It reminds me of a story told about the man who sat in front of his old cast-iron stove and demanded, “Give me heat, and then I’ll give you wood.”

How do we find the niche that wants what we want to write? How do we find a niche and decide what it is looking for? (I do know about wordtracker). Where can we learn copywriting?
I’m working on all these things to create a platform for the books thatI am writing.

I’m willing to chop the wood and load the stove, but so far, I seem to be missing the trees and the stove–and a bit of flint and steel would help too!

I recommend your first series with Allison, and I have at least some of those goals accomplished. I am eager to hear the next sessions. Your teleconferences are well-scripted, unlike a number of others I have heard.

I have something even more discouraging… I had to go back and see what I posted because I don’t remember posting!!!! And it was long, even!

But, then, I’m something of a zombie right now. Anyone want a cat with tourette’s and a dog that scared to death of thunderstorms? I really should get some valium.

For the dog…not me.

Although speaking of drugs, I already prostitute myself to the drug companies for grant money. Research is expensive and if they’re willing to fork over money, I’ll take it. However, I don’t and won’t sacrifice my academic integrity by doing shoddy work just to throw a good light on their products. I think the same goes with writing. I might have to prostitute myself to the publishers, but it doesn’t mean I have to produce mediocre work.

Once you have a loyal following you should continue to thank them by putting out good work that they’ll continue to recommend and help your fanbase grow. Put out bad work and you’ll start to lose your fanbase and fail to draw in new fans.

In veterinary medicine, we rely heavily on word of mouth recommendations. We use the rule of thumb: Treat one client well, gain two new clients; treat one client bad, lose ten current or potential clients. Bad news travels further and faster than good.

What I took home, was that as someone looking to publish my first novel, I need to be getting “known” now. Agents, editors - the first thing they seem to ask a newbie is “what’s your platform?”

There’s no way to avoid it. Another hopeful novelist and I are plotting our platform. We’re mom, we’re in MOPS - MOPS groups need speakers. She writes women’s lit, I write comtemporary YA/women’s.

You blog is fantastic!

Darcie
www.joyinthelitterbox.blogspot.com

My Mother was a budding writer who went to a writing conference many moons ago. There she learned that for her writing to be relevent or marketable, she had to have something to say. The tragic result was that she stopped writing, because she felt that she didn’t have anything to say.

I think that the PEE her writing was geared for was escapism. As a fantasy writer, it’s mine too. What kind of platform is there for fantasy? In many cases fantasy and sci-fi are great backdrops for societal commentary and political agenda, but when used that way it can really ruin a good story. Nobody reads to get preached at, and it’s no fun to write with a mindset of “I must make sure they get my message!”

If I had to define a platform for myself, I guess it would be that everyone (I write for the juvenile female population) has a cosmic significance or destiny.

Hmm, if I just answered my own question there (not sure that I have), I have a fresh one. Once you get a platform, what on earth do you do with it?

Any thoughts would be very appreciated!

~bonne

(P.S. Am I the only one who thinks JK Rowling is a good storyteller trapped in the body of a bad writer?) Oh dear, was that my outside voice?

–Snoopy

Anyone else?

The marketing aspect has a lot to do with the quality of the work itself; it must be reflective of the package being generated.

It’s interesting if you compare an author’s work to an actor who is type-cast into a particular kind of roll.

For this reason, an author must be careful if they are becoming “known” for a particular style. This is probably a good reason to use pseudonyms in some cases when you’re starting out.

Blessings,
Joleena

The ‘prostitution theme’ isn’t really whining…well, some people whine about it. It’s all about selling yourself and convincing your ‘client’ that you are invaluable to them, that you have something no one else has. And if you do your job well, your potential ‘clients’ will seek you out.

For my research, we have established a good model for studying the effectiveness of NSAIDs in horses. We use this model as a hook with pharmaceutical companies to fund research studies. Now, however, we have them coming to us asking for a proposal to study some new drug or another.

