3 Author Platform Resolutions for 2022

by E.J. Wenstrom
published in Community

As we end one year and start another, it’s a great time to take stock of what we’ve done, and where we want to go next. Yes! Resolutions!

I know these days a lot of people are over resolutions. And I get it—why set goals based on a milestone in time when time hardly even feels real anymore these days?

But hey, even if you’re down on resolutions, I know you’re into building your author career. And why not tackle something new now?

Personally, I’m all about it. There’s something about the idea of that new year that feels like a blank slate, and it gets me really fired up to take on a new challenge. And in fact, your author platform is a really excellent space to channel that kind of energy!

If you also get that warm buzz for a challenge at the start of the new year—or if you’re just a person looking for a way to focus your author platforming efforts—here are a few ways to channel that energy into meaningful effort as we head into 2022.

3 Author Platform Resolutions for 2022

Guest Posts

As an author, I’m guessing you enjoy writing. Guest posting for an outlet, whether it’s a blog, a magazine, or another forum, can be a great way to put those skills to work to expand your platform to audiences through a channel they already love and trust. Guest posting on a respected website can signal expertise and professionalism.

As you look for opportunities, remember to focus on outlets that draw in a readership similar to the audience who would enjoy your books.

[Editor’s Note: Psst! Interested in guest posting with DIY MFA? Check out our submission guidelines]

Already guest posting with success? Great! Level up this challenge by trying to earn a regular contributor role with an outlet you love.

Newsletter

Many authors dread tackling the challenge of the newsletter. But as I wrote earlier this year, I believe your newsletter can be fun and even joyful! Why not make this the year you learn to love this all-important platforming channel? It’s an opportunity to connect with your biggest fans that nothing else can offer.

You could also set a goal to hit a milestone number of subscribers, improve your open rate, or commit to an increased newsletter frequency.

New Channels

Social media is changing around us all the time! It can be hard to keep up with everything, and you don’t have to. But, if you just keep doing the same thing you were doing five years ago and never change at all, you’ll fall behind and lose opportunities. To take on this challenge in a manageable way, I recommend picking one way to stretch yourself this year with social media and going all in to master it.

That might mean finally diving into a new platform like TikTok and making a study of it throughout the year through expert guides and other authors in your genre who are nailing it. Maybe you’ve been curious about podcasting and finally buy that mic. Or, maybe it’s experimenting with Facebook ads.

Whatever it is, remember, you have a full year to build up your learning curve. Don’t worry about being an instant master, just keep seeking out opportunities to learn.

Ready, Set, Resolve!

After another year of change and chaos, are you ready for a clean slate? I sure am. And when I get hungry for something new, I automatically start thinking about what the next challenge will be that I set for myself.

Platform is a wide-ranging thing that takes on many forms and is bottomless in what you can grow. This makes it a wonderful space to focus, set goals, and commit to learning something new.

Happy holidays, and best of luck with the new challenges you take on in the new year!

Tell us in the comments: What author platform resolutions are you going to make for 2022?


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By day, E. J. Wenstrom is a digital strategy pro with over 10 years at communications firms. By early-early morning, she’s an award-winning sci-fi and fantasy author of the Chronicles of the Third Realm War novels, starting with Mud. She believes in complicated characters, terrifying monsters, and purple hair dye.

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