It tends to be widely publicized that an author needs to have a platform to make it in the business, or sometimes to even be published. This can be difficult to build when the author is still unpublished. Whether this is for social media accounts or for sales in general, a platform is essential to success.

In Michael Warner’s article, he speaks about how he created a platform by publishing another book as a loss leader. This means he sold this other product (a smaller book) at a discounted rate to increase interest in his other works. This also provided a basis to show his expertise. By doing so, he was able to establish a platform which made it easier for his next work to debut.

This is one way to establish a platform.

A more common way is the hard way that takes several years to accomplish. Put up an author website. Write articles on your craft and submit them to writing journals and magazines. Once you’ve published, give talks, interviews, and webinars online. Build a following on social media specific to your field. Keep a blog.

There are hundreds of different ways to establish an author platform. But this is essential to publish and sell your book.