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What My Publisher Didn't Tell Me--
And What Yours Won't Tell You Part 1: Platform? What Platform? In 2004, I was honored to be contacted by a publisher who needed an art historian to write about Renaissance and Baroque depictions of the last twelve hours of Jesus' life. It was a great project and a wonderful opportunity. My first solely-authored book, I wrote The Passion of Christ (Publications International, 2004). With the coincidence of its release with Mel Gibson's same-titled movie, the book was bound to be a success. Unfortunately, it came out with little fanfare. I waited for the phone to ring. Surely once the book hit the shelves everyone from Oprah to Matt Lauer and Larry King would have been calling me to do interviews. Not so much. The phone didn't ring. I never received a single e-mail from the media. My local Borders, which I was assured would carry my book, couldn't set up a book signing because according to their system, the book was "out of print" and didn't have a BNK-number (Borders special coding system). Disappointed, but not dejected, I was happy that their competition was carrying it and friends and family members queued to get their very own copies. My husband and parents were proud of me. I was proud of myself, and despite languid book sales, overall, I was satisfied with the experience and enjoyed the kudos from my inner circle. Four years ago, I was completely clueless about the author's role in promoting their work working to ensure that copies of the book get sent to book reviewers and press releases sent to the right markets. Today, I'm a bit savvier. I've spent some time networking with other writers and have learned that a writer-- especially a nonfiction writer-- needs a platform. This is something that publishers will not tell you. You have to work just as hard to get your book sold, as you did writing it. When courting agents and publishers for Your Next Great Opus you have to be able to prove that you can on paper. I am not faulting my publisher one iota-- after all, they had commitments from the super-bookstores to carry the book, so getting the word out didn't matter to them quite as much as it did to me. For that to have happened, I had to open the door. What I didn't know then, was that aside from the members of the "Erika Geiss Fan Club," I held the keys to any additional selling power that the book might have had. Don't think for one second that I am bitter about this. If I were, I wouldn't have agreed to work with the publisher again. It was a learning experience and having that first solely-authored book published still boosted my résumé and opened the door to other opportunities. Plus, once you have one publication under your belt from a legitimate publisher, you can call yourself "an established author." Stick a feather in my cap and send me back to the laptop to mine the fertile ideas swimming in my brain. So, I'm sharing the error of my ways and my new-found wisdom with my fellow writers. The Importance of Platform For nonfiction writers it is not only important to have a great manuscript, they have to be able to sell it to agents and publishers, often before the manuscript is completed, through the nonfiction book proposal. You probably know that elements of the nonfiction book proposal are an overview, your bio, a competitive title analysis, an audience/market analysis, an annotated table of contents, and your platform. Aside from writing The Next Great Opus and comparing it to the competition, it is your platform that will tell the readers of your proposal about the book's marketability. To figure this out, ask yourself some questions: Who do you know? Who knows you and likes you enough to buy your book? Can you get it to people who will review it and help generate "buzz" about it? Sure, your agent or publisher might take care of some of this, but what are you willing and ready to do to help promote and sell it? Beyond just writing, writing, writing, you need to be willing to help actively sell your writing to the paying public. You may be thinking: "Ugh, I now have to hire a publicist or marketing firm. How am I going to fit that into my budget?" But relax, there are some simple, inexpensive things that you can do to start building or to refine your platform. You'll be happy to know that you probably already have a platform and don't even realize it-- no hammers needed. Watch for the next AW newsletter for the next part of Erika-Marie's series to find out how to maximize the potential of the Internet and groups in building your platform! Erika-Marie S. Geiss is a writer and editor living in Michigan. Author of The Passion of Christ (Publications International, 2004) and of The Right Words for Everyday Writing (Publications International, forthcoming fall 2008), she has also had articles published in The News Herald, World Energy Monthly Review, Inkwell Newswatch (IN), Speak2Me, and online at babytalkbio.com and at the babiesonline blog. She is a member of the International Women's Writing Guild (IWWG), the Association of Art Editors (AAE), and Women's e-Commerce Association International (WECAI). A work-at-home mom, Geiss runs Red Pencil Editing Services, is editor-in-chief of theWAHMmagazine, maintains the blog Musings from the Mitten, and is host of the Cyber Savvy show at Passionate Internet Voices Talk Radio. |
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