These 10 easy, effective ways to build your writer’s platform will not only make you more marketable as a writer, they’ll help you become a better writer, too. You’ll develop your skills and writing discipline.

“What I had that others didn’t was a capacity for sticking to it,” said Doris Lessing. If you want to be a published, successful writer, not only do you need to stick to it. You also need to be standing on a solid writing platform.

Your writing platform can make or break your chances of selling a book proposal or manuscript to a publishing house or agent. Celebrities, movie stars, politicians, billionaires, and top models have ready-made platforms: their own fame and visibility (and the public’s insatiable curiosity)!

Regular writers, however, aren’t always able to attract or hold the attention of the masses. If you’ve ever tried blogging for money, you know that finding regular readers is hard to do. But, some writing and publishing experts say not having a writing platform is an automatic death sentence to an article query or book proposal. If you don’t have a writing platform, you won’t get published. (Click the book cover for more information).

What is a writing platform?
Your writing platform is a tool you use to promote yourself and sell your writing. To build a strong writing platform, you need to be an entrepreneur and marketing guru with established followers. It’s a tall order - but take heart! In our modern technological age, it’s possible and not too difficult to do.

Your writing platform proves your ability as a writer to promote and sell your book on a national or international level, which drives book sales. It provides a measure of security to the publisher and acts as a vehicle to promote your book and you, the writer.

According to Frishman and Spizman’s book called Author 101 Bestselling Book Proposals: The Insider’s Guide to Selling Your Work, building your writing platform is not only necessary, it’s essential.

10 ways to build your writing platform:

1. Create your own website with blogs, forums, newsletters, and photos. For info on how I started my two blogs, read How to Set Up a Blog For Writers.

2. Blog or write for an established website. I write for Suite101, and I love it. It doesn’t pay as much as About.com (who I don’t write for but really wanted to for awhile) but…every trickle of income and exposure counts.

3. Figure out what your specialty or niche is, then build your writing platform around that. For example, I love love love inspirational quotations, so I build two blogs around them.

4. Give talks about your specialty in schools, churches, libraries, local groups, etc. Ugh. Personally, I’d rather give myself a Brazilian wax than than give talks about writing. I love to talk about writing and blogging, but I don’t want to give a talk about it.

5. Teach classes or offer workshops. Ditto, but at least you could get paid.

6. Offer products or services related to your niche. Just last night, I read that one blogger makes and sells his own t-shirts online.

7. Participate in online communities and forums, focusing on building your writing platform, but still offering thoughtful comments and helpful information.

8. Sell or donate articles or bits of your book to magazines, newspapers, or newsletters. Writing for free can be a great way to build your writing platform.

9. Conduct focus groups or send out surveys to convince publishers that your idea has merit and will sell. This will build your writing platform by providing you with tangible support.

10. Ask an organization to commit to buying a hundred or so copies of your published book - and include their letter of commitment with your book proposal.

The idea is to get your name and writing out there as much as possible. Publicity begets publicity, writing begets writing, getting published begets getting published, books beget books…

Get on your writing platform, fellow scribes, and stand tall!