Monday, July 24, 2006
Platform? What Platform?
It's a word you're likely to hear a lot these days, especially if you write nonfiction. When agents and editors talk about "platforms," what they're saying is, in essence, "how are you going to sell this book?"
Not we, note. You.
The days are gone when having done something for ten or twenty or thirty years makes you an expert -- at least in the eyes of the reading public, and therefore in the eyes also of those who cater to it. These days, you need to have name recognition, and the more instant that recognition, the better.
"What do you mean, you've been a ham radio operator for 40 years? Okay, do you write a column about being a ham radio operator? No... hmm. So have you been on any TV or radio shows, talking about being a ham radio operator? Un-huh. Let's see... Do you have an advanced degree in ham radio operation? What's that? There's aren't any? Oh... Well, at least you've taught classes in ham radio operation, right? Gosh, I'm sorry. Your book looks absolutely terrific, the outline really covers the subject area, you have a lively writing style, I'd love to publish this. Can you go and find a real expert we can add on as a co-author?"
I edited a stunning book in which a survivor of domestic violence narrated her story and drew conclusions from it about the dynamics of domestic abuse. She still hasn't gotten a traditional publisher interested in the book. Apparently being beaten up for twenty-odd years doesn't mean that she knows what she's talking about: she lacks a platform.
Allyson Peletier, who is now a consultant (www.AmbitiousEnterprises.com), worked for some time at the major imprint of a major publisher. She says, "It mattered very much what an author's background was when evaluating nonfiction for two reasons -- it is generally assumed that potential readers will choose a book by an obvious 'expert' over a nonexpert, and our marketing and publicity departments insisted that their media contacts wouldn't bother with an author without obvious credentials in the field in which he or she was writing."
The platform issue has even engendered businesses. Fern Reiss, a media and public relations specialist, writes and lectures on what she calls "expertizing" (www.expertizing.com). Best advice? Buy one -- or several -- of Fern's books.
You don't have to -- necessarily -- go out and get a terminal degree in your field of interest in order to have a platform. Start small. A blog dedicated to the topic. A column in your local newspaper. Teach a course in your subject area, and then teach another. Do a workshop or a presentation on a local cable TV show -- or, better still, host your own. Get to be a recognized "expert," even locally at first, and you'll be building that platform. Build up to regional and then national publications, and eventually you can start getting your name associated with your book's subject.
And then you can approach an agent or publisher with a stunning book proposal (Customline Wordware can help you there!) that includes a substantial section on your "platform." And you'll be... beyond the elements of style!
Jeannette Cézanne
Customline Wordware: Custom Copy To Go!
http://www.customline.com
Not we, note. You.
The days are gone when having done something for ten or twenty or thirty years makes you an expert -- at least in the eyes of the reading public, and therefore in the eyes also of those who cater to it. These days, you need to have name recognition, and the more instant that recognition, the better.
"What do you mean, you've been a ham radio operator for 40 years? Okay, do you write a column about being a ham radio operator? No... hmm. So have you been on any TV or radio shows, talking about being a ham radio operator? Un-huh. Let's see... Do you have an advanced degree in ham radio operation? What's that? There's aren't any? Oh... Well, at least you've taught classes in ham radio operation, right? Gosh, I'm sorry. Your book looks absolutely terrific, the outline really covers the subject area, you have a lively writing style, I'd love to publish this. Can you go and find a real expert we can add on as a co-author?"
I edited a stunning book in which a survivor of domestic violence narrated her story and drew conclusions from it about the dynamics of domestic abuse. She still hasn't gotten a traditional publisher interested in the book. Apparently being beaten up for twenty-odd years doesn't mean that she knows what she's talking about: she lacks a platform.
Allyson Peletier, who is now a consultant (www.AmbitiousEnterprises.com), worked for some time at the major imprint of a major publisher. She says, "It mattered very much what an author's background was when evaluating nonfiction for two reasons -- it is generally assumed that potential readers will choose a book by an obvious 'expert' over a nonexpert, and our marketing and publicity departments insisted that their media contacts wouldn't bother with an author without obvious credentials in the field in which he or she was writing."
The platform issue has even engendered businesses. Fern Reiss, a media and public relations specialist, writes and lectures on what she calls "expertizing" (www.expertizing.com). Best advice? Buy one -- or several -- of Fern's books.
You don't have to -- necessarily -- go out and get a terminal degree in your field of interest in order to have a platform. Start small. A blog dedicated to the topic. A column in your local newspaper. Teach a course in your subject area, and then teach another. Do a workshop or a presentation on a local cable TV show -- or, better still, host your own. Get to be a recognized "expert," even locally at first, and you'll be building that platform. Build up to regional and then national publications, and eventually you can start getting your name associated with your book's subject.
And then you can approach an agent or publisher with a stunning book proposal (Customline Wordware can help you there!) that includes a substantial section on your "platform." And you'll be... beyond the elements of style!
Jeannette Cézanne
Customline Wordware: Custom Copy To Go!
http://www.customline.com
