Envision Publishing
Envision publishing?
Got platform?
Talent won’t get you published. You’ve got to have a platform.
I have chosen to go the motorcycle route to stand out from the crowd. I write a lot of things, but I’m hoping to break into the noveling business with the motorcycle angle. What is your angle? What do you have to offer that’s different from everyone else?
If I am not successful with contemporary literature, and instead get to follow my dream with writing historic fiction, I’ll need to have another platform/angle. But for now, until I can truly write full-time, the motorcycle angle is the most attainable.
But this brings me to the question of self-publishing/print on demand/ebook publishing.
How long will it take for authors to learn that publishing houses may not have much more to offer than what authors can give themsleves? Writers today have to build their own marketing strategies. Unless you’re a New York Times bestseller — publishing companies expect you to make your own way in the world.
It used to be that you simply couldn’t get published without a company. Now, it’s just not true. I have many acquaintances and friends who are very successful self-publishers. They support their families with self-publishing.
It can be done.
You just have to decide how you want to sell your goods. I hate this cold hard fact of the writing business. I just want to write. I am not a sales person — I never have been. I doubt I could sell water in a desert.
But one advantage we have as writers is that we can make our words work for us. And a lot of marketing can be done online. In fact, most of it can!
Here’s what I’m doing to create an online presence:
1. Blogging. Daily.
2. Facebook, twitter, and blog all working together to get the info out to my audience and to be easily visible. You can easily find me by doing a google search. However, I have a lot to learn about attracting more blog readers. I think as I have more time to write in the coming months, I will be able to study this more.
3. Writing every day. There is no product if I don’t write!
What are you doing to get naked, er, I mean, build your platform?
