers? According to New York Book Editors, “If they [publishers] know you have 100,000 true fans, it takes a lot of the risk out of giving you that coveted publishing deal.”
From a marketing standpoint this makes sense. One hundred thousand true fans will likely equate to higher pre-orders and an overall significant boost in book sales. But what about the writer who:
Has a strong message?
Is qualified in their topic?
But lacks a big platform?
If mitigating risk is a large part of who gets a book deal and who doesn’t, what does platform mean for writers without one?
In this article, I discuss: What exactly platform is, the benefits of building one, four reasons it is worth it versus four reasons it isn’t, and finally, provide an answer for those pursuing creative writing. Ready to jump in?
What Is Platform Building?
We can define platform building as creating a following with the intention of building your readership. This phenomenon is new in the last several decades. Before social media entered the fray, writing skills, or the lack of, set you apart from other writers.
The better you could write, the higher chance you had at being published. However, with affiliate marketing, brand ambassadors, and technology platforms taking over modern day marketing, building an author platform is often viewed as crucial for writers.
But why is an existing readership so necessary today? What part does it play when traditionally, publishers are the ones who put the muscle into marketing efforts?
Benefits Of Platform
Platform is a type of gatekeeper to the traditional publishing world. If you have a platform and write nonfiction, publishers will take you much more seriously. Remember the above quote: “If they know you have 100,000 true fans, it takes a lot of the risk out of giving you that coveted publishing deal.”
Consequently, there are many benefits to platform building, both for writers and traditional publishers. But building your author platform is not without its challenges. Because obtaining a traditional publishing contract often comes down to platform, it’s crucial to weigh the pros and cons.
4 Reasons It’s Worth It
If you have been in the publishing industry for any length of time, or nearly any aspect of the creative industry for that matter, you’ve likely heard someone stress the importance of building your platform.
In many ways, putting in the effort to expand your reach brings dividends you never expected. Let’s discuss a few of the pros.
#1 - Platform Establishes You As Credible
Today, credibility is often equated with how many followers you have. When you grow a tribe, following, or platform, you establish yourself as a thought leader in your particular field. The more people view you as an authority, the more seriously they will take your work.
When your potential readership takes your work seriously, oftentimes, traditional publishers will take notice of you. This brings you one step closer to a traditional publishing contract.
#2 - Growing Your Platform Helps You Maintain A Growth Mindset
Publishers do not want to offer a contract to a one-and-done writer. All their marketing efforts, compounded, are what help grow their business. And for all its positive influence, at its core publishing is a business.
When you prove you want to publish your debut book, then another, and another, publishers begin to see you as a career writer rather than someone who has “write a book” on their bucket list.
Building your platform is a continual process, just as is true for publishing. A growth mindset is crucial to your long term success: Grow your platform, grow your published titles, grow your career.
#3 - A Large Platform Bodes Well For Book Sales
Part of the job description of a publisher is to sell quality books—the key word being sell. If a publisher can’t break even and then create revenue off your book, the chance they took in publishing you puts them in the hole.
When publishers see that you have a large following, their estimated sales number can grow. For instance, look at the following examples of platform:
Large TikTok presence
50,000 followers on Instagram
Newsletter in the thousands
Speaking engagements worldwide
The probability of a percentage of your followers purchasing your book is high, and thus, so are your estimated sales. Platform helps put the publisher at ease and heightens their likelihood of taking a risk on you.
#4 - Provides Opportunity For Influence
The larger your platform, the higher your opportunity to impact those around you. If you are a professional speaker, audiences come to hear what you have to say for a reason. They want your influence in their lives.
Whether this influence is in self-development, entrepreneurial endeavors, or the creative space, high levels of followers often equal massive influence. The larger you grow your platform, the wider your potential to influence. This is a privilege and a responsibility and used well, can create lasting change in your readers.
4 Reasons Platform Won’t Help You
For those on the other side of the fence, fighting algorithms and wishing they could stay behind the screen typing, what about the flip side of platform building?
If a large platform is what gets you in the door at a publishing house, establishes your credibility, boosts sales, and grows your influence, are there any cons? Here is a brief overview establishing a few of the cons of platform.
#1 - It Can Create Major Distraction
TikTok, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, websites, guest blogging… As a creative writer, jobs do not end when the work day ends. There is always another video to post, tweet to respond to, blog to write, and email to send.
Building, not to mention maintaining, your platform can be a tremendous distraction. Almost 50% of Americans claim to spend four to five hours per day on their smartphone. Add the task of building a platform and that number is bound to jump. Left unchecked, the distraction of platform building is monumental.
#2 - Takes Away From Writing Time
While we all have 24 hours in a day, how we allocate those hours is up to us. If you work a day job for eight hours and sleep eight hours, that leaves eight hours for you to pursue your family, friends, and dream. Let’s not forget trips to the grocery store, gym, and general chores.
Many professionals hire creative writers to keep up their social media for them, but until you have this luxury, any time spent on building your platform is time not spent on your manuscript. Building your online presence is part of the publishing process, but if you don’t create time to write your book, it’s self-defeating.
#3 - Focuses On Reach Over Message
Marketing your book is a vital part in the publishing process, and not just for sales metrics. If you truly believe in the message of your book, of course you will want to reach as many readers as possible.
However, building a platform for the sake of sales is a slippery slope. It’s easy to slide into confusion of the power of reach versus the lasting impact of your book. It’s easy to mix the art of writing with the business of writing.
When this happens, hearing from impacted readers can take a backseat to watching sales rise. But what truly matters—how many books you sell or how many lives you impact?
#4 - Easily Creates A False Persona
We all have moments where we feel in love with the world and moments when it seems the world is out to get us. And while there are hints when social media seems to trend toward honesty, there are still filters we use in real life and online.
Creating a platform, a personal brand, is often a shortcut to a false persona. Personal branding matters and for many of us is a pivotal part of our career. But what is the cost?
When pursuing a contract with a traditional publisher, bestseller status, or creating a sequel that surpasses your debut novel or short stories, it’s all too easy to get lost in the trees and forget why we ever entered the woods.
What’s The Answer For Creative Writers?
There is no easy answer to the issue of platform for today’s writers. This said, growing your platform organically, over time, is a step in the right direction. In today’s age of fifteen-second videos and 260 character tweets, slow and steady does not seem the phrase of choice.
Editor and journalist, Katelyn Beaty, shares her take on platform in her newest release:
“The problem is when advance amounts are determined mostly or solely by author platform—which is often shorthand for celebrity status—with relatively little weight placed upon quality of writing, freshness of ideas, and credentials.”
As mentioned, there is no easy answer. If there was, the amount of books published by lesser-known authors would likely correlate a bit more evenly to those published by influencers and celebrities.
While the answer to platform is not simple, our next step is: Keep writing, keep pitching, continue querying, and whatever you do, don’t give up.
Remember, the last one to give up wins. If you truly believe in the message of your book, give it the dignity of pressing forward. Your platform will likely grow in the process, and most importantly, so will you.
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Want to take the conversation further? Feel free to share your thoughts with me here, or schedule a time to talk face-to-face.
