"Be a first-rate version of yourself." Good advice! I'm just starting to build my author platform in preparation for publishing my first book, so I'm glad I found your video!
Thanks Kristen. I like how you have a really healthy self-help vibe to your videos. You're advice about not comparing. Social media takes a long time and a lot of dedication to gain traction. I'm sending this to our writers as an educational resource, but I think we needed some of these pieces of advice ourselves!
This is a spot on video. Thank you. I was worried I was going about things the wrong way. I found that I love to write, and love the community. I too am writing sci-fi fantasy. And I love helping people. 20 years in the Navy me provided that edge. Good work, and again thank you!!
Great tips for writers here, Kristen! It can be so overwhelming for new authors starting out with platform especially. The key is to remembering it doesn't happen overnight - but is an ongoing journey to build.
You look so young and yet have the attitude that has taken me over 40 years to accomplish. Thanks so much for sharing a fresh air into the air. We definitively need "aliens, foreigners, entities, seraphs, heaven hostess, and divine creatures like you on earth. God bless
Can I just say, that you look so much freer in your newer videos! I love ALL your videos and advice, but I'm so glad you are on a path that you enjoy because you deserve that!
Thank you! I certainly feel freer 💕 You are so sweet to say that -- I just want to help everyone realize their passions and path in life because once you do, it's amazing how quickly things unfold for the better!
Thank you for this video! I love the concept you have regarding "how not to react" to criticism because it is "not your business". That is genius! As a student of creative writing, I must find my brand. In a facetious sense, I want to hang out and be sexy writing adult dramas. LOL. I also love the Sci-fi genre! Not many female authors exist within its realm. My professor of Media Publishing at SNHU directed me to your video, and it was a pleasure to see and hear your information. Good show sister.
Thank you so much for taking the time to do this. It's really helpful and I appreciate it. I listen to you while I'm working. I think to myself, this is my job now, but I'll be writing soon!!
Wow You left me a bit breathless with your vid. I have subscribed and will definitely be following you from now on. Thanks for sharing. A lot of common sense there and great advice :)
Thanks Kristen.quite useful info, for me. I like the whole video. And, for me, the part where you explained about finding where my audience live in social media, is very helpful.
Great tips, I like the theme and interaction tips best for building an author platform, I have to think of what my theme should be. And the interacting tip is advice I probably should follow as a very strong introvert.
Great video, thank you! I struggle with talking about myself so I started my TH-cam channel to do just that. I have fallen into the pitfall of missing a deadline and then feeling like I can't get back to it.
Very useful. Thank you. I'm just starting to think about my author platform ha-ha. Idk why I never thought much about it before. This came at the perfect time
Thanks, my social media platforms are Facebook and Instagram, love this video still working on all the kinks for my first book. Your LIKE superwoman because sometimes I'm to tired to post :) but I get it done!!!
Ey Kristen, Thanks for your advice. I have a little difficult picking my theme (the first step) because I think I personally and my writing style with that, had change along the years. This difficult to "define" the theme could be seen as a strength (let's call it "stylistic renovation") but it is hard to be pick something like that as a theme. Am I making sense with it? I really appreciate your video, because among all the videos that I had seen today about how to build authors community or how to have an online presence, your has been the most helpful. Thanks a lot!
Hi Carlos! What happened with finding your theme now 2 years have passed? I'm kind of worried because I wrote a trilogy that is like "me" but I'm more personally about nonfiction transformative travel experiences like living with the Zapotec people in the Sierra Madre del Sur Mountains of Mexico, and with the Ladandon Maya people in the rainforest bordering Guatemala, or the Lakota Sioux people at Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota, all writings I put away for 39 years (Pine Ridge was 31 yrs ago). My trilogy is fiction and soft sci-fi, yet it has elements of discovery and growth through exceptional experiences my protagonist goes through by the end of the story, and my antagonist as well. The thing is with my fiction I decided to go outside my normal realm somewhat as my debut basically. I put a lot of my writing away years ago because of rejections from the traditional publishers. Now the the internet things have changed so I first wrote a fiction trilogy.
