A review in USA Today called "Love What You Do and Make Money" mentions platform development as it's used in a book called, Career Renegade by Jonathon Fields. Here's an excerpt:
The book itself is an example for anyone longing for a writing career that can pay the bills. Fields found a topic where information was in demand, then aggregated, compiled, funneled and filtered that information to provide a valuable resource.
Fields recommends using modern technology to create a personal platform of authority. You can launch your own website, or create a blog, as a way to make a name. You can post to more popular blogs to promote your Web presence.
I'll check this book out, but off the cuff, it's an oversimplification to talk about making money in writing and publishing without specifically including the role of editors and publishers in the conversation, as I do in Get Known Before the Book Deal.
The reason I included a hefty discussion of the interplay between writers and industry insiders was to help writers have a more realistic understanding of their role as authors. Not sure if this book does that or is yet another do-what-you-love-and-the-money-will-follow type of book.
Several people have pointed out that my book is helpful to them in establishing their platform even when they are not necessarily ready to attempt a book deal. But are simply ready to establish an all-important platform to bolster their visibility and success as writing professionals.
I talk specifically about partnering with agents in my book. A step that has never been more crucial than it is now during these economically challenging times.
My advice is this: Don't try to keep that 15% for yourself. Share it with an agent and you'll have someone to go to bat for you, if and when your book project hits troubled waters.
Platform development is essential for any subject matter expert to hone their craft and maximize media exposure.
Christina Katz's Get Known Before The Book Deal does a great job teaching the reader how to build and understand their core audience.
When you have an agent, you have a sales person, and this is what your project may need to get to the finish line.
Melinda Emerson
@smallbizlady on twitter
Posted by: Melinda Emerson | March 29, 2009 at 09:13 PM