Why I wish I had a time machine.

Recently 1,972 questions were submitted to me through a survey and “Where do I start?” was a common––and plaintive––theme. If I had a time machine, I could tell you to go back in time, and start your email list. Because it’s the most valuable thing you can do for your fans and for yourself as a writer. If I had a time machine that is what I would do (and also by Apple stock).
I so wish I’d started my email list back when I was first getting published. Please, please, do not make the mistake I made! Do it as you start building your author platform.
Just for the sake of argument let’s say you don’t have a time machine. In that case, you’d better start to build your email list now.
It’s where you need to start building your author platform.
Why?
Imagine this: you’ve built your entire platform on YouTube. Google decides, “We are so over YouTube. Let’s take it down.”
Imagine this: You’re a Facebook fiend and have a bazillion Likes. Mr. Zuckerberg decides to monetize for Likes. Instead of paying Mr. Z, and emptying your bank account in the process, you (GASP!) leave Facebook. How are you going to contact your community of Likers in that case? If you had a mailing list, you’d be good to go. You’d have a back up, you could contact them if anything happened to your site.
Let’s be clear: I’m not talking about sending from your yahoo.com email––you need a service. For me, it’s the best bill I pay every month. I love AWeber and that’s what I have used for years. But there are many other services to choose from, too.
The point is, if you have a list and your site goes down, you can let your community know. You can build your platform through your list. You and your subscribers are communicating, and they’re often even replying to your automated emails, and you’re creating a know, like, and trust situation.
As they get to know, like, and trust you, a community will form. When your book hits, you’ll have provided so much great content and support, they’ll want to support you in return. You will also have a place from which to draw your launch team when it’s time to set that up.

I never could’ve launched my book at #1 on Amazon if it weren’t for the incredible people on my list. I was able to reach them and communicate with them because of my mailing list.
Want to know more about starting and growing your platform with email? Get my free training video series by signing up here: https://katiedavis.com/freetraining