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Michael asked an excellent question:

“How would I be able to get the word out if I published a book? I currently have no “platform.’. I am not on tv/radio/public speaker . . . what are some of my options, or should I wait until I get a platform?”

I’m not sure if Michael already has a book written yet, but the time to think about “getting a platform” is before you even start writing.

And you don’t “get a platform,” you build one.

A “platform” is publishing and media industry speak for your following. So, what you need is to build a following. How?

A number of ways. First, you need to find the people who are already interested in your topic. Here are some suggestions:

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One of the most common questions I get is, How do I create a platform for myself?

Well, I just came across a most exciting new resource to help you get exposure in, perhaps, The Washington Post or New York Times.

Could that help you in any way, do you think?

I’m talking about a service called Help a Reporter. Sign up with your email address and three times a day, Peter Shankman will send you a list of all kinds of things reporters are looking for. (Thank you, Peter Shankman–and Bonnie Dillabough,founder of the Yaktivate.com podcasting network, Cookie Cutter Group teacher and Internet marketer extraordinaire, for telling me about this!)

Here’s what Peter served up tonight, to give you a taste.

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I was talking to an acquisitions editor the other day.

“What do you look for most in a publishable author?” I asked.

“Platform,” was his quick answer. “It’s all about platform.”

Platform is industry speak for an audience. People who are already in your “tribe.” People who are already following you.

That’s what publishers look for, first and foremost.

“Do you look for authors who have self-published and are already successful?” I asked.

“Usually those authors don’t need us,” he answered. “But if they are successful and they want us to publish them, we’d certainly consider it.”

So there you go. If you’re an aspiring author seeking a publisher, (more…)