As a professional writer, there are some critical elements of marketing your writing to keep in mind. This includes building a writing platform and identifying a target audience. These generally go hand in hand, and can help a writer identify the reader and how the reader is consuming the content.
Finding Your Writing Platform
Jason Hartman knows the importance of building a platform. A platform is essentially having an audience and having a vehicle to reach said audience. Regardless of writing medium, if you write e-books online, a blog, or fantasy novels, it’s important to build a platform before publishing. Here are some examples of writing platforms:
- A Facebook audience.
- A Twitter audience.
- A social media presence.
- A personal blog, with an audience.
As a novelist using a traditional publishing method, it would certainly help your case to tell an agent you’ve been writing a blog for a few years and in that time you’ve built a sizable group of loyal customers. This also applies to social media presence. What if you’re self-publishing or writing an e-book? Surely, you’ll make more sales if you’ve already built a large platform of followers who you can ask to buy or talk about the new book.
Though many writers are still in denial about the importance of an online presence to build a platform, the internet has become an important medium. It’s the simplest, surest way to connect with potential readers and buyers.
Finding Your Target Audience
When looking to write a novel and build a platform, there’s one important thing to ask. Who is the target audience? Essentially, what is your niche, and who is the person you’re writing for? It’s a good practice to actively picture the person you’re writing the novel for. Once that person is figured out, write for them. Said person, or people, is the target audience.
Once the target audience has been identified, it’s possible to write in a way which addresses their needs and concerns. Ask how your writing solves a specific need or want, and continue to fulfill those needs. If you’re writing nonfiction, be sure to write in a way which feels personal without talking a lot about yourself. By creating a conversational tone, the reader will feel like you really do understand them.
And remember that writing isn’t all peaches and cream. Read our recent article “How to Handle Negative Reviews.” (Top Image: Flickr | Pascal Maramis)
The Speaking of Wealth Team