Thanks Kirsten Martin for your very informative video I was fortunate to find! I have a pressing question even before I start to think about making an author website just yet. Is creating a website while my covers and formatting service is still in progress… a waist of time and money for me to do while I'm waiting for the services? I really don't even know if my trilogy is all going to be a flop or not. I've been reading about Perma-free offering my whole trilogy at least for a while, or maybe offer Book One free because I'm an unknown and can't afford advertising. Is it in my case okay to maybe start building a website at least to be crouched and ready at the starting gate before I launch my trilogy on Amazon? Even building a website is an expense wasted until I really know because otherwise I’d have to pull my books and close my website, a huge waste, until I re-write or write something else. I like to think my trilogy is going to “take off”, but all writers think that. Perhaps I could multi-task ahead because my cover designer is amazingly doing all 3 covers for free as I think he likes me and my story blurb and punch line... but really he's busy and said about a month ago that he will get to it eventually. The formatter said he's extremely busy and can't start his formatting without first seeing the font style my cover designer is going to create. I have a nice quote from a story analyst, a blurb I worked hard on, a concise punch-line for my story, and my article about an amazing adventure trip I took as background for my trilogy. I could have a 10 pg excerpt of my Book One as a teaser. Maybe all that alone would get people to anticipate my launch and sign to my email list. With that said is it worth it for me to start a website, or is it better once I see if my trilogy is really accepted by buying readers? Also I’d feel terrible if I attracted potential readers and it flopped. Thanks again for doing the hard work of creating a video to help others!
Hey Kristen... Love this advice. could you do a video on how you formatted your ebooks? That would be super helpful because I'm in my editing stages now
thanks great help, gives me a lot to think about. I'm still working n Novel but have started to look at marketing , it can be overwhelming , but this id shed some light for me. thanks again. Nancie (Medford oregon)
Th ask for making these videos they are always so helpful thanks so much! Also, do you have a video on how to get your book in Barnes and Noble and stores like that? That would be helpful to my Young Writers of KC club at school. We publish anthologies every year but don't get much traffic on Amazon alone.
For Barnes & Noble, they require you send a media kit when submitting your book for consideration. I actually have it as a topic on my video ideas list, I just haven't gotten to it yet ♡
I suppose my problem is that, although I've published three novels and several books of poetry, I'm not sure how to create an author platform/personal brand that encapsulates the normal writer stuff like novels alongside my work as a life story writer. I have travelled around Scotland helping old people in care homes to write their life stories and publish them on Amazon for their friends and family around the world to read. The money I earned helped me to pay off my mortgage, so I'd like to do more of this work. I also take the unique poems I write for them, which are often read out at their funerals, and turn them into animated videos for TH-cam. So, how do I create an author platform/personal brand that could advertise my services as a life story writer specialising in working with adults with dementia alongside my stuff as a novelist and poet? It seems a difficult challenge to come up with a unifying theme for all this. Indeed, if I have to come up with a personal brand, how much money should I spend on this? I mean, I already have a website etc.
Just a quick question. I have a Yeti metal tumbler. Have you considered maybe carrying tumbler Authorlife decals in your store? I would love to have one.
I have a question! :) I have my manuscript ready to go but wanted to build my author platform a bit before querying agents. So of course I want to make an author site, but my dilemma is I’m getting married next year and my name is going to change. That is the name id like to publish with. Do I start building my platform and website with my future name? Or do I start with the name I have currently and change social media/link to a new website once I’m married? Thanks for your advice!
What a great video - thank you. I do have one tiny request - could you straighten out the photo over your left shoulder - sorry! I couldn't take my eye off it.
How early into a writer's career would you recommend they should start doing this? I'm about half way through the first draft of the first novel I hope to publish, so I'm not sure if I'm too early (wouldn't surprise me) or if this is a good time. Thanks for reading, and keep up the good content! :)
I just try to be as nice as I can even to negative commenters. Usually they are not as bad as their initial comment may have been. You need to do it on your terms though it is your platform not theirs but they have the right to say whatever they want to on an open forum. Some people go above and beyond and are abusive I am not talking about those people. I am talking about just run of the mill negative commenters. I try not to assume the worst of people and I think that has helped me to gain subscribers of people who initially had a negative reaction to my content.
any tips on promotion as an author who wants to use a pen name/remain unknown? or do you know of any channels or places you could lead me to if you're unsure? since I know you're not an anonymous author
as a musican and author I struggle to find my audience. Although I know I'm around the preteen - young adult ratio. I'm not quite sure how to reach to them and grab their attention
How do I get an audience if I'm ugly and not noticeable? Serious question. I'm also in recovery and write on mental health. Is it suggested to discuss my suicide& healing process or is that dramatic?
Veronica, I stumbled upon your comment. You are a beautiful creation of God! Maybe it will be a fiction novel where you create a protagonist that goes through your struggles and conquers them, heals! That would strike a common cord with a lot of people but via the art of fiction! Already you describe a huge audience yearning for purpose and meaning. That would be very powerful! When I think about something negative about myself I stop and think of five good things and don't lay down and dwell. I go outside the box so to speak. I ride bike, play guitar, or write, or do a random act of kindness for someone.
