The conventional wisdom among authors and publishing professionals today is that every author needs a platform. Whether you write fiction or non-fiction, these experts say, you need to have an online presence to connect with fans, build authority in your niche, and create community.
Blogging is the new radio, they say, and if you want to publish, you have to have one.
Photo by Mike Licht
Easy, right? Nope, not really.
Building a platform with a blog and other social media tools sounds easy. You might have the impression that if you start a free blog, write a few posts, and email your friends, readers will start showing up in droves, hungry to read your writing, and if you have one, purchase your book.
The truth is that there are nearly 73,000,000 WordPress blogs alone. There are more than 52,000,000 on Tumblr. If you want to build a platform with a blog, you are entering the most competitive media race for attention spans of all time.
How do you successfully compete with all that noise?
Why I Can Help You Build Your Platform
Between July 2011 and January 2012, I took my blog, The Write Practice, from 0 to 1,700 subscribers and nearly 12,000 unique visitors per month. It wasn't a fluke and it wasn't beginners luck. I did it using the skills I gained from four years of blogging prior to starting The Write Practice.
Blogging isn't easy. I have been blogging for five years, and I feel like I finally know how to build a platform for my creative writing.
Now, I'd like to share the skills I've learned over hundreds of hours of practice with you. My helpful experience will save you time and money and lots of frustration as you build your online platform.
Platform Consulting Curriculum
This package includes consultation on the following topics:
- Introduction to Blogging: What are your platform goals and how can blogging help you?
- Content Positioning: What are you going to write about? And how will it stand out?
- Layout + Design: What do you want your blog to look like?
- Marketing: How do you get the word out?
- Social Media: How do you harness Facebook/Twitter/Google+/LinkedIn/StumbleUpon/Reddit
- Networking: How do you create allies among other bloggers?
- Launch: How do you launch an ebook / product?
- Monetization: How do you make money with a blog?
On top of that, I'll include FREE Access to the Platform Starter Pack, a $17 value.
The Most Important Part of Consultation
What do you need more than anything when you launch your platform?
Accountability.
I know how hard blogging can be, and I know which obstacles will get in your way to your success. Our sessions will focus not just on the knowledge you need to build a professional platform, but on how to stay motivated and actually do the work.
Sometimes, you need someone to hold your hand and walk you through the process. Other times, you need someone to kick your butt and get you moving. My job is to do both.
Additional Options
Do you need an expert to look over your blog posts or blog design? For a closer look, we offer the following services:
- Individual post critiquing
- Blog design critique
Pricing
This expertise could save you hundreds of hours of experimentation on your own. It could also keep you from wasting money on products you don't need.
That's why I could charge $800 or $1,000 for this consultation package.
However, I truly want to help the most number of writers possible achieve their platform goals. Instead, we're offering three packages on various price levels, depending on your need and goals.
Silver Level – $400
- Five, thirty-minute training sessions of your choice from the above curriculum.
- Two critiques (individual post or blog design)
- Access to the Platform Starter Pack
- A $442 Value!
Gold Level – $700
- Eight, thirty minute training sessions.
- Five critiques (individual post or blog design)
- Access to the Platform Starter Pack
- A $787 value!
Platinum Level – $1,000
- Twelve, thirty minute training sessions.
- Eight critiques (individual post or blog design)
- Access to the Platform Starter Pack
- A $1,197 value!
