At a recent conference I attended, almost all the agents and editors on staff agreed that platform should consume 50% of the time you dedicate to your novel before it’s published. Some recommended getting started as early as three years before you have a book.
I don’t know about you guys, but backing up to three years before having a publishable novel puts me somewhere around “What’s show don’t tell?” and “What do you mean there are 47 different kinds of third person?” Not to mention, 50% of my writing time brings me down to a handful of hours a week.
Realistically, most aspiring novelists are still learning to write novels. And then they have to write them. All while holding down a full-time job (stay-at-home moms and students, I count you).
Even coming from a marketing background, I had to put the whole thing off for four years for my novel’s sake. Any my sanity’s. My marketing plans are just beginning to roll out now in the areas of blogging, social networking (on and offline), online and print advertising, and library seminars. Below are some tricks I use to squeeze these platform elements in while still finalizing my novel.
Structure, structure, structure. I only get 15 waking hours per week to myself. So structure is crucial. I have set times for blogging, online networking, writing and attending events.
Goodbye Perez Hilton. Somewhere along the way, I developed an addiction to surfing the Internet. Good news! Blogging accommodates this. I’ve replaced Perez, my private Facebook page and a million other bookmarked news sites with writer blogs, forums and Facebook pages relevant to my goals. Commenting on such sites is the best short-term way to drive traffic to my own blog and conveniently scratches my Perez itch.
Google Reader. Subscribing to my favorite writing blogs with Google Reader shaves time off this crucial element of online networking. If you aren’t familiar with news readers, go to http://www.google.com/reader and watch the tutorial. It’s easy.
Evergreen posts. I try to schedule my blog posts about a week in advance so I can come down with the flu if need to, or even better, can finish a scene if I’m hot with an idea. Which brings me to…
Strike while the iron is hot. If an idea for a blog post or a scene comes to me, I WRITE IT DOWN. If it’s technically novel-writing time and I have a blog post burning a hole in my brain, I write the post. This eventually evens itself out.
One social event per quarter. This is a random and personal quantity, but I have a quota of one writer event per quarter. It keeps me out there in the writing world without overwhelming me. Critique group doesn’t count, by the way. The social events always have to be with new people.
Check traffic only once per day. HAHAHAHA. I tried.
Write when it’s time to write. I used to procrastinate during my writing times (with Perez as my accomplice). Now if I need a little transition time, I’ll comment on some blogs or forums. But then I shut the internet down and write. No time for messing around now.
Choosing how and when to build platform is personal. It may be a huge priority for you or you may buck the whole thing. I’m pulling for you either way. But if you are juggling with platform and have some time-management tips for the rest of us, we’d all appreciate your insights in the comments.
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