I wonder how much the genre you write in impacts your social media success. I notice young adult authors have way more views because most of the online audience is into that.
"I'm too busy living my own life, being awesome, having fun and being happy. So I just don't have time for that shit." AMEN TO THAT.
But really, who has the time?! I swear, some people... Thanks for watching, Megan! ♡♡
So sad commentary!🙏🤔
So sad commentary!🙏🤔
I love how she encourages us to be ourselves even when people may be rude.
I use Hootsuite to sync all my accounts and schedule posts and it's been a lifesaver!
I've tried using Hootsuite, but failed! I need to try it again - maybe that will be a new goal of mine!
"Be a first-rate version of yourself." Good advice! I'm just starting to build my author platform in preparation for publishing my first book, so I'm glad I found your video!
“We produce our best work when we are our best selves”
I love that! Well said Kristen, and great video!!
Thanks Kristen. I like how you have a really healthy self-help vibe to your videos. You're advice about not comparing. Social media takes a long time and a lot of dedication to gain traction. I'm sending this to our writers as an educational resource, but I think we needed some of these pieces of advice ourselves!
This is a spot on video. Thank you. I was worried I was going about things the wrong way. I found that I love to write, and love the community. I too am writing sci-fi fantasy. And I love helping people. 20 years in the Navy me provided that edge. Good work, and again thank you!!
Thanks so much, John! That means a lot! I've been looking through your website/blog and am loving the content! Keep it up!
I adore how calm and on point you are with your advice. Thank you
Great tips for writers here, Kristen! It can be so overwhelming for new authors starting out with platform especially. The key is to remembering it doesn't happen overnight - but is an ongoing journey to build.
"Be the light!" ❤
This video is so helpful. just what I needed.
Awesome! I love hearing that ♡
what do you mean your audience are on youtube, its a video sharing platform how do u cater to those people?
I love the info you share. Thank you for putting it out there so newbies don’t have to reinvent the wheel!
Love this! Great tips, including the last one about having a thick skin and taking the high road.
You look so young and yet have the attitude that has taken me over 40 years to accomplish. Thanks so much for sharing a fresh air into the air. We definitively need "aliens, foreigners, entities, seraphs, heaven hostess, and divine creatures like you on earth. God bless
Can I just say, that you look so much freer in your newer videos! I love ALL your videos and advice, but I'm so glad you are on a path that you enjoy because you deserve that!
Thank you! I certainly feel freer 💕 You are so sweet to say that -- I just want to help everyone realize their passions and path in life because once you do, it's amazing how quickly things unfold for the better!
Kristen!! Thank you for this. You inspire me in so so so many ways and I sincerely hope for you to get more audience cause you deserve it.
Thanks so much, Kiel! That really means a lot!
I feel like I struck gold finding your videos!
Thank you for this video! I love the concept you have regarding "how not to react" to criticism because it is "not your business". That is genius! As a student of creative writing, I must find my brand. In a facetious sense, I want to hang out and be sexy writing adult dramas. LOL. I also love the Sci-fi genre! Not many female authors exist within its realm. My professor of Media Publishing at SNHU directed me to your video, and it was a pleasure to see and hear your information. Good show sister.
Thank you so much for taking the time to do this. It's really helpful and I appreciate it. I listen to you while I'm working. I think to myself, this is my job now, but I'll be writing soon!!
I'm happy it helped you :) Gotta keep our passions alive!
thanks alot even though I only wanted a copy for myself I decided to publish it now its on amazon! it's a short story but im happy with it
Wow You left me a bit breathless with your vid. I have subscribed and will definitely be following you from now on. Thanks for sharing. A lot of common sense there and great advice :)
I have been asking myself this question for a while. Thank you for breaking it down so simply! :)
So happy to hear it helped!
Thanks Kristen.quite useful info, for me. I like the whole video. And, for me, the part where you explained about finding where my audience live in social media, is very helpful.
I love your videos! :D
Thank you for inspiring me and many others. ♥ ♥ ♥
♡♡♡♡
Great video! Thank you Kristen!
Great tips, I like the theme and interaction tips best for building an author platform, I have to think of what my theme should be. And the interacting tip is advice I probably should follow as a very strong introvert.
I'm so happy they helped you!
Love this! So encouraging! Thank you!
😊😊😊
Another awesome video with excellent content!!!
Great video, thank you! I struggle with talking about myself so I started my TH-cam channel to do just that. I have fallen into the pitfall of missing a deadline and then feeling like I can't get back to it.
