The Most Important Question You Can Ask About Your Author Platform

(The section below is excerpted from a book I am currently writing on how to take a spiritual and common sense approach to author platform) 

One day I had the privilege of sitting down with a chaplain who wanted advice on writing a book proposal. He was writing a book about his experiences working as a chaplain with people in hospice. He had been in my “How to Write Your Book Proposal” workshop and was daunted by the concept of platform, which I stressed as important for the Publicity and Promotion Section. He felt he had couldn't write the section because he had no big stage on which to stand.

Suddenly, without consciously choosing them, I found these words coming out of my mouth:

“If you had the book in your hand right now, what would you do with it?”

Buffy the Novella Slayer (Because She Kills It)

Meet The Buff.

Part of being a writer is having friends who write. The Buff is one of mine. I call her my "Writing Buffy" instead of "Writing Buddy," which I think is hilarious and wonderful. She's a good sport about it. She's a good sport about most things. And recently she got some great, well-deserved news.

After a year of submitting her first novella "The Dark King's Lover" to a number of contests and presses with no success (DKL is a book I edited last winter, a cheeky, sexy, enjoyably dark love story between a witch and a vicious fairy king), Buff finally got GREAT news:

She finalled in the 2nd Annual Novellas Need Love, Too contest sponsored by the Celtic Hearts Chapter of the Romance Writers of America in the Paranormal category. The finalist submissions will not be sent to an editor for the final round and we'll find out in December (around Christmas) where she placed.

So, is Buffy just having a good year?

I don't think so. As someone who teaches writers marketing and platform development, and thinks a lot about what really works and what really doesn't, I'm fascinated when a friend seems to come out of the woodwork and really make something happen.

And I have worked with enough aspiring writers to start seeing real patterns in what works.

So, join me in the next installment NEXT WEDNESDAY, when I talk about the strange thing I see actually working for aspiring novelists that has nothing to do with virtuosity, years of focused dedication, or industry connections.

And say hi to Buffy on twitter. She'll say hi back and what's more, she'll be genuinely interested unless you are an arrogant d-bag. Even then, she'll find you hilarious.

Seeking Smart Zombie Novel Publishers/Agents

And no, I don't mean smart publishers/agents; I mean publishers of smart zombie novels.

Emm... smart novels. Not smart zombies.

See how slippery these adjectives can be?

Here is the thing: I have the pleasure of editing a truly kick-ass zombie novel written by a client who also happens to be a good friend. This is a pure joy for any freelance fiction editor.

But I'm not sure where to help him submit. It isn't the pulpy genre stuff. It isn't super literary like Colson Whitehead's Zone One, although it does do some experimental things with POV and is very well-written.

As I said, this zombie novel is not just a zombie novel. But it's also not just a "thinking man's" zombie novel. It's a coming-of-age story, a love story between a boy and his dog, it's a commentary on the force of connection that keeps us sane in the midst of insanity, even if it's with someone from a different species.

I keep searching for publishers and agents of "thinking man's" horror, but that isn't quite right. The book is thoughtful, yes, plays with point of view, yes. It even uses the dog's POV charmingly and in a way that actually seems like dog-think. This is a guy who really knows his dogs, thirteen-year olds, and zombies, and approaches them with the wonder of an adolescent.

It is more like Salem's Lot - horror that has more to do with a world turned upside down than lots of gore.

My friend is a first-time novelist but he's polished this thing to a shine. He's a talented and emotionally intelligent storyteller and if I could publish him with a strong force of marketing and distribution, I would. I would be on him.

I think it would be a great pick-up for a medium-sized publisher. An agent or publisher who isn't just publishing pulpy zombie stuff, but looking for genre fiction that transcends itself.

Any thoughts, leads, comments, dear writers and editors and friends?