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Is there any word more dreadful to writers than “platform”?

Still, it’s no wonder. Your “platform,” i.e. your overall presence and visibility in the public sphere, can make or break your writing career. In practice, this means that developing your platform is a task every bit as urgent and crucial as writing itself.

Why? It’s simple. If you don’t have a sufficiently impressive platform, your dream agent may turn you down, ignoring your carefully crafted query letter, not to mention your carefully crafted manuscript.

And here’s the tough truth: While agents care a great deal about your platform, big publishers care even more. You may somehow find an agent willing to take a chance on you, only to find that the major houses reject your manuscript, and your book “dies on submission.” Goodbye, agent. Goodbye, book deal.

Few of the big New York publishers are willing to take a chance on unknown, unproven writers. And betting that you’ll be the sparkling exception to this rule is like planning your future around winning the lottery. It’s no way to conduct a career.

Adding to the difficulty, many writers are introverts. They’re people who, by their very nature, prefer quiet, privacy, and anonymity. This makes them especialy ill-suited to cultivating a prominent public presence, whether online or off. You may be a supremely talented and capable writer, yet still struggle to build your platform. And again, it’s no wonder: Platform-building draws on a very different set of skills. If you were a natural-born performer, you wouldn’t be a writer, right?

Now for the sheer scariest fact: In the digital age, basically anyone can Google you and measure your platform, using the quick-and-dirty method of follower counts on social media. In all, it’s a recipe for gatekeeping, plus a great way to make aspiring authors feel even more insecure.

So what’s the good news? It’s possible to hack together a platform in a relatively short amount of time, and you don’t have to be a social butterfly or supermodel to do it. Take it from someone who’s been there: Author Catherine Baab-Muguira found her dream agent and received her dream book deal with a Big 5 house without ever racking up zillions of social-media followers, and in this frank, friendly, and informative webinar, she will teach you how to do the same thing.

What this class covers:

• Surprising, unique, little-known ways to make yourself appear more popular, established, and credible to your peers, as well as to agents and publishers.
• Specific steps you can take to start identifying and engaging with potential fans, helping you find an audience for your work. No Instagram mugging or TikTok dancing is required! This webinar will focus on text-based mediums such as Quora, Reddit, Goodreads, etc., rather than visual mediums and video.
• Highly specific methods for pitching yourself to agents and publishers, which will make you more familiar with the ins and outs of the publishing world, and help you navigate the tricky, high-stakes situations you’ll encounter when you find yourself near the goal line—meeting with agents, talking to acquiring editors, signing your first deal.
• A specific plan for capitalizing on your existing social network, no matter how small it may be. You may well leave class with a few new social-media followers, too.

In short, this webinar will teach you how to be smart, effective, successful, and proactive in the face of the sheer biggest obstacle standing between you and your lifelong writing dreams. It will help you cultivate greater credibility, help you boost your visibility online and off, and help you expand your reach as a writer.

Best of all, you’ll be provided examples of a successful query letter, a successful nonfiction book proposal, and successful freelance pitches—in other words, an actionable playbook packed with examples you can easily steal and use in your own career. You’ll also hear tips from novelists and memoirists which will help you feel more capable, more comfortable, more “seen,” and less alone. Less bewildered, less at sea.

So, if the word “platform” makes you want to run and hide, this class is for you.

And if your platform has stalled out somewhere short of where it needs to be, this class is for you, too.

Who should take this class

• Writers at the very beginning of their career
• Writers who are actively querying and seeking publication
• Writers who are already publishing, but know they need to continue building their platforms
• Writers who don’t love being on camera and aren’t eager to jump on YouTube, Instagram, or TikTok
• Introverts, shy writers, and writers who feel anxious when interacting online (or in real life)

This class is not suited for

• Writers who want to remain anonymous and unknown (not to be snarky; this is a real preference among some writers!)
• Writers who are planning on being the exception to the long-established rules of the publishing industry (again, not to be snarky; this is a real preference among some)
• Writers seeking TikTok secrets (TikTok/BookTok will not be covered in any substantive way, nor will short-form video)
• Writers who aren’t willing to devote some of their time to platform building
• Writers who already have 50,000+ followers on major social networks
• Writers seeking deals with university presses, micro presses, and small presses that may not care much about platform (but, that said, a strong platform helps in nearly all situations)

What’s included in all of Jane’s classes

How do I attend the live class?

This class uses Zoom webinar technology (see system requirements). You will join through your Internet-connected computer or mobile device. When you register, you will receive information via email on how to join the class. If you don’t receive it within 1 hour of registering, please contact us.

• When: Wednesday, July 26, 2023
• Time: 1:00 p.m. – 2:15 p.m. Eastern / 10:00 a.m. Pacific
• Registration fee: $25

The webinar is broadcast via the internet with live audio delivered through your computer or mobile device speakers. The visual presentation is displayed directly from the presenter’s computer to your computer screen. The Q&A is managed through a chat-style submission system with questions read and answered by the presenter for the entire class to hear.

Closed captions are provided during the live class. We use Zoom’s automated closed caption service (powered by Otter), which is about 80%+ accurate. We also use Otter AI to generate an unedited transcript, provided with the recording.

Testimonials

All students receive the following

• Access to live class. After roughly 60 minutes, the instructor will take questions during class using in-class chat/text. The class will end after roughly 75 minutes.
• A recording of the class—audio and video. This is especially helpful if you have a conflict with the class time or something comes up and you can’t make the session. Each registration comes with access to the archived version of the program and the materials for 30 days. You do not have to attend the live event to access the recordings.
• Presentation slides. All participants receive a copy of the slide presentation in PDF form.
• Rough transcript. We use Otter to create an automated transcript of the entire webinar, which we’ll share with you in addition to the audio and video recording.

Event Attendance & Anti-Harassment Policy

We strive to provide an environment where all present—whether attendee, presenter, or staff—can feel supported. In order to ensure a welcoming event, here is what we expect from all who participate.

• That the presenter and the presenter’s work be treated with respect by attendees and that all attendees treat each other with respect and a generosity of spirit.
• That attendees will refrain from harassment of any sort including (but not limited to) comments or questions of a racist, homophobic, sexist/sexual, or threatening nature. This includes actions that disrupt or interfere with anyone’s ability to participate. Offenders will be disconnected from the live event.