Author Platform Plan

---
name: author-platform-plan
description: "Builds author platform plans with book promotion, speaking gigs, media appearances, and audience building."
allowed-tools: Read Write Glob
metadata:
  author: matthewhitcham
  version: "1.0"
---

# Author Platform Plan

## When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when you need to:
- Build an author platform plan for promoting a book or establishing authorship credibility
- Design audience-building strategies across speaking, media, and online presence
- Create pre-launch and post-launch promotion plans for a book
- Position yourself as a published author for business growth and authority

**DO NOT** use this skill for writing the book itself, creating a book proposal, or planning fiction marketing. This is for non-fiction author platform building and book promotion strategy.

---

## Core Principle

AN AUTHOR PLATFORM IS NOT BUILT AFTER THE BOOK IS PUBLISHED — IT IS BUILT BEFORE, SO THAT WHEN THE BOOK LAUNCHES, THERE IS AN AUDIENCE READY TO BUY, SHARE, AND AMPLIFY IT.

---

## Phase 1: Brief

### Required Inputs

| Input | What to Ask | Default |
|-------|------------|---------|
| **Book topic** | "What is the book about?" | No default — must be provided |
| **Book status** | "Is the book written, in progress, or just an idea?" | In progress |
| **Target reader** | "Who is the ideal reader?" | No default — must be provided |
| **Existing platform** | "What audience do you already have? (email list, social, community)" | Minimal — under 1,000 total |
| **Publishing path** | "Traditional, self-published, or hybrid?" | Self-published |
| **Launch timeline** | "When do you plan to publish?" | 6-12 months from now |

**GATE: Confirm the brief before proceeding.**

---

## Phase 2: Strategy

### Platform Pillars

```
## Author Platform Components

1. **Online Presence** — website, social media, email list
2. **Content Engine** — blog, podcast, newsletter, or video channel
3. **Speaking** — talks, podcasts, panels, webinars
4. **Media** — press coverage, guest articles, interviews
5. **Community** — engaged readers, early adopters, launch team
```

### Pre-Launch Timeline

```
## 12 Months Before Launch
- Build author website with email opt-in
- Start email newsletter (weekly or bi-weekly)
- Begin speaking at events and on podcasts
- Grow social presence on primary platform

## 6 Months Before Launch
- Recruit a launch team (50-100 early readers)
- Share book-related content weekly (excerpts, behind-the-scenes, research)
- Pitch media outlets for pre-launch features
- Build relationships with book reviewers and influencers

## 3 Months Before Launch
- Cover reveal and pre-order campaign
- Launch team receives advance copies (ARCs)
- Ramp up podcast guesting (target 10-15 appearances)
- Plan launch week promotions

## Launch Month
- Execute launch week campaign
- Coordinate launch team reviews on Amazon/Goodreads
- Media blitz (interviews, guest posts, social push)
- Email sequence to full list

## Post-Launch (Ongoing)
- Speaking based on book content
- Evergreen content marketing tied to book themes
- Seek awards and recognition
- Plan second book or expanded edition
```

**GATE: Present the timeline and strategy for approval.**

---

## Phase 3: Build

### Author Website

```
## Essential Pages
- **Home:** Book cover, one-sentence pitch, buy links, email opt-in
- **About:** Author bio, story, credentials, headshot
- **Book:** Full description, endorsements, sample chapter, buy links
- **Speaking:** Topics, bio, testimonials, booking info
- **Media:** Press kit, high-res photos, interview topics, media mentions
- **Blog/Content:** Regular content related to book themes
- **Contact:** Email and booking form
```

### Email List Growth Plan

```
## Lead Magnet Ideas (Related to Book)
- Free chapter or excerpt
- Book companion worksheet or toolkit
- Mini-course based on one book concept
- Assessment or quiz tied to book content
- "Behind the book" bonus content

## Growth Channels
- Website opt-in (pop-up + embedded forms)
- Social media bio link
- Speaking events (offer free resource from stage)
- Podcast appearances (custom landing page per show)
- Guest articles (author bio with opt-in link)
```

