How do you build your platform?

[Testaccount]

I've been trying to build my writer platform for a while now.

I started first on Wattpad, but that was a waste of time. Since I started off writing fanfiction, that's all the readers wanted. I tried original stories there, but my fanfictions overshadow my own work, so I decided it was time to go.

On my blog, I've built up a decent following. To peek readers' interest, I talk about writing advice, my writer's journey, and issues facing the writing community. Sometimes I'll post my stories, but it depends on the day's blogging topic.

The last two sites I'm on is Writing.com and here. Honestly, I've found to build up your platform, it's best to do the following:

1. Start off posting your works to one place. Once you build up a following, move around to other websites.
2. Now since you have good content, market yourself on Twitter or something
3. Do contests on whatever website you're on and network with other writers. Contests will get your name and work out there, and other writers will do shouts to you.

Once you have enough content to pull in readers, you can expand yourself to new places. For example, my blog almost has 1700 followers and over 250 blog posts. At this point, it manages itself. There's enough content for new readers to read, and I update enough to keep old readers interested.

Basically, my goal is to do the same thing on Tapas.

[sarahrebecca58]

Yea for a while there I was trying to submit to Tevun Cruz. Which isn't a bad magazine, although I'm starting to notice something of the more abnoxious culture there don't really submit to the magazine.

I think I have: Alissa The Satanic Fencer, O Raphael, and a few other stories. Tempted to link my Tapastic page on there. Just to kind of troll the ambassors about self-promotion.

[Testaccount]

It's good to submit to as many magazines as you can. That way, if you get accepted, you can use that story as part of your writing portfolio. Honestly, just post quality content, and you'll slowly get readers. It takes A LOT of time though, and many people don't like waiting.

[sarahrebecca58]

You I might try cross-linking. I really only use Wattpad for that and Litreads these days anyway.

[Testaccount]

Wattpad is too over saturated, and as a company, they don't have an interest in helping ALL writers. But it's your decision. I would stick with whatever website works best for you. The main thing is to stay loyal to one site for a while because readers hate moving around. However, I feel some readers are getting more used to it since there are so many places to post content now.

[sarahrebecca58]

Will definitely stick to here, since that's where the cool people are.

[Bones]

I gotta agree with Akaluv89 on the Wattpad thing. I've been on Wattpad for awhile now and posting up original stuff and it just doesn't seem to be hitting as much as other things. Though, persistence may yield fruit so hang in there.

[sarahrebecca58]

Just be wary about the science fiction section. I think I'll mainly stick here.

[Bones]

Nah, I'm stuck in the fantasy and romance section. Though romance, not really. Just some of my works have romantic undertones with fantasy twisted in there. But most of the things that seem to be catching fire with fantasy are "magic girls who don't know they're magic", "werewolf bad boys" and of course, vampires.

It's pretty cool watching people write and fall in love with their characters though. What's up with science fiction?

[sarahrebecca58]

It behaves similarly to how the Literary Fiction did in the later half of the 19th century. (Resistant to any and all change to their genre.) One leaves that sub section with the feeling about being ghettoized like a Literary Writer.

Yea I once want to do Gaslamp Gothic Romance. I only ever managed to do the Gothic Romance.

[Testaccount]

I feel that website is over saturated and the reader base doesn't want anything new. The readers stick to their cliche stories, and that's it.

On Tapas, I feel original ideas are welcomed here and people want to see fresh stories. Or at least, that's what I noticed.

[sarahrebecca58]

Yes this seems to be my impression as well. With some exceptions. But that's mainly the Litreads section with Takatsu.

Both me and Takatsu do a kind of Dystopian Magic Realism.

[lil-sea-salt]

That's a very good strategy. I have an alternative version of that myself.

[Testaccount]

What's your version?

[lil-sea-salt]

I'm more of a beginner than you so my method probably isn't as refined. These are my opinions in starting a web series. I started posting on tumblr and my main issue is i am not motivated. so i decided to try a challenge which serves two purposes holds me accountable for finishing work and also let's me explore different genres. I started with dead end florals and it's only by pure luck that it's done so well. I posted the first arc on as many platforms as I could just to see where the best readership was. I didn't care too much about money as I didn't invest too much in it. It's a short story. I found this format works best for Tapastic and I choose this platform. It's the same format that many pulp fiction magazines used back in the day so that's why I think I have had some better luck than others. Tapastic isn't the most ideal place for a novel, people want something bite-sized they can read weekly.

[Canis]

Ah man lets see its been a while since I did this kinda of thing. My "platform" building was quite odd.

I use to build my platform around my friend who is CEO of several publishing houses and the one I'm currently at. We became friends when I published my first novel and he opened up his first publishing house and wanted to do more so whatever projects he conjured up, he would somehow drag me into it so it became natural to hang my work around him. Especially with SOOPLLC when it was a good idea.

But I hated riding coat tails so I ventured out and started to write for WillowRaven, who is an artist. We did two small collabs that became popular on her end.

Another thing I would do was post on a writing app because we made this deal that if I tell people about them they would feature my writing however, I needed social media such as facebook, twitter, etc.

Beacuse I started adding authors as friends on facebook, I started to get involved with projects such as an anthology of poems and was active in facebook groups. People always want to know what you're doing and will give you the opportunity to work side by side with another.

Especially if you have an author website up and running. It tells them that you're serious enough.

However, nowadays Im just like meh.

[sarahrebecca58]

Yea in switching to Diaspora, I had kind of given up on centralized social media. And a lot of those on Diaspora are so uptight or making sure they pick holes in you, they don't focus on what you're trying to say.

So I don't generally bother.

[Testaccount]

That's neat that you know other published writers and are published yourself. My goal is to publish one day, and I hope I can do it!

I've heard of writers doing collabs, but I haven't done one myself yet. Thanks for sharing your story with us =)

[Bones]

Oh, this thread is still going!

Right about now I'm just advertising my stuff on different platforms and trying to make a schedule so I know when to advertise and when to work on stuff. I'm not sure if this constitutes as building a platform but it's going pretty well, I guess.

[Canis]

You can do it! Just keep on striving like you're doing. It'll feel completely useless and other times you might want to give up but dont. The harder you work, the more rewarding it'll be later on.

Doing collabs with other writers is great! Especially like short story collection.