launch a web site or write a book?

Publishing non fiction, especially with the bigger publishers, does require a platform. You would definitely have more luck with your book if you started by building a website that became a resource for teens.

Platform is about two things: credentials and promotion. What are your credentials for writing about this topic? What is your education, training, etc? You can beef that up as you put together your website. Promotion is basically, how will you reach your audience to let them know the book exists? If you're on network television every day (hi, Oprah), then that's a no-brainer. But if not, what will you do? Those are the building blocks to get started on now.

Good luck with your project. Sounds very valuable.

Jennifer Lawler

Public contacts; presentations to professionals; programs for schools; press releases; library chats; working with local HMOs to speak with their client base.

I don't think you've got an either/or situation. However, you've not yet begun.

You can certainly start planning the book now -- writing the proposal and sample chapters. However, until you have the platform you won't get the agent who sells your proposal to the publisher. So go and get that platform, as others have suggested.

This question made me think about my own situation. Would creating a "myspace" be just as good as a website? In my case, my market is older than yours. But a lot of teenagers have myspace sites so it seems it may be good for you. Not sure about my audience, since it's baby-boomer aged people up through WWII veterans.

Lavinia