From My Platform, I Can See…

…perhaps over the top of my laptop to the stuff on the desk behind it. That’s not a very tall platform, now is it? In publishing parlance, an author’s platform is who knows them, who follows them, who’s talking about them, and most importantly who is waiting for their book to be published. I’ve been working on Stan Finds Himself on the Other Side of the World for a very long time. The good news is that virtually everybody who knows me is aware of this fact. The better news is that I keep meeting new people all the time – so I suppose you could say I am consistently growing my platform.

My social media influence isn’t rock-star status, but it’s not bad, either. And with some consistent work and a P-L-A-N, it will get better.

One new thing I’ve done this year is begin to do readings – albeit small ones – where I get to see the listeners’ reactions to my work. Overall, the response has been quite positive – as it has been from those who’ve read the whole ARC (advance reader copy). The most common refrain is: “Just finish it already!”

Since I plan to publish it early next year, I will be hitting the pavement hard, working to connect with book clubs and travel groups, which seem to be two target-rich environments for me. I plan to develop an app – more details on that to come in a few days – and a few ancillary books and other products.

I have a vision of a six-city West Coast train tour this coming summer, starting in San Diego and heading north through L.A., San Francisco, Portland, Seattle, and Vancouver. This will be a group tour with a handful of other authors who want to share the experience. I’ve had a travel agent friend working on the details part-time for a while now. A LOT of coordination goes into an event like this – so please keep your fingers crossed that we can pull it off. And stay tuned, because as soon as the details are in place, we’ll publish them here first!

In the meantime, if you’re new to the blog, please take a look around. Download the FIRST 5 Chapters – and if you like what you’re reading, mark your calendars for the full release in Spring 2017!

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LAURA ORSINI is an author and self-publishing consultant who works with other authors who want to change the world. From concept to publication to the first-time author’s book launch, her expertise will help you make a better book and find more readers. Friend her on Facebook, follow her on Twitter, and check out her pins on Pinterest.