Very useful. Thank you. I'm just starting to think about my author platform ha-ha. Idk why I never thought much about it before. This came at the perfect time
I'm happy it helped 😊 And that the timing worked well for you!
Very good advices! Thanks!!
Thanks for watching! 😊
Thank you so much!!!! This is helpful and you inspire me :)
♡♡♡
Great advice! You are so helpful and inspiring!
Thank you so much!
Thanks, my social media platforms are Facebook and Instagram, love this video still working on all the kinks for my first book. Your LIKE superwoman because sometimes I'm to tired to post :) but I get it done!!!
♡♡♡
Ey Kristen, Thanks for your advice. I have a little difficult picking my theme (the first step) because I think I personally and my writing style with that, had change along the years. This difficult to "define" the theme could be seen as a strength (let's call it "stylistic renovation") but it is hard to be pick something like that as a theme. Am I making sense with it? I really appreciate your video, because among all the videos that I had seen today about how to build authors community or how to have an online presence, your has been the most helpful. Thanks a lot!
Hi Carlos! What happened with finding your theme now 2 years have passed? I'm kind of worried because I wrote a trilogy that is like "me" but I'm more personally about nonfiction transformative travel experiences like living with the Zapotec people in the Sierra Madre del Sur Mountains of Mexico, and with the Ladandon Maya people in the rainforest bordering Guatemala, or the Lakota Sioux people at Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota, all writings I put away for 39 years (Pine Ridge was 31 yrs ago). My trilogy is fiction and soft sci-fi, yet it has elements of discovery and growth through exceptional experiences my protagonist goes through by the end of the story, and my antagonist as well. The thing is with my fiction I decided to go outside my normal realm somewhat as my debut basically. I put a lot of my writing away years ago because of rejections from the traditional publishers. Now the the internet things have changed so I first wrote a fiction trilogy.
Thanks Kirsten Martin for your very informative video I was fortunate to find! I have a pressing question even before I start to think about making an author website just yet. Is creating a website while my covers and formatting service is still in progress… a waist of time and money for me to do while I'm waiting for the services? I really don't even know if my trilogy is all going to be a flop or not. I've been reading about Perma-free offering my whole trilogy at least for a while, or maybe offer Book One free because I'm an unknown and can't afford advertising. Is it in my case okay to maybe start building a website at least to be crouched and ready at the starting gate before I launch my trilogy on Amazon? Even building a website is an expense wasted until I really know because otherwise I’d have to pull my books and close my website, a huge waste, until I re-write or write something else. I like to think my trilogy is going to “take off”, but all writers think that.
Perhaps I could multi-task ahead because my cover designer is amazingly doing all 3 covers for free as I think he likes me and my story blurb and punch line... but really he's busy and said about a month ago that he will get to it eventually. The formatter said he's extremely busy and can't start his formatting without first seeing the font style my cover designer is going to create. I have a nice quote from a story analyst, a blurb I worked hard on, a concise punch-line for my story, and my article about an amazing adventure trip I took as background for my trilogy. I could have a 10 pg excerpt of my Book One as a teaser. Maybe all that alone would get people to anticipate my launch and sign to my email list. With that said is it worth it for me to start a website, or is it better once I see if my trilogy is really accepted by buying readers? Also I’d feel terrible if I attracted potential readers and it flopped. Thanks again for doing the hard work of creating a video to help others!
Hey Kristen... Love this advice. could you do a video on how you formatted your ebooks? That would be super helpful because I'm in my editing stages now
I do have an ebook formatting video on my to-do list :) Just haven't gotten around to it yet!
Great video. Thank you.
thanks great help, gives me a lot to think about. I'm still working n Novel but have started to look at marketing , it can be overwhelming , but this id shed some light for me. thanks again. Nancie (Medford oregon)
So great to hear that, Nancie! :)
I love audiobooks.
Blessings. Thank you for the advise😊
Useful information and great video! Thanks.
This is really useful, thanks a lot,....
Thank you!
You're absolutely right, ain't nobody got time for that! lol ^_^ Keep up your positive attitude.
😎😎 Thank you!
Th ask for making these videos they are always so helpful thanks so much! Also, do you have a video on how to get your book in Barnes and Noble and stores like that? That would be helpful to my Young Writers of KC club at school. We publish anthologies every year but don't get much traffic on Amazon alone.
For Barnes & Noble, they require you send a media kit when submitting your book for consideration. I actually have it as a topic on my video ideas list, I just haven't gotten to it yet ♡
Well-thought out and well-done video! Very informative!:)
Thanks so much!
