Raising your author profile

by Frank | Jun 3, 2011 | Writing

Top of the Christmas pile in Top Gear magazine.

Sometimes it seems like every agent or publisher wants their next book to be written by a big chested celeb with no writing talent – I guess that’s what ghost writers are for. But there’s a good reason for this seemingly annoying need. In a nutshell, if you already have a public profile or ‘platform’ then you increase the marketability of any book proposal, and, therefore, the potential sales for your book.

Why do publishers want this? More marketing bang for each buck they spend, that’s why, for example:

• A single ad page in a magazine like Men’s Health will cost between 9k-12k. Reference: http://www.mhpromos.co.uk/images/MP-Universal.pdf
• A single ad page in a newspaper like the Daily Mail will cost you more than £32k for one day. Advertorial – an article written by them (with the word ‘promotion’ in the corner) – upwards of £45k. Reference: http://www.mailconnected.co.uk/uploads/files/Daily-Mail-Ratecard.pdf

So ask yourself this, what’s the value of a regular column in one of these publications to a marketing department? How about if you regularly feature on TV? Rates to advertise on TV start at the £1-5k range for low-cost local networks to £30k for multiple high volume day time slots or £100k+ for heavyweight prime time national coverage.

What amazes me is that more TV personalities don’t publish books.

But how can you, the fledgling author who has neither the time, money, skills or resources to raise your profile go about it? Using myself as an example. For my first book How to Drive a Tank I managed to score with a range of medium sized media outlets. I secured a NatGeoAdventure web channel (40k viewers) and mailshot to their subscribers on publication date (another 40k+). A review in Top Gear magazine (300k readers per month), 20 or so local and national radio interviews, and maintaining this blog, (around 12k readers). My own personal biggest hit was while working with the Bedouin Heritage Project in Jordan we used a hotwired car. I asked one of the Bedu guys to film me while I showed how to hotwire the vehicle – which was one of the examples I gave in the same chapter in the book. It went viral on Youtube (160k+ viewers) and has driven new north American audiences my way.

As I move into a new phase of pitching and writing it’s time for me to up my game a little further. I’ve recently shot a showreel with the guys who set up the original Strictly Come Dancing line up. Although I worked in TV for ten years previously being in front of the camera is by definition pushing me out of my comfort zone – but then isn’t that what life is all about? Ideally I will secure either a column or a regular writing gig with a publisher either online or in print with a large reach in the next few months as well.

Ultimately, I’m a writer, but in this day and age, writing, and publishing are just one form of media floating in a giant sales stream. It makes sense to connect a few of these media islands together. I’d love to hear your ideas on how you intend to raise your own platform.

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