Well-Heeled Writer Platform

Building a writing platform is an important ingredient in finding success with our craft.  I’m talking more about how we validate our work, answering the question … Why are you the one to write this Mystery/Romance/Family Drama/YA book?  What expertise can you bring to the work?  Take this chair, for instance.  It definitely has “platform” going on.  At the same time, it brings something fresh to the seat genre.  But without that platform, the chair so lacks authority!

Platform is helpful in both fiction and nonfiction, and there are several ways a writer can build one.  Some include holding an MFA.  Are you a lawyer?  Back up the legal thriller you’ve written with that title.  Love to cook?  Parlay that passion into your own unique cookbook.

Authority in a subject does lend credibility to a piece of writing, and can help influence agents, editors, and especially your reading audience.  At the same time it gives you a rich knowledge of wisdom and experience to bring to the page, layering your story with authenticity.

For me, I’ve developed my blog as an extension of my novel Whole Latte Life.  The blog looks at the same questions the book does, that of living our passions, whatever they may be.  I’ve posed questions to my readers, initiated active dialogues in the Comments, and interviewed experts in the arts of music, writing, greeting card design, cooking, and others, to bring their experiences to my readers, and to build my own base of knowledge on the subject.

So think Platform … Consider your education, employment, hobby, expertise, craft, as a shoe-in to building your writing resume.

~Joanne

A review for Joanne’s novel, Whole Latte Life, will be reviewed right here on Chick Lit Plus on Wednesday, so stay tuned and check out the link below.