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Industry Truth 12 of 30

The "Platform" Requirement: You as an Influencer

Tales From A Harrogate Caravan

At a Glance

  • • Focus: The argument that authors are now required to build a platform before they are allowed to be published.
  • • Includes: Social following, author websites, newsletters, and the work expected before the book.
  • • Who it's for: Authors told their book cannot be sold without an audience they do not have.
A person staring at a screen full of social media follower counts.

The Industry Way

You finish your manuscript, but then you are asked for your "platform." How many followers do you have? What is your email list reach? They treat you like a social media influencer who happens to write books on the side. If your online presence isn't large enough to guarantee thousands of sales, they lose interest. They are looking for a marketing engine, not a storyteller.

A person writing at a desk, disconnected from the noise.

Tales From A Harrogate Caravan Way

Don't have 10k followers? Doesn't matter. We're not judging your following, we're publishing your book.

The Full Story

The obsession with "platform" is a symptom of a publishing industry that has outsourced its marketing budget. Because major houses have gutted their publicity departments, they now demand that authors arrive with their own pre-built audiences. This creates a massive barrier to entry for writers who are better at the craft of writing than the craft of self-promotion. It shifts the burden of sales onto the creative person. At The Caravan, we believe the quality of the narrative is the only "platform" that should matter.

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