Any tips on how to gain a following online in order to publish books?

Question

I am new to the popular writing, publishing world. My background is a teacher and a writer in the academic sense. That no longer is my main interest. Evidently, I need to gain a following. My subjects are mental health and life lessons based on experience and education. I dabble in humor, but I do not know if I am funny or not.

Answer 1

1. Start a blog.
2. Write guest posts for other blogs and news outlets such as online and print magazines and newspapers.
3. Position yourself as an expert for your topics and give interviews for tv and YouTubers.
4. Use the social media that your target audience uses (e.g. Instagram, YouTube, Twitter) to spread your information.

Non-fiction requires a lot of marketing effort.

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What you need to build is called platform.

So what you want to search for if you are looking for more in depth advice is something like "non-fiction platform building". Here are two short articles where literary agents speak of how to approach this:

• https://rachellegardner.com/non-fiction-platforms-2/

• https://nybookeditors.com/2020/01/author-platform-is-it-relevant-how-to-build-it/

There's lots more, so do some research, but it all boils down to writing or speaking contributions to relevant media.

Answer 2

I assume your interest is in general audience fiction.

Your focus is best put towards writing. A public following is only useful if you have a novel to sell. But a following isn’t necessary and doesn’t ensure success.

A good novel is a necessity.

So focus on coming up with a great story written well.

If the book is published, then you can engage a publicist to help you publicize it. They’ll arrange interviews for you, the author, to expose more people to you and your writing. They’ll also help you use social media to market your work to the communities most likely to be interested in it.

They’ll also identify critics whose opinions can influence your potential audience to want to read your story.