Book Review – Build Your Author Platform With a Purpose: Marketing Strategy for Writers by Mimika Cooney

Creatives create

Like many creatives, I love to create and write and I dislike marketing myself. I’ve written dozens of books as a ghostwriter and didn’t have to be concerned about marketing or building a platform. That was up to my clients, most of them as clueless as me.

Yet now I wanted to write my own books–lots of them–and to build a career as an author. So I knew I had to bite the bullet and study up on marketing, primarily building a platform from scratch. I knew I had to build a fan base, because quite frankly few of what I consider my ideal readers know who I am, and won’t know about my book unless I find a way to let them know.

Build a platform

So I know I have to build a following–a platform. That’s why I purchased Build Your Author Platform With a Purpose. I had “met” Mimika Cooney on a few webinars and was impressed by her energy and knowledge. She was very helpful in teaching in a way that even the beginning author would understand what was needed in order to create a presence before publishing a book.

Mimika covers a lot of ground from the what and why of building a platform and author branding to the significance of building a mailing list and the value of social media. “In today’s society, the term platform simply means how you stand out in a crowded marketplace.” She stresses that anyone can stand out and create a presence online. She says, “Many people think that you have to be a celebrity or a big name to have influence.” She explains that it’s a myth, and with the ease of reaching people through social media, anyone can build a following. 

Be discoverable

She stresses that because every author feels what he/she has to say is valuable, it’s vital to find a way to “show up in the right places and be present. You need to put the effort into being discoverable.” Mimika outlines strategies any authors can follow so they can implement the right actions at the right time to the right audience.  

I’m still a bit overwhelmed, but with Mimika’s guidance through her book and valuable handouts, I’m ready to step into the journey of authorship with more confidence. I see this book as an essential guide for first-time authors to get over their fears and build their confidence in marketing their books so they can realize their writing dreams.

If you get value from books like this, you will get value from my book

In Your Fabulous First Book and My Fabulous First Book, I touch on marketing in the context of building confidence and making connections; however, I don’t go into building a platform.