In About Us, I present myself as a “Marketing guy.” I’ve spent the shank of my career as such with one addendum: “Marketing guy with a budget.” Sometimes that budget went into six figures.

Trying to distill the essence of marketing a book, without a considerable sum to invest, is challenging. Here are a few perspectives that buck some of the notions presented in the hundreds of—mostly self-published—books on marketing for writers. All revolve around creating that elusive platform.

What is a Platform?

In the old days it was called a network: how many people (1) know you who (2) like you and (3) trust you enough to recommend your product. For writers in the 21st century, networking is done on social media, plus any other personal or professional circles in which you participate: church, hobbyist, meet-up, and even alumni groups.

But having a lot of “Friends” or “Followers” is not sufficient. Are you credible to them? Do they read what you post? Might they shell out ten to fifteen dollars for a Kindle or print book?

Which comes first, Platform or Publication?

I attended a writers’ Meet-up several years ago that was proffered as a round-table discussion of book marketing. One self-appointed guru spoke at length about his 50,000 Facebook friends and 40,000 Twitter (at the time) followers, and how he was sure that sales would go through the roof once he had finished writing his book and self-published. I sat in awe. I friended him and followed him. I saw pictures of his family at Christmas. Good looking kids, I thought. However, I haven’t heard a damn thing about his book since.

RULE #1: Thousands of friends and followers are of no value if you haven’t published your book.

At the same Meet-up, another gentlemen elaborated on how he inaugurated sales on Amazon. He claims that he got fifty people he knows to buy his novel within a small window of time. Amazon doesn’t rank books by how many have sold as much as by the velocity at which they are selling. When a book is purchased through fifty independent accounts in a short time, it’s ranking goes high and increases a book’s visibility in searches for its genre or the specific key words with which the book is tagged.

“How many did you sell that first month,” I asked.

“Ten thousand,” he said.

“Wow. How many now?”

“Maybe twenty or so per month.”

He had spent thousands of dollars to prepare, promote, and market his book. Perhaps he paid for the fifty books purchased by his friends, though he didn’t say. Certainly, he made his money back, but the $80 or $90 he’s raking in each month from current sales is not impressive. He’s keeping his day job.

Here’s the punch line: I made the $15.95 investment and bought his book. It’s terrible. A story that might have had some redeeming value, reads like a middle-schooler’s attempt at a term paper with unimaginative wording, uninspired visuals, and hackneyed clichés. Might that have any bearing on why, with 10K+ books out there, it’s barely selling now?

RULE #2: All the marketing savvy in the world won’t support a badly written book.

This may be an avante garde concept, but the most essential step in marketing your book is first to write a damn good book, and after your creative inspiration is fulfilled, back it up with solid editorial direction plus an attractive cover design and a well-thought-out title.

For first-time authors who are not otherwise highly networked with those who may throw fifteen bucks at you out of loyalty and a bit of curiosity, writing and polishing the manuscript—having it prepared for immediate publication—must come before platform for only then do you know what kind of platform to build.

But you can get started by working Facebook, X, or BlueSky, making friends and followers, and participating in discussions on blogs and forums. Get yourself known. Engage a sufficient number of people who might feel that they know you, and who read your posts and comments replying favorably.

Then you’ve got a base where fifty or so will will buy your book to read… not just to game Amazon.