Author Platform

Substack's business model relies on you charging readers, but don’t discount the long-term value of what you offer for free.

Publishers and literary agents know this, even if they pretend otherwise to conveniently reject you and your work.

A free email newsletter is the better strategic choice when it comes to long-term career development. Blogging works better for reaching new readerships.

However you decide to publish, it’s unwise to rely on someone else to build your career, or to be responsible for growing your readership.

How authors can blog successfully for long-term platform and book marketing efforts, with tips for online writing, strong headlines, and good SEO.

Everything you need to know to start sending an effective email newsletter.

I strongly advocate all authors start and maintain a website as part of their long-term marketing efforts and ongoing platform development. But it's an intimidating project because so few authors have been in a position to create, manage, or oversee websites. Where do you even begin?

Here's what I've learned over 20 years about making the most of any writers conference, whether you're an attendee or a speaker.

This post was first published in 2012 and is regularly updated. First things first: an author's website, whether it gets

I believe a successful social media strategy is driven by one’s personality and strengths, as well as the qualities of the work produced—leading to a unique approach for each writer. A

Social media is widely considered necessary by authors and publishers for book marketing. But is it as important as an optimized author website?

Social media is just one component of your author platform, and not necessarily the most important component. It works best as part of a holistic book marketing and promotion strategy.

If you're preparing to pitch your nonfiction work to agents or publishers, you may have heard about the necessity of platform. What if you don't have one?

Author platform is one of the most difficult concepts to explain, partly because everyone defines it a little differently. Here's what agents and editors mean by platform, plus a clear definition of what platform is NOT.

by Sal Falko / Flickr The backlash against Literary Citizenship is underway, and perhaps it was inevitable. For those unaware

Strong reader relationships build unbelievable opportunities. Marketing and promotion ideas usually start by considering what reader relationships you have in place—or can build on. Here is a framework and strategy for building and engaging a readership.

One of the easiest ways for an author to get a site up and running is to use Blogger or

Needing to build audience for a new book, one author examines her avoidance of creating video content in favor of face-to-face connections.

A social media manager shares her observations on how current trends might impact authors and publishers in 2026.

If we view platform-building as part of a mission to transform lives, not just sell books, the possibilities for engagement are endless.

A reader responded to last week's suggestions that a deep-pocketed party might buy Substack, and possible traffic suppression.

After writing a viral post—about a topic she’s disinclined to dwell on—an author reflects on the worth of chasing that virality again.

Even with no book to promote, one author finds that writing a monthly newsletter nourishes her life and craft in surprising ways.

What happens when thousands or millions of people read your work? There will be those that love it, hate it, and everything in between.

A full transcript of a panel discussion at NonfictioNOW at Notre Dame University about the mixed feelings that writers have about Substack.