I find this video to be very helpful thank you
I suppose my problem is that, although I've published three novels and several books of poetry, I'm not sure how to create an author platform/personal brand that encapsulates the normal writer stuff like novels alongside my work as a life story writer. I have travelled around Scotland helping old people in care homes to write their life stories and publish them on Amazon for their friends and family around the world to read. The money I earned helped me to pay off my mortgage, so I'd like to do more of this work. I also take the unique poems I write for them, which are often read out at their funerals, and turn them into animated videos for TH-cam. So, how do I create an author platform/personal brand that could advertise my services as a life story writer specialising in working with adults with dementia alongside my stuff as a novelist and poet? It seems a difficult challenge to come up with a unifying theme for all this. Indeed, if I have to come up with a personal brand, how much money should I spend on this? I mean, I already have a website etc.
Thx for the info, also whats the intro song on this video?! It's been in my head awhile
Very helpful!!!!! Thank you!!
Your videos are so inspiring :)
Thank you so much :) :)
Good points! I respect all the work you put into doing these videos; it's so sad some people make mean comments. Great job, Kristen! :)
Your support means a lot ♡ I really appreciate it!
Just a quick question. I have a Yeti metal tumbler. Have you considered maybe carrying tumbler Authorlife decals in your store? I would love to have one.
I have not, but now that you said it, I am! :)
Awesome! I can't wait!
I have a question! :) I have my manuscript ready to go but wanted to build my author platform a bit before querying agents. So of course I want to make an author site, but my dilemma is I’m getting married next year and my name is going to change. That is the name id like to publish with. Do I start building my platform and website with my future name? Or do I start with the name I have currently and change social media/link to a new website once I’m married? Thanks for your advice!
Great Advice!
Thank you! 😊
What a great video - thank you. I do have one tiny request - could you straighten out the photo over your left shoulder - sorry! I couldn't take my eye off it.
A wonderful video as usual!
Thank you! 😄😄
Thanks
Nice!!!
Can you provide insight on conducting research into which social media platform Mystery / Thriller readers frequent the most?
can you please do a video on writing dialogue? I can describe stuff forever but cannot write convincing dialogue
I do have dialogue on my list of "to-dos", just haven't gotten around to it yet. Thanks for suggesting!
How early into a writer's career would you recommend they should start doing this? I'm about half way through the first draft of the first novel I hope to publish, so I'm not sure if I'm too early (wouldn't surprise me) or if this is a good time. Thanks for reading, and keep up the good content! :)
"I just don't have time for that shit". Ha!
I just try to be as nice as I can even to negative commenters. Usually they are not as bad as their initial comment may have been. You need to do it on your terms though it is your platform not theirs but they have the right to say whatever they want to on an open forum. Some people go above and beyond and are abusive I am not talking about those people. I am talking about just run of the mill negative commenters. I try not to assume the worst of people and I think that has helped me to gain subscribers of people who initially had a negative reaction to my content.
Wao!! Thnx 4 your words :D
any tips on promotion as an author who wants to use a pen name/remain unknown? or do you know of any channels or places you could lead me to if you're unsure? since I know you're not an anonymous author
Ohhh, this is a tricky one. Not off the top of my head, but if I come across anything, I'll send it your way :)
Are #authorlife t-shirts a thing?
It's a work-in-progress :)
Love you kristen you are the besr
I'm new to Your channel. I needed this video. What website host do You use?
I use Wix :)
I'm more of a night 😴 writter and in the morning 🌞 I only write little😩😌🤠
as a musican and author I struggle to find my audience. Although I know I'm around the preteen - young adult ratio. I'm not quite sure how to reach to them and grab their attention
How do I get an audience if I'm ugly and not noticeable?
Serious question. I'm also in recovery and write on mental health. Is it suggested to discuss my suicide& healing process or is that dramatic?
Veronica, I stumbled upon your comment. You are a beautiful creation of God! Maybe it will be a fiction novel where you create a protagonist that goes through your struggles and conquers them, heals! That would strike a common cord with a lot of people but via the art of fiction! Already you describe a huge audience yearning for purpose and meaning. That would be very powerful! When I think about something negative about myself I stop and think of five good things and don't lay down and dwell. I go outside the box so to speak. I ride bike, play guitar, or write, or do a random act of kindness for someone.
This is the stuff that worries me. I know I can tell a good story. I also know I suck at self-promotion.
B Anon same sadly
Does an unpublished author need to have an online presence?
I would recommend it :)
Yesss! Twirl on them haters!
I wonder how much the genre you write in impacts your social media success. I notice young adult authors have way more views because most of the online audience is into that.
I don't have and audience yet. Only my close friends even know that I write. +Kristen Martin
The background music for this video is distracting and annoying AF.