If you’re writing with the intention of selling your work,
you’ve no doubt run across magazines, blogs and tweets for authors, by authors
(or by someone who would like to sell something to an author) talking about the
importance of having a platform.
Building a platform is especially important for self
published authors since it serves as a marketing department as well as a
“backstage pass” for your readers; a conduit to your mind in case anyone’s
interested. The most touted venues like Facebook, Twitter, Google+, MySpace
(just kidding), Tumblr, etc. all have a common thread running through them.
Their very fabric is social.
I, however, am not social. Not even close. I score damn near
off the charts as an introvert. Crowds, even virtual ones, crack my dilithium
crystals.
If a viable alternative exists to having a social
infrastructure as a platform, I’m unaware of it. So I’ll do what I can. My plan
of action involves narrowing my focus to do one or two things well instead of
blindly signing up for things I don’t “get” (I’m looking at you Pinterest) just
because they’re popular.
As I’ve mentioned in a previous post, I’m on Twitter
regularly, as it seems to suit me best, what with the inherent limit on
communication length and all. It also allows me the illusion of anonymity, in
that I can post something and it’s immediately swept away by the gazillion
other tweets in the timeline.
In the meantime, if any of you are introverted independent
authors, how do you handle the whole platform thing? Feel free to let me know
in the comments.