### Launch Team Guide

```
## Launch Team Playbook

**Who to recruit:** Superfans, colleagues, industry peers, early email subscribers
**Team size:** 50-100 people
**What they get:**
- Advance copy of the book (free)
- Behind-the-scenes access during writing
- Name in the acknowledgments
- Direct access to the author

**What they do:**
- Read the book before launch
- Post an honest review on Amazon and Goodreads on launch day
- Share about the book on their social media
- Tell 3 friends about the book
```

---

## Phase 4: Polish

### 1. Launch Week Plan

```
## Launch Week (Day by Day)
**Monday:** Announcement email + social post — "The book is HERE"
**Tuesday:** Launch team reviews go live on Amazon
**Wednesday:** Podcast episode or live event about the book
**Thursday:** Guest post published on a high-traffic site
**Friday:** Social proof roundup — share reviews, photos, reader reactions
**Weekend:** Thank-you post + "it's not too late" reminder
```

### 2. Metrics to Track

```
## Author Platform Metrics
- Email list size (target: 1,000+ before launch)
- Pre-orders (if available)
- Launch week sales
- Amazon reviews (target: 50+ in first month)
- Speaking invitations (track source)
- Media mentions and features
- Website traffic to book page
```

### 3. Long-Term Platform Maintenance

```
## Monthly Author Activities (Post-Launch)
- [ ] Publish 2-4 pieces of content tied to book themes
- [ ] Pitch 1-2 podcast appearances
- [ ] Engage in 1 speaking opportunity
- [ ] Email newsletter to full list
- [ ] Monitor and respond to book reviews
- [ ] Track ongoing sales and adjust promotion
```

---

## Example 1: Business Book Author Platform

```
Book: "Systems Over Hustle" — a guide to building automated business operations
Timeline: 9 months to launch
Platform focus: LinkedIn (primary), email newsletter, podcast guesting
Pre-launch goal: 2,000 email subscribers, 20 podcast appearances
Launch team: 75 solopreneurs from existing community
```

## Example 2: Self-Help Book Author Platform

```
Book: "The Boundary Blueprint" — setting boundaries for overworked professionals
Timeline: 12 months to launch
Platform focus: Instagram (primary), email newsletter, speaking
Pre-launch goal: 5,000 email subscribers, 10 speaking events
Launch team: 100 readers recruited from Instagram and email list
```

---

## Anti-Patterns

- **Writing the book in isolation** — building an audience while writing means launch day has buyers. Writing first, then building means starting from zero.
- **No email list** — social followers are rented. Email subscribers are owned. Prioritize list building above all.
- **Launching without reviews** — a book with zero reviews on Amazon looks unproven. Coordinate launch team reviews for day one.
- **One-week promotion** — a book launch is not a one-week event. Plan 3 months of sustained promotion.
- **No speaking strategy** — speaking is the highest-converting book promotion channel. One talk sells more books than 100 social posts.
- **Ignoring Amazon optimization** — categories, keywords, description copy, and review velocity matter. Optimize the listing.

---

## Recovery

- **Book launches in 30 days with no platform:** Focus on a small, intense launch. Recruit 20-30 friends and colleagues as a micro launch team. Pitch 5 podcasts for immediate appearances. Email everyone you know personally.
- **User has a large platform but no book yet:** Great position. Survey the audience on book topics, share the writing process publicly, and pre-sell before writing.
- **First book flopped:** Analyze what went wrong — usually no platform, no launch team, or no promotion. The second book benefits from lessons learned. Revive the first book with a new promotion push.
- **User is choosing between traditional and self-publishing:** Traditional gives credibility and distribution. Self-publishing gives speed, control, and higher royalties. For business books targeting solopreneurs, self-publishing usually wins on ROI.