Who says platform building needs to be boring?
Welcome to week one of your journey in the publishing world. The managing editor just had you send her your manuscript. You have two weeks before you'll receive the edits . . . two weeks to begin your marketing plan.
Oh boy.
That thing.
Yeah, the thing you sort of planned out in your head prior to publishing but said, "Eh, I'll worry about it after I get a contract."
And then you got the contract. And then, oh boy.
So what to do now? You glance at your social media accounts wondering how to build those connections and engage with the people who are already following you. Sounds like a lot of work.
As Mary Poppins says, "In every job that must be done, there is an element of fun." So why not enjoy what will be a 12-month process of marketing?
Write for Publications That Reach Your Readership
This is one of the best ways to be able to write about topics you (and your readers) care about most. And, conversely, it can establish you as an expert in your particular genre and develop a readership who will be eager to read your book when it releases.
Create a Fun Twitter Account in Your Genre
Dozens of Twitter accounts exist for the YA (my) genre alone. You have a Brooding YA Hero, a Typical YA Villain, even one for the sibling of the protagonist.
My friend and I decided to create our own accounts for this. I chose to do the typical good-looking YA Hero and managed to connect with Typical YA Villain mentioned above (I was geeking out because Typical YA Villain's account is fantastic and hilarious). Who knew networking would be so much more than small talk at conferences?
Connect with Facebook Groups with Authors/Readers of Your Genre
It surprised me how many people wrote Contemporary YA (and read it). This past week, I managed to find at least 20 groups on Facebook that Den could fit well with.
Groups I joined ranged in size from 100 to 70,000 people. I can't wait to see what other authors in my genre are up to and get feedback from readers about how I can market better to provide content they would love to read.