What the what?
So what the heck is social platform and why is it such a big deal? On my own, I wasn't sure exactly how to explain this. So I jumped onto the web to find you a clear explanation of the term. One of the first places I hit was Jane Friedman's blog. Ms Friedman has been in the publishing industry for more than 15 years and speaks at conferences and events around the world. She explains that author platform is:

Visibility - who knows about you and your book? What kinds of people and sites know about your work? How do you get the word out?

Authority - do you have a real clue what you're writing about (especially if you write non-fiction)? Do you have a degree or training in your area expertise?

Proven Reach - have you the proof to backup your claims? How many names are on your newsletter list? Got lots of reviews? Can you show the traffic to your website or blog?

Target Audience - Are the people on your Twitter role and newsletter list the people you're actually shooting to reach with your story?

Friedman also gives a list of things that social platform is NOT. The one that really caught my eye was: It is not something you create overnight, nor is it a one-time event. Which explains why this article is being written now rather than once the writing is over and you're ready to present your baby to the world. I know. We all believe our novels are the next big seller and all we'll have to do is present it to the world and they'll 'ooo' and 'aaww' over it and tell everyone how beautiful it is. But given that there are thousands of new books eack week entering the marketplace, whether indie or traditionally published, the competition is hella-fierce. If you want for the world to actually get to see your bundle of joy, building a social platform is the way to keep your newborn from being buried under all the other brand new precious babes out there. And if you start building your platform shortly after you begin writing, you will inject a much needed boost into your creation when it's finally done. (For a more indepth definition of Social Platform, please check out Jane Friedman's blog post on 'A Definition of Author Platform'.

They Have Everything!
One of my all time favorite sites to go to for anything writerly is Writer's Digest. (I really enjoyed doing their weekly writing prompts. You get 500 words to tell a story about their prompt. It really teaches you how to edit your work down and cut off all the 'fat'.) I was fortunate enough to meet Chuck Sambuchino at a Writer's conference a few years ago, and work with him on a project, a fund raiser book called Red Dog/Blue Dog: When Pooches Get Political. And Chuck has written a great book that thoroughly explains the 'how-to' of author platform. But Writer's Digest also has excellent articles that writers can access for free. One of these articles is: 'The Basics of Building a Writer's Platform'. Now don't let the three different names throw you. It's all one thing whether they call it a Social Media Platform, an Author Platform or a Writer's Platform.

Don't Let It Overwhelm You!
As complete newbie to blogging and Twitter and Amazon and Instagram and....yeah, you get the picture...I had no idea where to go once I had my Facebook page done. There are a lot of social media sites out there and it can be overwhelming. I started getting really stressed and I didn't have the time to do edits on my first book, let alone start the second one. I finally decided to choose the ones I was most comfortable with. Now, I have an author Facebook page; one for Dream Weaver Novels where I get to blather on about my books; a blog on Blogger where I interview indie and small press authors and post about great sites/resources for authors; my website DreamWeaverNovels.com, that has all the current news about me and my books, but also just expanded to promote other author's work as well; my Twitter account; my Amazon Author Central page (a must-have if you self-pub and list on KDP - that's Kindle Direct Publishing...but we'll get into that later); and my Goodreads account. Sounds like a lot, doesn't it? Of this handful of sites, I focus on FB, Twitter, the blog, and the website on a regular basis.

However, if I spent all my time on the various social media outlets, I'd never have time to write...which makes me very grumpy indeed (**insert Grumpy Cat pic**). I'm on Facebook and Twitter nearly every day building relationships with readers and other writers. I post a new interview on my blog every 10-14 days; and update my website as needed. Everything else takes a back seat.

Cuddle Up to What's Comfortable
Don't dive into all the websites at once. You'll drown. Take the time to learn them one at time and then use what you're most comfortable with. That's why ealier Jane Friedman stated, 'It is not something you create overnight, nor is it a one-time event.' As you learn the sites it will take less and less time to do what you gotta do and move on to learn about and establish yourself on the next site. You may decide that blogging isn't for you. Cool. There's no law that says you have to. They say 'Rome wasn't built in day', and while you may not be building the Pantheon, your story/book/novel is a BIG deal to you. So take your time to build your fortress around your book.

Great Folks I Met Along the Way
One thing that is extremely important is that you surround yourself with people who think and write like you do. With the internet, it’s so easy to connect with people from around the world. I’ve connected with folks from England, Hong Kong, Australia, Italy and all points in between. I’ve connected with writers that write in nearly every genre there is. And amongst all those connections, I’ve drawn together a handful of people I consider my team. They’re reviewers, beta readers, artists and editors. These are the people that you’ve read their work, you have connected with on some level. They are the ones whose skills are equal to or greater than your own.

But it's not just about gathering followers, fans and friends...(Hey, that should be the title of this article!) It's about establishing relationships. I 'met' a woman from Texas on Goodreads a couple of years ago. Now, I consider her one of my best friends. An author from Scotland hit me up to read and review his book (because he saw I'd reviewed Rot & Ruin on Goodreads). We (and 8 more indie authors from around the world) just released a dark paranormal anthology on Christmas. He even trusted me with his short story, to edit it the way I liked. That's trust.

So have fun with it. Meet people. (I say I collect them, and now I have a treasure chest of lovely people). Establish relationships with people on some level. These are the people you'll go to when you're in the middle of a brain fart and can't write a lick. They're the ones who will help you find the right direction for your plot, pat you on the back when you're discouraged, and leave reviews for you when you've done all the writing and now you have a real live ebook to present to the world.

Boil It Down to This
Don't wait til the baby is in your arms to build your platform. Start today. It may take a village to raise a child, but it takes the world to give life to your story.