One of the best ways an author can build a platform is through storytelling. As humans, we love narrative- it's how we understand the world and make sense of things. Carla King is a master at wrapping what she does in the metaphor of the journey, which also happens to be my favorite metaphor!
King writes about her "Motorcycle Misadventures and other stories from the road" and has been doing it for years. She writes motorcycle travel guides and has built an amazing network of riders and writers by combining her passion for motorcycle trips with teaching other writers.
She also is the founder and lead teacher at the Self-Publishing Boot Camp where she teaches authors who want to self-publish what to do and what to avoid. Like a guide on the journey to self-publishing.
So what can those of us just starting out learn from Carla's example? Quite a bit and way too much to fit into this blog post, but here are three things that stand out:
1. Process = Story: May authors I work with think that they need to get things perfect before presenting them online. The way King blogs is a great example of presenting things as she learns them in a way that helps the rest of us on our journey.
2. We are multi-dimensional: Authors benefit from having active lives outside of just writing and publishing. King is an active motorcyclist, and it gives her work dimension, and probably keeps her from spending too much time in front of the computer!
3. Images: I love the images that are on Carla King's site, whether her motorcycle site or her self-publishing boot camp site. Why? The people. Whether it's her or other people, she has lots of faces and happiness going on. That transfers to a good feeling when I'm on her site. And that is a strong way to build a platform.
What do you think of Carla King's platform? What strikes you about how she presents herself?
Image Source: CarlaKing.com
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