LYH70: 26 Things I Wish I Knew Earlier About Platform-building and Publishing

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Show Agenda

Featured Presentation

This week I had the opportunity to present at the Greater Philadelphia Christian Writer’s Conference. It was a blessing to interact with so many people who have a heart to communicate a kingdom message that changes lives.

During one of my presentations, I shared an A-Z guide (26 things) that I wish I had when I first started out as a writer. Frankly, I was so confused. I thought it would be helpful to share the things with you to get you up the learning curve faster than I was able to climb it.

The Structures (A-Z) 26 Conference Tips I Wish I Understood Earlier
A AUTHORS Very few people make a living just writing books
B BOOK PROPOSAL You don’t need an entire manuscript unless you write fiction
C CONTENT MARKETING This is the best way to use reciprocity to build an audience
D DIGITAL PUBLISHING Has opened up publishing to anyone with a message
E EDITORS Hire one to review your manuscript before publisher submission
F FACULTY You don’t have to be an industry-insider to get the exposure from being on faculty
G GENRE The best non-fiction authors weave story into their manuscripts
H HOME PAGE (hub) You should have had one yesterday
I INDUSTRY OF PUBLISHING Well crafted self-published books are indistinguishable from traditionally published ones
J JPEG Get a signature photo (headshot) and use it everywhere
K KEYNOTES Keynoting is a critical component of platform building for speakers (and authors who speak)
L LITERARY AGENTS Very tough (not impossible) to get a book contract without one
M MANUSCRIPT Your first draft should be stream of consciousness. Do NOT edit as you go!
N NETWORKING Set a goal to meet, exchange contact info, and stay in touch with at least 3 new people
O ONLINE PRESENCE If you aren’t active on social media, you’re in denial (and probably won’t get a contract)
P PLATFORM Publishers want you to quantify your sphere of influence. Bigger sphere, bigger book probability
Q QUALIFICATIONS Be prepared to say in 30 seconds why you should be the one to write this book and why someone would care
R ROYALTIES Usually between 7-15% of book revenue. But, you can make much more with author sales
S SPEAKERS Those able to write and speak can have broader platforms
T TRIBE You’re only a leader if someone is following. Do you know who they are? Make an avatar
U UNIQUE God made you to be creative, not a copycat. Strive to understand your unique GODprint
V VOICE Success is ultimately about finding your voice and understanding how to best package it
W WORKSHOPS Use them to meet faculty in whom you are interested
X XEROXES Keep your handouts, organize them, build a reference library
Y YOU It’s not about you. It’s about the God in You! So, be that Brand.
Z ZERO EXCUSES God gives you everything needed to do HIS work and slay the DRAGONS.

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3 thoughts on “LYH70: 26 Things I Wish I Knew Earlier About Platform-building and Publishing”

  1. Great tips! Your accompanying podcast explains even more without overwhelming you. And you have such a lovely voice too. Keep up the fantastic work!

    • Thanks Doreen. Yes, just looking at the list may feel a little overwhelming if you are new to the tribe building process. But, my hope is that as I talk through it on the podcast that it feels very doable. What tips have you employed to get the word out about your coaching work?

      • Tips? Hmmm. A few years ago, for my career coaching business, I created an email newsletter and blog in which I turned into online articles. I hired a VA to submit about 4 or 5 articles each month. This built my first list nicely.

        I started to do speaking engagements (about one a month) which helped my credibility tremendously and quickly. I HIGHLY recommend the speaking route to anyone who wants to build their name quickly.

        Then, I tried hosting teleclasses, which didn’t yield much, but they were fun to do. After a few years, I heard about other media such as podcasting, video, but never took the plunge in those arenas that were new at the time.

        Now, I am re-inventing my coaching vision to focus on my first love… market research. I work with small business, entrepreneurs, solopreneurs to find their market niche. I’m developing a training course on the topic all the while putting out free content through Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and LinkedIn.

        It’s a constant, continuous learning process, but learning and teaching what i’ve learned is my passion!

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