You can’t have a writing career if you don’t first have an audience of readers.
That’s why every serious young writer will eventually begin asking how they can work on building that platform of engaged readers who want to buy books from them.
If you fall into this camp, you’ve come to the right place!
Whether you’re close to pursuing publication, or simply want to better identify what makes you stand apart as a writer and how to find your readers, I want to give you the foundation you need on how to do that by using your unique voice.
Let’s dive in!
First off, let’s define what the word “Platform” really means:
When people use the term “Author Platform” what they mean is your ability to connect with an audience, to let your voice be heard, as if you were standing on a “platform” to reach a crowd. It’s your ability to connect with readers and those who may eventually be interested in purchasing your content.
Which leads us to the next term—
Defining what the term “target audience” means:
Your target audience is a specific group of people that your book/blog/content is aimed at. This is your readership, the people you are writing for. This can be a pretty broad term, and sometimes is tricky to really identify. I tend to think of Target Audience in two specific contexts—
There is the broader target audience. This generally is tied into the genre of what you are writing. For example, my novel, DUST, is a Young Adult Fairytale Retelling, so my broad target audience are young adult readers. This means generally 12 to 18-year-olds (though in reality, most YA readers are a good deal older than that).
However, that said, I also like to think about my more specific target audience. Or my specific target reader. To really understand who my books will have an impact on, and how to reach that person as I begin to platform build, I need to hone in on who that reader is.
Generally, this means thinking through the kind of reader I am. The kind of reader I’d want to be friends with. The kind of person who can resonate with my own passions and themes and storytelling style.
Here is what that reader may look like for me:
- A young woman who is about 19, fresh out of high school, on the cusp of discovering who she is.
- She’s quiet, but her head is full of big ideas and dreams.
- She’s passionate about making an impact and letting people know that their voices matter, but she’s not always sure how to do that (this is a topic that is close to my heart).
- She may wear glasses, and she likes pops of color, but isn’t always confident enough to lean into the more vibrant styles that catch her eye.
- She is a nerd and will get very animated if you get her talk about her favorite Marvel Movie (hint: it’s Spider-Man as a standalone, and Infinity War as an ensemble).
- She battles depression and anxiety, but clings to her faith, desperately trusting that someday it has to get better; right?
- She’s artistic and loves seeing beauty in the quiet things.
- She’d much rather sit and have a deep conversation than go to a big party.
- She has a tattered copy of Harry Potter that she has dogeared and is an old friend.
The list could go on and on, but as you can see, this gives me a pretty good idea of the kind of person I’m writing for. A girl who in some ways, is a lot like me…or the kind of person I used to be, or the kind of person I could have been.
This does not mean that every single reader I have is like the above list. Far from it. However, identifying a single reader profile will help you to better fine tune your own perspective and what you have to offer when it comes to connect with an audience.
It can be hard to really focus in on who your reader is when you are trying to connect with everyone, but really are engaging and relating to no one in particular.
Having an understanding of who your broad and personal audience is will allow you to better identify how to reach your readers.
This will also help you know what it is about you as an author that sets you apart and allows you to engage in your own unique way.
We live in world where everyone is screaming for a voice. Why should someone listen to yours?
Because building your platform is actually not all that much about you. It’s even more about them. About the people you are looking to connect with.
Yes, your unique voice will set you apart—
But do you know what will allow you to do more than just stand apart? What will allow you to build a community that will support your writing and engage with you on a deeper level? Those readers who will actually buy your books and tell other people about them?
When you not only use your unique voice to connect with your audience—but also choose to listen to them.
You choose to step into that space, whether it be social media or your blog or your email list, and not just show up with something to say…but also with something to offer.
That is the core of all this. It may not be a secret sauce to grow your platform fast or flashy, but this fundamental idea will create genuine community and find genuine readers.
Using your unique voice to grow your platform means understanding what you have to offer to your unique audience, and using your gifts and passions to connect with those readers on a deeper level.
A solid, lasting platform, the ability to have your work seen in front of hundreds of eyes, is less about the numbers, and more about the quality of the community.
When my book recently launched, I did not have the biggest platform out there, but the followers and readers I do have are loyal, genuine friends.
And they freely shared and supported my book in huge ways, causing DUST to hit multiple bestseller lists and have the most successful hardcover launch my publisher has ever had. Not because I had a massive platform—but because I had community.
And that is what this is all about.
