How to Build a Platform in a Zillion (Not) Easy Steps: Episode 297, A coaching call with Alison Zak

Alison Zak has just been &#8220;jolted from being a writer to being an author&#8221; with the interest in her non-fiction book proposals&#8212;but with that interest came questions about&#8230; The dreaded platform problem! <br/><br/>That was the subject line of the reader email that caught our attention, and the problem is follows: you&#8217;ve got a great non-fiction proposal&#8212;but a relatively small existing &#8220;platform&#8221;. What is a platform, you ask? Well, it could be an offline community, a reputation, an academic or business space that you&#8217;re prominent in, or your reach as a professional writer in other&#8217;s spaces (i.e. the NYT, ESPN, McSweeney&#8217;s&#8212;but it&#8217;s more probably a question of online reach. As in, followers on email, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or for a blog or podcast. Numbers are important, but intensity and engagement matter too, as do being an active part of the community you want to reach, even if it&#8217;s led by others. We talk building platform and how to explain the platform you have to publishers who might think only numbers matter.<br/><br/>Links from the pod<br/><br/><a href="https://amwriting.substack.com/p/127-ambranding-303">Episode 127: #AmBranding with Carol Blymire</a><br/><br/>The Creative Shift Podcast: <a href="https://wegrowmedia.com/does-social-media-sell-books-podcast/">Does Social Media Sell Books?</a> <br/><br/>The Creative Shift Podcast: <a href="https://wegrowmedia.com/behind-the-book-launch-of-a-novel-my-interview-with-leigh-stein/">Leigh Stein episode 1 - Behind the Book Launch of a Novel</a><br/><br/>The Creative Shift Podcast: <a href="https://wegrowmedia.com/focus-on-what-you-can-control-a-book-launch-case-study-with-leigh-stein/">Leigh Stein episode 2 - Focus on What You Can Control.</a><br/><br/>Find Alison at:<br/><br/><a href="https://alisonzak.com/">alisonzak.com</a><br/><br/>Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/animal_asana/">@animal_asana</a><br/><br/>Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/animal_asana">@animal_