| While I was busy cranking out copy, my author | | | | * Database Access (increasingly important in this |
| platform became stale. It was a decent platform and I | | | | economy) |
| was not ashamed of it, but like old coffee cake, it was | | | | * Internet Citations |
| unappealing. I have been working on revisions for a | | | | * Radio and Television Experience |
| week and am still not done. Some revisions require | | | | * Newspaper and Magazine Coverage (photopies |
| detective work. You may be thinking about revising | | | | included with proposal) |
| your author platform and my experience may be | | | | * Reviews |
| helpful. | | | | These headings are for a nonfiction platform. If you |
| A writer's platform is the result of planning and hard | | | | write fiction, or science fiction, or romance, or children's |
| work. In her book, "Making the Perfect Pitch," New | | | | books, or poetry, your headings may be different. |
| York literary agent Katharine Sands tells how to build a | | | | Jandy Nelson, a contributing writer for "Making the |
| platform. "For writers, a platform sets the stage for | | | | Perfect Pitch," offers tips for pitching nonfiction. She |
| reaching readers through marketing and publicity," she | | | | thinks nonfiction book proposals should contain four |
| explains. So keep marketing in mind when you are | | | | elements. One is the concept of the book. Two is your |
| revising your platform. | | | | target audience. Three is why you are an expert on |
| According to Sands, you build this platform by | | | | the topic. Four, what makes your book different. |
| answering questions. Her starting questions: Do you | | | | An author's platform must answer these questions in a |
| have access to mailing lists? What might work for | | | | logical and sequential way. To do this, I rearranged the |
| publicity purposes? Where might your book be | | | | points beneath the headings in descending order, with |
| promoted? What are your current speaking venues? I | | | | the most recent at the top and the less recent at the |
| thought I had answered these questions, but when I | | | | bottom. I will check the order again after I have finished |
| read my platform, I realized I had not. | | | | the revision. Revising your platform can lead to |
| I started the revision process by checking for typos. | | | | surprises. |
| Thankfully, there were none. Next, I checked the | | | | The Internet Citations section has turned into a |
| headings and, though they were okay, they were not | | | | scavenger hunt and I have seen my name in odd |
| good. To me, headings are like the opening scene of a | | | | places. My name is being used to sell jewelry, purses, |
| movie, and grab the reader's attention. My platform | | | | building supplies, vitamins, Viagra, CDs, pornography, |
| begins with a book title and overview, followed by 10 | | | | and more. This is disturbing, to say the least, and the |
| headings: | | | | insertion of foul language into my articles is equally |
| * Audience | | | | disturbing. I would not know these things if I was not |
| * Competing Works | | | | revising my platform. |
| * Authority (magazine columnist, memberships, writing | | | | The last thing I will do is check my platform for tone. Is |
| track record) | | | | it a grabber? Do I sound competent? Can I sell books? |
| * Endorsements (which could be back cover copy) | | | | Revising your platform takes time, yet it is worth the |
| * Promotion Plan (actions I will take to publicize and | | | | time you give it. Your author platform is part of the |
| promote the book) | | | | writing life. |