There is nothing worse than doing all the things to have a well-written, edited, fantastic book only to watch it sell only a handful of copies on launch day.

The biggest reason for "failure to launch" for authors is not having an author platform - a fan base - that is ready to go when you launch. This program teaches the steps to creating and growing that fan base.

The Building Your Author Platform course (and check out the bundle with other courses included!) is for the author who is struggling to effectively market their book and grow their audience and fan base.

It is ALSO for the author who recognizes the importance of having a solid base of readers prior to launching their book in the first place.

This is the step-by-step guide for all the things you need to do to build your author platform, which is the natural pre-requisite of trying to market. 

The Key Element to growing Your Author Platform is KNOWING your target audience and having a good sense of how to brand yourself properly for that audience, as well as how to find them and grow relationships with them.

In Building Your Author Platform, we begin with a focus on the WHY behind what you do, which helps you understand your WHO (target audience.) From there we build a brand. Then you can create the "home" to send new readers to. 


This self-paced program will help authors:

  • determine & develop their author branding
  • identify their target audience - more than just an overview, but a deep look into this
  • learn how to position themselves to grow the audience
  • think like a book buyer & set up your website in a way that is appealing to people who want to buy books!
  • grow the email list and social media platforms
  • set up and use the social media platforms
  • understand the power of influencers & how to leverage it to grow your own brand/platform
  • learn paid & free marketing 

 the participants will learn exactly how to implement to GROW their audience base through a mix of written content, PDF downloads, videos (there are more videos than the description says - many are embedded in the materials), step-by-step tutorials, swipe files and more.

Course Curriculum

  • 1

    Welcome & Overview

  • 2

    Understanding your WHY & Your GOALS

    • Story branding - why the WHY matters

    • Know Your Why

    • What is your platform?

    • {Video} Attract the Right Readers

    • Action Step
  • 3

    Gaining Followers - The Marketing Machine

    • The Link between Target Audience + Author Branding + Marketing Strategy

    • Getting in front of your Target Audience

    • {VIDEO} Understanding Your Target Audience

    • Video Recap {Determining Your Target Audience}

    • {VIDEO} How to get Readers on Demand - the introduction

    • Action Step: the WHO

    • Generating Buzz to Grow Your Author Platform - Key Places to BE

    • Creating Buzz for Your Book - the HOW

    • Publicity for your book Christina Nicholson the Media Maven
  • 4

    Author Branding

    • Determining Your Brand & Understanding Why "branding" is so important for authors trying to grow their platform

    • What is your brand? Action steps for starting.

    • {VIDEO} Your readers and your brand.

    • Action Step: Developing Your Author Brand & Your Brand Kit Guide
  • 5

    Setting Up Your Website & Social Media

    • Starting and Growing the Author Platform

    • Getting Started - Action Steps for Website & Social Media Sites

    • TASK: Setting Up Your Social Media Sites

    • {VIDEO} Understanding the Book Buyer's Path Before Setting Up Your Website

    • Setting up your website

    • Installing the Perfect Theme for Authors

    • {Video} What is Blogging and Why It is a Useful Tool for Growing your Author Platform
  • 6

    Leverage!

    • {VIDEO} How to Grow Your Platform by Connecting with Other Authors
  • 7

    Free & Paid Marketing Strategies

    • Paid Marketing Strategies

    • Free Marketing Strategies
  • 8

    How to Smash Your Book Launch

    • Video - How to Smash Your Book Launch
  • 9

    Bonuses

    • 25 Things to Blog About

    • Bonus. Using Trello to organize your blog editorial calendar PLUS Trello Board

    • Growing Your Community While You Are Writing Your Book
  • 10

    Become an Affiliate

    • Affiliate for the program

Join now and get to work on building your platform so you'll have a more successful book launch!

Register now for $197
Liquid error: internal

About the instructor

Author Coach and Publisher

Alexa Bigwarfe

Alexa Bigwarfe is a USA Today best-selling author and the founder and CEO of Write|Publish|Sell, a company dedicated to helping authors professionally self-publish and market their books. Her courses and training focus on outlining and writing books, self-publishing, author platform growth, and creative ways to market books through her company Write|Publish|Sell. She is also the founder and host of the Women in Publishing Summit and owns two hybrid publishing houses, Kat Biggie Press and Purple Butterfly Press.