Getting ready
Well hi! Looks like you heard about the 31 Day Author Platform Challenge, and decided to go for it. We start tomorrow (November 1st)!
First off, welcome! I’m impressed and proud of you. Second, to be sure you start out on the right foot, let’s take a few minutes to prepare.
Prep for the 31 Day Author Platform Challenge:
Grab a fresh new notebook. Create an ongoing “31-Day Author Platform Challenge To Do List.” You can also create an e-version via a new Word Doc, or new To Do list on your phone (the Notes or Keep apps work well). I like having a physical book I can see and touch, and writing down the to-dos by hands helps my brain remember better. But you do you. 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!
Got a book ready? Label your official “31 Day Author Platform Challenge To Do List” now. Keep it within reach of wherever you spend most of your online time. Any daily task you don’t need to tackle because you’ve already done it (you superstar you), 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’ve 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. But to recap:
- 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.
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 links above 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).
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! 🙂