Background for those starting late

I know a bunch of people are finding out about the 31 Day Author Platform Challenge recently and/or are just starting it. Welcome. It’s never too late! This challenge can begin at any time, so don’t feel rushed to catch up on every past day to match where we are now. Take the time to do each task properly! To be sure you start out on the same right foot the rest of us did, here’s a recap on getting started.

Prep for the 31 Day Author Platform Challenge:

Grab a fresh new notebook in order to create a new “31-Day Author Platform Challenge To Do List.” You can also create a new Word Doc or new To Do list on your phone (the Notes or Keep apps work well). The point is you’ll want ONE separate and central place to keep track of all your thoughts, notes, and To Dos this month–of which there may be many!

Start your official “31 Day Author Platform Challenge To Do List” now. Any task you don’t need to tackle because you’ve already completed, you can come back to this list and pick something to work on. Any day you complete in a flash or any time you have a few extra minutes, come back to this list.

Note on Author Branding

I made an assumption that you not only KNOW what an author brand is, but that you HAVE or are WORKING ON one. I’m not defining or going into detail on what an author brand means here because that’s a whole different can o’ worms.

• When I talk about your personal brand, I am referring to how you present yourself to and are seen by the public, the impression you make on readers, agents, editors, fellow writers/artists, and anyone else paying attention. Scribe Media describes it this way: “Book positioning tells someone why your book is the right book for them. Author branding tells someone why they should read your book, as opposed to anyone else’s.” I’d add to it by saying it tells people why to follow you vs someone else.
• I trust you have already thought about how you are presenting your unique qualities. I trust you’ve figured out what “brands” you as a person, as a writer, or artist. (To not confuse your brand with your image, scroll halfway down this blog post: https://bitsykemper.com/2016/03/10/creating-an-author-platform/.)
• If you DON’T have an author brand, or haven’t given it a thought, now is the time! Everything we do in the platform challenge will be supporting it. But if yours isn’t defined yet, don’t panic and bail. What we’re doing in these 31 days can help you figure out and hone your brand. You’ll be better prepared when you’re ready to define it when we’re done.
• For help on creating an author brand, find great posts by Rocket Expansion, NY Book Editors, and PW here, here, and here.

Recapping the refresher:

Recap: Get a new, dedicated notebook to capture a Platform Challenge To Do list. Refer to the To Do List and complete any item on list when you have an easy day or free time. Check out the provided links if you need a refresher on what “author brand” means. Don’t use the lack of a solid author brand as an excuse to bail on the challenge (nice try, though).

Again, if you can’t catch up on each challenge in time for, say, Day 15 on May 15, don’t sweat it. Start anytime. Do your Day 15 on YOUR Day 15. I’m not checking anyone’s calendar. The point is to take the challenge seriously and to get these things done, even if that means you do this mid-June or the end of November.

I’m excited to have you on board. I hope you root for the rest of us as we will be rooting for you! Drop your social media handles here in the comments so we can follow each other.

And please subscribe to this blog (up top, right column on desktop, below on your phone) to be sure you get each challenge sent to you.

Let’s get platforming! 🙂