Building the Platform---Oh Joy!

I haven't sent out any queries since I started this blog. I've been busy being committed to writing a better proposal, getting my sample chapters perfected and building my platform. Of course, I say that word platform with a tinge of consternation. After all, I'm a writer--I want to sit in my office and write. What I don't want to do is spend my time engaging social media and meeting so called 'internet friends.' Or, could I be wrong? Maybe I would like internet friends; maybe I am made for social media!

I started this blog thinking "It's what the agents want, so I will do it."  But the truth is I no longer do it for the agents...I like blogging. I like meeting other wanna-be writers, I like connecting, I like working to be an author. 

So here goes: part of being an author is marketing and part of marketing is building an on-line platform. And here's a little unknown fact about me: the number one reason(s) I get rejected is Mentor M's No. 38: You Have no Internet Presence and No. 40: You Are Not Engaged/Poorly Engaged in Social Media. In fact, over the past year this issue became more and more like a large stone around my neck. My manuscript Saving Mary was read by Random House who responded "...impressed in many ways with your prose and your narrative style...[but] we generally only work with authors who have major and national media platforms." Likewise an agent responded to one of my proposals: "'Not visible enough' is a comment I receive [from publishers] all too often....You simply do not have the platform publishers feel they need...."

So there you have it, platforms are annoying but imperative. Over the next few weeks I will build a platform that should be able to convince any agent that:

* I am highly visible on the internet
* I am engaged in social media
* my internet presence is professional
* that I can run a grass roots campaign
* that I can sell books
* that I have PR worthy accomplishments
* that I understand marketing

Easy-peasy, right? (sigh) Not really.