Favorite books/authors: Large variety from Homer to many contempory authors of Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Horror.

I’m half-embarassed to add the Harry Potter books, mostly because they’re an easy read and I really like the story line (I hated that she killed off Professor Dumbledore in the Half-Blood Prince).

I also have to add that I’ve tried reading ‘Pillars of the Earth’, but not my cup of tea (although I did get further into it than I did ‘The Grapes of Wrath’-never got past p.5)

Not that I have some need to take on a broad range of genres… But I wonder if people fan out because they need move on to other things once they’ve gotten something off their chest.

ie: my current wip drips with sweetness (my keyboard is even getting sticky) and it refuses to let me be dark, witty or sarcastic. I need to finish the sucker before I gag. The longer this takes, the darker, more cynical my next project will be.

Hearing all the talk about branding worries me… if I get this hearts-a-flutter candy off my chest, and then *IF* it even makes it, am I trapped?
How much latitude is there in one’s “brand”?

Judging by some of the ACFW “free range” (brandless)posters, you’d think branding didn’t matter at all.

Camille, aka Confused Newbie

Sent an e-mail regarding the NSAID question since that’s heading way off topic.

I do agree with you in forming a marriage or LTR with your readers and/or your niche market since, ultimately, they’re the ones who are going to make you or break you.

However, to get to your reader you have to get published. But to get published you have to deal with a publisher (I’m excluding self-publishing here). And in order to get the publisher to look at you, you have to sell yourself and make them want you. This is where the notion of ‘prostitution’ comes in because you’re selling yourself (and hoping to make money by doing so). With the publisher, it’s strictly a business arrangement. You’re using them and they’re using you.

I can see why a lot of people don’t like the term ‘prostitution’; but, and maybe it’s just the liberal progressive in me, I don’t associate it with any negative connotations.

I love listening to you all each day and seldom say much. But tonight, I’ll put a word in. I have attended several conferences over the last few years and am learning so much. This website has been as good or better than any conference–little bits of input for me to digest each day rather than a feast I can’t possibly take in.

About Platforms–I have been writing a fantasy series for many years. It is my heart and soul, and the reason I have tried to learn my “craft.” One publisher has become a friend and is guiding me gently through my freshman, sophomore and now perhaps my junior stages. She told me that if I were really serious about getting my trilogy published, I needed to get a platform established first.

The fantasy market, especially the Christian one, is very difficult to break into. When I told her that dyslexia is the only subject in which I’m expert enough to speak with any credibility, she said that would work.(I just retired as a reading specialist and researcher from a public elementary school.)

So I’ve spent my first retirement year developing that platform. When I introduce myself to a group, I mention that iin my other life, I’m a Christian author who is writing a fantasy series that kids love and so do their parents. It’s amazing. Every time, some teachers or parents comes up afterwards and asks how soon the trilogy will be available. I’m sure I’ll be able to sell as many fantasy books as teacher resource books at any class I give. I’m sure it would be better if my platform were more connected to the fantasy world, but this world seems to work for now. At least it has given me a place to begin.

For the next few days, I’ve given up my tenny-runners for heels and my holey jeans for a fashionable dress, and I’m making it to every school within 40 miles of my home in Southern Oregon. I have blisters on my blisters, but school is out and the principals are in for a few more days. The marketing skills I’m learning now will transfer to my fantasy works when I’m ready.

I actually pitched my speaking series to a principal I’d never met before. That was even harder than an editor–and I did it! I only have to do it about 30 more times by next Friday. Boy! Wait ’til I get to the conference this year! It’s going to be a piece of cake!

Carol

P.S. Ron, one comment about Robert Jordan. I agree with everything you said, but he’s still the only author I go and check on whenever I go to Borders. I actually pray for the man. He’s been very ill, but I need him to live long enough to finish the series. I care about Rand and Egwene and Lan and…all eight protagonists. He can’t leave me hanging this way!

I guess if you create a real enough world, your readers will forgive your foibles in order to live in that world with you.