Building an author platform is important if you want readers to find your stories.

A platform is one of the most effective ways of being discovered. Without it, it’s very difficult for anyone to find your work among countless of others.

If you write serial fiction, you’d benefit from having a platform.

WHAT IS IT?

In a nutshell, an author platform is “a writer’s ability to market their work, using their overall visibility to reach a target audience of potential readers.” – David Rogier (Founder/CEO of MasterClass)

I noticed that it’s very difficult to nail down exactly what it is without it sounding a bit confusing.

Bottomline?

It’s about visibility. And being visible makes it easier for potential readers to find you.

SOME ESSENTIAL PARTS OF AN AUTHOR PLATFORM

1. The social media is one part of the platform. There are many to choose from, but the key is to find a few (not all of them) that you like. Keep in mind – if you want to draw a specific kind of readers, you’ll be better off to pick ones where your readers are. For example: TikTok and Snapchat are where the younger audiences can be found (preteens/teens) whereas Pinterest you’ll find the middle-aged audience. Here’s a site that is a useful research tool – Social Media Demographics.

2. Be selective as to where you post your serial fiction. Again, it’s about visibility as well as going where your ideal readers are. Many serial fiction writers use Blogs to post their stories like WordPress and Blogger. Other options are Wattpad, Radish, Kindle Vella, Tapas, Medium to name a few. Readers and writers of Wattpad are generally between teens and late twenties whereas Radish is heavy on Romance stories. Kindle Vella is new on the scene but seem to be gaining steam. Tapas has a variety of stories, but I’ve read it’s heavy on comics. Not too many serial fiction writers are utilizing Medium yet – so, if you’re creative enough, the sky’s the limit.

3. An author’s website is a nice way to consolidate access to your stories and social media footprints all in one place.

CONCLUSION

While having an author platform is not mandatory, it’s a way to become more visible and makes it easier for readers to find you.