Platform Building 101

In the competitive job market, employers look for people with experience. Literary agents and publishers are no different, and the experience they are looking for is called a “platform.” This platform, however, is not just the list of your publications; it’s the sum of your total footprint [or reach] in the publishing world. This panel will help you design your platform and propel you to the next level of your writing and publishing journey.

Literary agents want authors who have an author platform, a ready-made audience that sees you as a talented writer or a topical expert. The writers, editors, and literary nonprofit leaders on this panel will explore how to build that audience and your profile in the publishing world. Strategies include developing an online presence, networking with writers in your genre, connecting with alumni and community organizations and libraries, and reviewing/interviewing more well-known authors in your genre.

Panel members will first introduce themselves and describe their experiences and strategies for building an effective platform. They will then engage with a panel moderator, who will take them through a set of practical questions on how to build an author platform. Then, the panel will open up to questions from the audience in a fruitful exploration of techniques and stories that will be useful for writers seeking to expand their publishing power.