You may or may not know, I offered up a proposal to teach a class on Creating an Author’s Platform. And the moment I did this I thought, “Girl you better start pumping up your own platform so you look like you are all-knowing all-seeing platform girl.” A few elements an author’s platform encompasses are social media, your personality, other projects and places you are engaging with and being published, and who you know. I’ve blogged and been online steadily for four years. I have learned a tremendous amount about social media, gathering a tribe, and all things online etiquette-y. But one of the areas I pale in is self-promotion. This is a particularly dreadful area for many of us artistic types, especially women.
Self-promotion is a tricky concept as we don’t want to appear demanding or egotistical. And so we err on the side of not saying anything as opposed to coming off as this. Except, as Jeff Goins, online writer and marketing guru points out, you are even more egotistical if you expect people to come and read or appreciate your artistic efforts if you’ve said nothing. Unrealistic, to say the least, and sort of mean to yourself.
If you are feeling wobbly about what you have to offer, the trick is to figure out how you can make it look like you think you’re good enough (while you honestly try to feel it) so that others think you are too. Everyone wants to support a winner, my friend’s Mom says. If I’m a publishing house, I will want to represent a writer who has already started their promotional work. So you have to say things like,
Please Read and Share my Writing
That is tougher than it seems. But if it were a friend’s piece who I adored, I’d say excitedly, “You reaally need to put your eyes on this. My girl has wisdom in spades and has helped me countless times to figure my way out of tough spots and find hope and a plan where I didn’t think there was one.” Or something equally lovely. So you see, I’m attempting to move myself out of the 120 subscriber rut (oops look at that, it’s now 119) I’ve apparently stalled in. If you love what I have to say, subscribe to my posts please. Makes all this effort a little more worthwhile.
Meanwhile, I am planning an Instagram picture challenge beginning May 16th, 2016. I am cooking up a bonus offering for people who sign up to receive my blog posts in their inboxes. And am considering offering a single email delivery a week option that encompasses all three weekly posts. Is that something Y’all might be interested in? Might just start it up and see what happens.
Meanwhile, I’m exchanging interviews with lovely artist Mama Megan Gray, I am finishing up my Book Manifesto course now so that I understand in-depth what I really want to offer my readership, and I will be sending out writing submissions again sooner than later because that’s what I need to do to gain Klout! More art, more fun, more time, all would be nice yes. And here comes Summer! Sigh.
If you enjoyed what you read, subscribe, via the subscription box in the sidebar, to my thrice weekly posts via your emailbox. And visit me on Instagram to see my daily pictures, friend me or like my page on Facebook. Or come find me on Twitter or Pinterest too. I am always practicing Intentional Intouchness so chat at me please. I live for conversations.
And, as always, Thanks to you for your visit.
