Stop Chasing Readers! Build an Author Platform That Attracts and Sells Books

Imagine being invited by a major publishing house to work on a book proposal for them, then spending three months on that proposal for the book they asked you to write, only to get an email back that says, yeah, the marketing department doesn't think you have a big enough platform to sell books. Ouch. That was me. Wiley rejected my proposal. Yeah, the proposal they asked me to write for the book idea they gave me. Not because the book idea wasn't good. Well, I actually don't think it was that great. But it was their idea. But because they didn't think I had a big enough platform to sell enough books for a book deal to make sense for them. Now, here's the twist. I published a book I thought was a good idea, and I outsold Dan Brown and the Game of Thrones on Amazon during launch week and hung out in the top 100 print books on Amazon for almost 200 days. Take that, Wiley. Yeah, my platform was better than you thought. But platform matters. And it's not just numbers. It matters how you build it. And if you want to know the secrets behind author platform building, well, this video is for you. Hi, I'm Julia the book broad, founder of Book Launchers and your host here at Book Launchers tv. Book Launchers is your first choice for all things related to writing, publishing, and promoting nonfiction books. Today, we're diving into how to build an author platform that doesn't just look good on paper, but actually helps you sell books, land media, and attract the right readers. Now, yeah, it looks cool to have 100,000 subscribers on YouTube. And that play button, yeah, it's gonna look cool in my office, so feel free to help me get there by subscribing. But that goal, it's just a fun goal for me and it will make me look cool in the eyes of my son and his friends. But for my business, Book Launchers and for the books I write, subs are not the first priority. My brand is my first priority. So before you build your platform, build a solid foundation that is your brand. So ask yourself, what makes you you? What is your unique value or story that other people do not have, and who are you trying to help or entertain and why? This isn't about slapping your face on a Canva template with a quote and calling it a day. Your author brand is what people say about you when you're not in the room. And it's how they describe you and your message and your book to a friend in self publish and succeed. I don't have it up there. Not up there. In self publish and succeed. In self publish and succeed. I talk about Brian Grazer, the producer behind Apollo 13 and a beautiful Mind. His spiky hair became his brand trademark. My moniker, Julie the book Broad is part of my brand. You need that thing that sets you apart too. Not necessarily a hairstyle or a cool name, but a message, a vibe, a look, a promise to your audience. Then when you know who you are to your audience, share it consistently from a place of service. So you're supporting your audience now. Platform. What am I talking about when I say platform? What was Wiley talking about when they said no thanks to me and my proposal? Well, your author platform includes anybody that's listening to you. Social media, email lists, speaking gigs, podcasts, guesting spots, or your own podcast, your own YouTube channel like this one, and anywhere you show up with your message. This can even be if you're a member of associations or groups. Book launchers. TV didn't grow overnight. At first I was posting videos whenever I felt like it and growth was a little slow. Then I committed to Tuesdays and Fridays and I added live streams and we started to attract more consistent growth and consistent engagement. Ultimately, you have to figure out where you're going to be and then be consistent and show up and add value. Now, the most valuable platform, it's the one you own. So to me, your first priority number one always should be to send everyone to your website to become part of your email list. Like this. Want the ultimate guide to build a platform and sell your book, Download, self, promote and succeed. The entire audiobook is for free. Elfpromoteandsucceed.com audio now. Now you're going to get my book instead of making money for Audible and we're going to become even better friends. So building that email list is number one. But then building a platform somewhere where you can connect with your audience in a two way street like YouTube or social media. That's a great thing to do, but there's always the chance that they turn you off. And that is why I'm always building my email list first. To build that email list, you can run ads to a lead magnet. You can give away a lead magnet at the end of a podcast interview. You can write articles or blogs for other people and get a link back to your lead magnet. You get the picture, right? But there are tons of ways to grow your platform and ultimately the more you do, the better. But my favorite way to focus on is focusing on borrowing or leaning on other people's platforms. Not all the platforms have to be your own. When I launched More Than Cashflow, my email list was 10,000 people. That was not enough to top Amazon, but my friends Nick and Tom Caradza, amongst others, promoted my book almost as hard as I did and pushed it to the top. That's the power of other people's audiences and building relationships with people who want to support you. Now, one more time, because the allure of a viral video can distract you from what is foundational. Social media can disappear. But your email list? That's gold that you own and control. So whether you're giving away a downloadable resource in the form of a quiz or bonus content, give people a reason to hand over their email and then don't ghost them once they do. Nurture that list. All right, let's recap this platform building checklist. Know your brand and your ideal reader. Be consistent with your content. Speak and show up wherever your readers are as much as you can. Borrow platforms as much as you can as well, but do it from a place of service and partnership and relationship. And then grow your email list like your book. Depends on it, because it does. And remember, most platforms don't appear overnight, but the best day to start was yesterday, which means the second best day right now. Let's get to it. And if you want to get support with all things book marketing, join us at authorbusinessaccelerator.com we have the coolest book marketing community you'll find for nonfiction authors. The first seven days are free, so you can join it, check it out, and see all the fun things we're doing. Now, tell me in the comments what part of platform building feels hardest for you right now. Oh, and make sure you subscribe to Make Me Cool to My Kid. And of course, turn on those notifications so we don't miss a single video.