Throughout history, virtually every successful civilization has maintained rules against stealing, and few would argue with the idea that taking what does not belong to you is immoral.

Luckily for you as an author, promoting your work doesn’t require you to steal anything. But that doesn’t mean you can’t borrow some good ideas from those who have traveled the publishing road ahead of you. All you need is the wisdom to seek out new and clever ways to promote your book—ways that other authors have already proven effective—and then put your own unique spin on them.

Much has been said about the benefits of investing in your author brand. From exactly why you need an author brand to establishing the messaging and visual components of your brand identity, all of these details fall under the larger umbrella of a brand strategy.

If you have ever thought about writing a book, it’s likely you’ve done at least a cursory exploration of how becoming a published author might pay off financially. What you’ve almost certainly discovered is that publishing a book is a business endeavor with options along the entire spectrum of investment and payoff.

Take every opportunity your audience gives you to share value as an opportunity to simultaneously reinforce your brand.

Much has been written on the important role a personal brand plays in shaping a thought leader’s impact, both on his or her business and on their wider audience as a whole. A strong personal brand connects a face to the company, which is critical when it comes to helping people relate to (and remember) the brand itself.

A highly effective way to reach and engage with your audience is through speaking. If you’re passionate and knowledgeable about your subject matter, what better way to share and add value than in person? Once you decide to pursue speaking as a way to grow your platform and share your big ideas, where do you start, and what’s next?

In order to effectively build your brand, you need to know your starting point, the current status of your brand. A brand audit is a tool that companies use to analyze their brand and marketing effectiveness, to identify forward-looking brand goals, to expose gaps between how the company sees its brand and how consumers see it, and to get everyone on the same proverbial page regarding messaging.

The term “platform” is ubiquitous these days. We see it in the business world, hear it bandied about among authors, experts, and speakers, and we experience it in the social media landscape. This phenomenon isn’t accidental. Platform is a powerful concept that reflects the content, brand, positioning, credibility, audience, and intellectual property you develop. Your platform lives at the intersection of ideas, influence, and income—and your book’s success depends on it. In this three-part series, we’ll share valuable information and resources to help you create, maintain and boost your platform.

Platform, Part 1: Ideas

Entrepreneur Gary Vanerchuck has appeared on everything from Ellen and CNN to NPR. He’s written two New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestsellers. And he has amassed almost one million Twitter followers. One million! He grew his family wine business from $3 million in annual revenue to more than $45 million in eight short years. At age thirty-five, Vaynerchuk operates a slew of businesses and even boasts a gaggle of fans that refer to themselves as “Vayniacks.” In short, he’s a walking billboard for what a concentrated platform can do for you.