The other day an author called and asked a question we hear all the time. “I keep trying Twitter but it isn’t working for me. I think I’m going to close my account.”

When we took a closer look at the author's account, it was apparent that the author had signed up for Twitter about 6 months ago, had used it for a few weeks, but then tapered off from 5-6 posts a day to maybe once or twice a week. Then, once a month, there would be a flurry of activity over 24 hours and the account would largely go silent again.

In this video, we'll discuss the difference between platform development, marketing, and publicity. All three are key components for a successful book promotion strategy.

These days, Twitter still represents one of the most powerful opportunities for building community and growing influence.

When put to good use, Twitter can enhance your status as an expert, give you access to influencers, foster connections for new business ventures, and constantly expose you to fresh ideas from people all over the world. (And expose them to your ideas as well!)

Are you using LinkedIn to the best of your—and its—ability? It’s chock full of features, many of which you’re probably not using. Here are three ways to get more visitors and make yourself look more legit as you build your reputation as an expert.

Everyone likes to have a face to go with the name, but as an author, you don’t have that many opportunities to get face to face with your readers. Luckily, the advent of new media lets you give readers a face to put with the name. Not only can you give them a face, but you can also give them a taste of a live and in-person experience, a teaser of what one could expect should they attend one of your events or book you for an interview.

New media has opened up several new avenues for authors, giving them the opportunity to connect with potential readers and positioning themselves as experts in a more personal and engaging manner. One of the most popular venues is Youtube. Not only can you post and share videos, but you can also create your own channel, allowing you to share a series of videos on a related topic in an entertaining and informational way.

You know that having a newsletter is an important component of your platform and that the list you send your newsletter to is invaluable to you. (If you don’t, check out our article on newsletters here and here.) What may not be so clear is how you can continue to grow that list over time. Below are some strategies to help you do just that.

Provide really valuable content in an engaging way.

Above all other strategies, valuable content creation is king. If you are giving your readers useful, relevant, timely information that they can really use, your newsletter will be valuable and it will be shared with others. Word of mouth and forwards are your greatest ally in trying to achieve a bigger newsletter list.

One critical component to building your author platform is to create and maintain a regular newsletter. Speaking directly to those who are interested in what you have to say on a regular basis with relevant and compelling content will bring you some great marketing and conversion opportunities now and well into the future.

First, we will discuss why you need a newsletter in the first place. Then, we’ll get into the finer details of ways it can work for you and how it can be most effectively distributed.

The short answer is “Yes!” Goodreads—the popular social reading site—is a free promotional tool for authors, so there’s really no reason not to be. And with eleven million readers on the site, reaching out to them is well worth your time.

A Goodreads author account allows you to add photos, blog posts, videos, and a biography, and allows you to share info about upcoming events directly with readers.

The amount of time it takes to maintain a Goodreads author profile varies. But, like all social media efforts, the more you put into it, the more you’ll get out of it. The more you update, post, and interact on Goodreads, the more you’ll get followers of your page, contestants in your giveaways, and contributors to your discussion board. You can even sync your current blog with your Goodreads page—that way, the time and effort you put into blogging will go twice as far.