The Extroverted Writer: A Review

We are going to start a new thing here at the Lucid Books blog. Once a month, or so, we will review a book that we feel is beneficial to our authors and their goals. It should be noted that we are receiving no benefits of these reviews. These books were purchased and we have been given no incentives or rewards for a good review. These will be honest opinions. This month I, Sammantha, read “The Extroverted Writer: An Author’s Guide to Marketing and Building a Platform” by Amanda Luedeke. Amanda is a literary agent with MacGregor Publishing, and has a weekly blog on their website. Amanda used to work for a marketing firm before she joined the team at MacGregor. These two things worked together to give her the knowledge and know-how to teach authors about building their platform.

In this book, Amanda explores what platform is, why authors need it, how they can build it, and why they are the best person to do so. She begins with her surprise at the mystery that platform holds in the literary world. Where she came from, the business world, platform and social media were must-haves and anyone could get and build them. She found that authors tend to be introverts, and that they like to claim that introversion as a reason why they cannot market themselves and gain platform.

To this she rebuttals, “My friends, the Internet eliminated the Introvert’s last excuse…the world is your oyster, whether you change out of those pajamas in the morning or not.”

She explains that now publishers are looking for authors, especially non-fiction authors, to have a social media following. She acknowledges that often times marketing professionals leave authors feeling overwhelmed and confused. But, she encourages you to write down ten things from the book that are doable for you. Not everyone is suited for every avenue of platform. The key is to find what works for you.

In the rest of the book Amanda defines and explores target audience, author websites, author blogs, Twitter, Facebook, and various other social media sites such as Pinterest and YouTube.

In each of these chapters she defines what she is talking about (i.e. what is Google+?), explains how it is beneficial to authors, if it is, and how to go about using it to build your author platform. She gives clear numbered steps to take toward your goal. She encourages you to seek help from a professional when need-be. Amanda makes it very clear that authors can take control of their platform. She encourages you and offers insight that is very useful. There is a lot of information in this small book, but it’s valuable information.

If you want to be a successful author then you have to promote your book. Yes, someone else could do it for you, but that doesn't mean they should. You are the best person to talk about your work and how it can help/entertain/motivate your target audience. In this book Amanda gives you the knowledge and tools of an expert in marketing to be able to start and grow your platform as an author.

You can get Amanda’s book on [amazon text=Amazon&asin=1492918105]. It is well worth the $2.99 for the ebook. If you are an introverted author who has come to accept that you need a platform, but have no idea how to get and maintain one, this book is a great resource for you.

What is your favorite book on platform? Let us know in the comments section below.