3 Ways You Can Build a Platform Around Your Indie Book

Publishing your indie book is a major accomplishment, but it doesn’t have to be the final destination. 

The ideas, expertise, and stories within your book can create opportunities to connect with new audiences long after publication day. From developing a course to hosting workshops or stepping onto a stage, your book can become the foundation for a larger author platform. 

Here are three ways to take what you’ve already created and give it a life beyond the bookshelf.

1. Turn Your Book Into a Course

If your book teaches readers something, answers a question, or helps them work toward a goal, you may already have the beginnings of a course.

Start by looking at your book’s structure. Are there chapters that naturally build on one another? Exercises readers could work through? A process or framework you could break into individual lessons? You don’t have to recreate your entire book. Instead, think about how you could help readers go one step further.

For example, a business author could turn a framework from their book into a short professional development course. A wellness author might create guided lessons that help readers put their ideas into practice. An author writing about creativity could develop exercises and prompts that encourage participants to apply what they’ve learned.

Your course might include:

• Short video or audio lessons

• Worksheets, prompts, or exercises

• Templates and checklists

• Live Q&A sessions

• Group discussions

• Additional examples or resources

Your book can remain at the center of the experience as required reading, a companion resource, or the starting point for deeper learning. And remember, a course doesn’t have to be a huge undertaking. Starting with one focused topic from your book can help you test the idea and learn what your audience wants more of.

2. Bring Your Ideas to Life Through Workshops

Courses give readers an opportunity to learn from your book. Workshops give them a chance to interact with your ideas.

Think about one part of your book that people could actively do rather than simply read about.

Maybe you wrote a book about preserving family history and could lead a workshop on interviewing relatives. Perhaps your business book introduces a planning framework that teams could work through together. A children’s author could develop an activity around the themes of their story for schools, libraries, or families.

A good place to start is answering these three questions:

• What is one idea from my book people could put into practice?
• Who would benefit from learning it?
• Where does that audience already gather?

Once you know who your workshop is for, think about where you can reach that audience. Libraries, bookstores, schools, or conferences could all be potential places you could host or promote a workshop.

A workshop also gives readers something the book alone can’t: direct access to you. It can be a great opportunity for your audience to ask questions, share their experiences, and see how your ideas apply to their own lives.

3. Use Your Book to Open Doors for Speaking

Publishing a book gives you something valuable when pursuing speaking opportunities: a tangible example of your knowledge, experience, and perspective.

The key is to think beyond simply talking about your book. Instead, consider pitching the ideas, stories, or lessons within it that could make for an engaging presentation. What could you teach an audience? What conversation could your book help start? What would you want someone to walk away thinking about?

Once you have a topic in mind, look for places already having those conversations. Some places you could share your ideas could be:

• Conferences
• Schools
• Businesses
• Libraries
• Podcasts

Your book is a great way to establish your credibility and give people a reason to learn more about you. And each speaking opportunity can introduce your work to new readers while opening the door to even more connections.

Your Book Is Just the Beginning

Publishing your book is an accomplishment worth celebrating, but it can also be the start of something bigger. Whether you explore courses, workshops, speaking opportunities, or a combination of all three, each can help you reach new audiences and keep the ideas behind your book moving forward.

Start with what feels right for you and see where your book takes you next.