Building an author platform can feel overwhelming. Writers are often told they need a newsletter, social media presence, podcast appearances, events, a personal brand, and a marketing plan—often before they've even finished their manuscript.

The good news? Building a platform doesn't have to be complicated, time-intensive, or soul-crushing.

In this practical seminar, author and podcaster Courtney Kocak will help you cut through the noise and focus on the platform-building activities that actually matter. Rather than trying to do everything, you'll learn how to identify the handful of activities that best align with your strengths, goals, and bandwidth.

Think of this as Author Platform Essentials: the easy, effective, paint-by-numbers version of platform building. A clear, actionable roadmap for creating visibility, community, and career momentum—and ultimately selling books—that still leaves plenty of time for what you actually love: writing.

By the end of this presentation, you'll have a better understanding of the platform-building options available to writers today, which activities deliver the greatest return on investment, and how to create a sustainable strategy you can begin implementing right away.

This presentation will cover:

• What an author platform consists of and why it matters more than ever
• The most high-value components of a strong author platform
• How to identify your existing strengths, assets, and opportunities
• Email newsletters, social media, podcasts, events, and other platform options explained simply + tips for each
• How to build genuine relationships that lead to collaborations and communityA simple, sustainable platform plan you can maintain long-term
• Q&A 

What attendees have said ...

Tons of information including an inspiring number of ways to use my brand and connect it in various ways to your platform. Courtney was really personable and easy to listen to!

The information was robust, applicable, and thorough. Excellent session, as usual! I think Courtney was very professional and a clear expert in her field. I learned more than I even expected and feel motivated to tackle social media and marketing myself, rather than dreading it like usual.

Gave me a thorough understanding of author platforms and how to create and shape an integrated personal brand so that it reflects the most up-to-date social media, podcasting and Substack newsletter trends.

The energy of the speaker and her professionalism in how she unpacked a very layered marketing plan across multiple platforms.