You Are a Writer Read Online Free PDF Page A

The odds are still against you, and this will be hard. But the good news is this isn’t left to chance. You don’t have to wait anymore.
    Now, you can create your own luck.
    When it comes to platform, there are so many options — so many opportunities — it can feel overwhelming. Where do we begin? With what we know.
    How to Build a Platform
    There are three important parts of building any platform:
     
Get experience.
Demonstrate competence.
Generate buzz.
    Let me unpack that. There are three parts to building any successful platform, three steps or actions you need to take to get noticed.
    First, you need experience. This is about apprenticeship. About paying your dues. It’s about spending time getting good at your craft.
    Second, you need to demonstrate competence. This means showing us what you have. It means practicing in public.
    For musicians, this means playing live shows. For writers, it means blogging. For artists, it means putting your work on display for the world to see. You need to show the world you have what it takes and to find someone who will give you a chance.
    Third, you need to generate buzz. You have to get people talking about you. If you have experience and are good at what you do, but no one advocates for you, you don’t matter.
    You may be writing for the love of it, which is perfectly fine, but if you want to touch someone’s life (as most writers do), this is not enough.
    This means more than fans. It includes patrons and supporters and people who will spread your message for you. It’s a tribe.
    This may sound overwhelming or vague. It may be too ethereal. What does it actually mean?
    That’s all well and good, you may be thinking. But I don’t even know where to start. What do you do?
    The best way to build a platform and earn influence is actually quite simple. How do you get noticed in a world full of noise, distractions, and advertisements? Easy. Help people.
    Be a resource to others. Do favors. Be selfless. In a world of me-first and gimme-gimme, this is totally crazy. And unexpected. Which is why it works.
    Generosity catches people off-guard; they don’t see it coming. This is why they trust you, why they take time to listen to you. You have their best interest in mind.
    With trust comes permission. With permission, the opportunity to share your work.
    Personal Story: How I Got Started
    When I first started my writing blog, Goinswriter.com, I felt like a fool. I had never published a book and had only gotten a few articles in print over the years. I did a lot of online writing and blogging, but that was it.
    Who the heck was I to offer advice?
    Then I heard of other bloggers who were considered experts in their fields. I found out many of them didn’t start out as experts, either. Instead, they just started asking questions. They started poking and probing and finding the answers to their burning questions.
    So I realized something: The only prerequisite to building a community is curiosity.
    If you’re struggling with feeling “good enough,” stop it. That’s not the issue. Not really. The issue is fear. Namely, fear of starting. What it takes to start is not talent but the willingness to finish, to follow through.
    Are you willing to push through the fear of rejection and embarrassment? To be curious and ask questions? To persevere and commit to learning? To work harder than most so you can become the expert?
    If so, you’re ready to begin. You’re ready to build a platform. Remember: A platform is people. It doesn’t get much simpler than that. Help others, and you’ll find your helpfulness reciprocated.
    As it turns out, the age-old adage is true: What goes around comes around.
    So start being generous today.
     

Establishing a Brand
    The second tool every writer needs is a strong personal brand.
    For years, I neglected this, riding on the coattails of others. I partnered with writers and organizations that had strong brands. I thought somehow their influence would