Alright, so, now that you know a bit about identifying your audience, how do you practically build community and connect with them? What is your unique voice and how do you use it?
I’m glad you asked 😉
Your unique voice is the way you translate the world.
The way you see things, the color and texture that allow you to tell a story in a way only you can. You may not realize it, but you already have a distinctive voice, simply because you are a distinctive person. We all do. Sometimes it’s a matter of knowing how to convey it well.
Your unique voice is what you are passionate about.
The themes and causes that matter to you. What are your passions? What do you feel is worth speaking up about? Are there aspects of those passions that others can connect and resonate with? Lean into those.
Your unique voice is the area(s) in life you are vulnerable about.
What is a hardship you have dealt with, or are currently walking through, that you feel you are willing to be open and vulnerable about in order to connect and support others? Perhaps it’s mental health? Or a chronic illness? Or something entirely different? When we can be vulnerable with our readers and the community we are building, it allows people to form genuine friendships and get to truly know our hearts. Especially if those vulnerabilities are woven into your stories. (Be safe in how and what you share, of course. But we all have aspects we can safely show vulnerability in.)
Your unique voice is the quirky, fun things you love.
We love to geek out and sometimes just enjoy things! Don’t be afraid to share your quirky side or get excited about things that bring you joy.
Your unique voice is the desire to serve those around you.
Especially as people of faith, many of us have an intention to not just treat our readers as someone who is there to buy a book…but as a real, living soul that we want to impact and care for. Everyone’s way of impacting and serving their readers will look a little different, but however it is that you can uniquely connect and serve your audience, that is also a part of your voice. Whether that be through encouragement, or teaching, or simply being relatable.
Your unique voice is the creativity that flows from you.
You are a writer for a reason! Don’t be afraid to show that creativity. The mind that sparks worlds to life or sees an entire depth-filled blog post from the flutter of a bird’s wings or spends time crafting a rich character. That creativity is also distinctly you, and people want to see it, want to know how you create. Don’t be afraid to let them in on the journey.
Your unique voice is ultimately the gifts and passions and quirks that make you the author and person that you are.
Those elements are what sets you apart. Those things, and so much more. The clever, witty, kind, imaginative, daring, quirky aspects that make you…you. And those elements are what build into the way you translate the world, the way you craft stories, the way you connect with people.
Take those things that make your voice unique, and then use them to not only convey your individual voice to the world—but also to resonate and connect with others who will be drawn to those things. Drawn to the real you. Drawn to your passions and skills.
Build community by being intentional with those things.
When it comes to actually creating content to share on social media, or in an email, or on a blog…balance the dynamic of sharing a bit of yourself, with also drawing others into the conversation, especially by directing that conversation toward storytelling-related things.
It’s a three-strand rope that, if woven rightly, can not only seamlessly draw your readers into engaging with your writing and supporting it, but allow them to feel connected to your stories because they are resonating with you as a person, and feel heard and seen in return.
As you’re figuring out this balance, work to know your boundaries up front. The elements of yourself that you are willing and comfortable sharing, and the elements that may not need to be shared publicly.
Also, decide in advance how closely you want to engage with your readers. How quickly do you intend to respond to comments and messages? Know what level of conversation you are comfortable with, and where you want to maintain a bit of professional distance.
Always work to tie your posts and the bits of vulnerability back into your writing, because it will allow your readers to connect on multiple levels, while also creating another built-in boundary when it comes to sharing more publicly.
These dynamics of using your unique vantage point on the world to connect with and serve your audience are the fundamentals of crafting any kind of platform in a way that cultivates community.
Your Next Steps
Now that you know how to use your unique voice to build your platform, the next step is to begin practicing this.
Not sure where to start? Begin by writing up a short post (1-3 paragraphs) as a sample of what you might share in a social media post, email, or introductory blog post. This post must feature three things:
1. An opening question to hook your reader (generally themed in some way)
2. A brief, honest story/experience from your life that draws your reader in and gives them something to sympathize with and feel like they have gotten to know you a bit (leaning into the community feel)
3. Tether that story to something writing-related, and subtly remind your reader that you are a writer, and show them why you write and why they should care
4. Try to use your own unique voice/style as a person in the way you craft this post
5. If you have a writer-related email list/social media account/blog, feel free to share it! So that anyone else who wants to can follow you
If you do this exercise, feel free to share yours in the comments so we can all see your work!
Building a platform takes time and work, but it’s so rewarding to be able to connect with your readers in a meaningful way.
