How to Build an Author's Platform by Bri Clark

"Beauty and brains...Can you ask for anything more?"

I've known Bri Clark for a while now, and she has become one of the most savvy marketing pros around. She's also a hell of a writer, her new novels climbing the charts each day...She's packed in quite a bit of experience in her short 26 or 27 years and she's earned her stripes both as a author marketing consultant and fiction author...

I'm always proud to have her guest post for me...and here she is:

Author Platform: Keyword being Author

By Bri Clark

Let’s talk author platform, first by defining what exactly it means.

Author Platform: The marketing base on which an author builds, contributes to, and draws from throughout their career.

In my opinion author platform is not defined by your genre or publisher, but by you the author. Can you use the fact you are a Christian Fiction Thriller Author to build you blog, social media accounts, speaking engagements around. Go right ahead. However, don’t say I didn’t warn you.

Do you know how many Christian Fiction Thriller Writers there are? A lot….huh? Same thing goes for paranormal romance writers. (that’s one of my hats) A freaking lot.

The point is you want to stand out and be noticed. Then retain those that have found you.

Now I’ll give you two examples of authors who did not limit themselves by their genre or genres.

First, my gracious host. Vincent Zandri. Take the title of his blog for example.

The Vincent Zandri Vox.

Two Points

·        His name is included in the title and the url. This is a must for SEO optimization.

·        Vox in itself tells you he’s a guy who isn’t typical. In fact, it almost acts as a warning in saying. Hey you are definitely going to learn in a way that is outside the box.

Second, myself.

Bri Clark the Belle of Boise

Two Points

·        My name is included in the title and url. This is a must for SEO optimization.

·        The Belle of Boise. I am a southern belle to the core. And I recently moved to Bosie ID. People here love hearing how I speak, my sayings and my heritage.

I believe I can speak for myself as well as Vincent that by keeping our core personalities of who we are as people, as authors the principle of the platform it’s much easier to build upon. My posts on my blogs are as varied from balancing a career and my daughter’s birthday parties, to how to write a proper blog post. Vincent’s range from general debauchery to his recent contract with a traditional publishing house.

The point is fair writers and authors if it’s you that’s your foundation you won’t find yourself floundering in this maze of a publishing world.

What’s your platform? What’s your opinion? I’d love to hear it.

Belle Consulting

Bri Clark the Belle of Boise