Jane Friedman has a great post up on LinkedIn last week with a statistical analysis on who lands publishing contracts... And it's not always those with massive online platforms.
Why do I consider that motivation? Because they—whoever the ubiquitous they are—say that you have to have a platform. What are you waiting for? You need followers, you need social engagement, you need all the things yesterday!
Turns out, they may be wrong, or at least overstating things. Follow the link to Friedman’s short post, but what I found most motivating was that more than 20% of book deals came from writers with no obvious connections, which Friedman’s says is shorthand for “I would not have guessed this person would have landed a book deal.”
That means 1 in 5 writers who get book deals aren’t already famous, already platformed, already “somebody.”
Further, online influencers accounted for only a negligible number of contracts.
All of which goes to say, yes, you should have a public space where you can engage with readers and writers, but it should be one that you enjoy and find sustainable.
Honestly, it’s more than I would have guessed, and another reason to stay positive and keep writing. Focus on the words, my friends. It’s what we can control.