Figuring Out my Online Platform as a Nonfiction Author

Pfeiffer Beach in Big Sur, California.

I started backward. I wrote a 40,000-word prescriptive nonfiction manuscript in three months. From what I’ve read at this point, I should have started out as a blogger, building a fanbase, and establishing myself as an expert for a few years. In my humble opinion, you pretty much have to be an expert to write 40,000 words (about 150 pages) of something on any one topic. According to what I read and learn as I go along, literary agents and publishing companies won’t even look at you unless you have an online platform established as a nonfiction writer. Good to know.

I’m still glad I wrote my future book! Because I wrote with genuine intentions: to help family caregivers and reach a larger population than the individuals I encounter daily. As a Family Care Navigator in the Los Angeles Caregiver Resource Center (LACRC), I hear the same thing every day about family caregivers not being aware of support and services for them. And this nonprofit, county and state grant-funded center has been around for 30 years to help ease the burden for family caregivers. Even professionals in the community need clarification about what is available for family caregivers when they call the LACRC regularly with questions and often request in-service training for staff.

I’m still trying to figure out the purpose of each of my online…