The Basics: Why Publishers Want Author Platforms
You can’t get a traditional nonfiction book deal by hiding behind your laptop, secretly writing chapters and hoping “a publisher discovers you.” In today’s market, the blunt reality is this:
If you want a big, traditional book deal, you don’t just need a great idea — you need a visible author platform.
That’s the central question this episode tackles:
What is an author platform, and why does it matter so much if you want a traditional nonfiction book deal?
Let’s break it down in a way that makes sense for entrepreneurs, experts, and creators.
The Central Answer: Author Platform = Your Ability to Sell Books
Meghan defines author platform in the simplest possible way:
The easy definition of author platform is audience, but it’s really your ability to sell books.
A few key truths she stresses:
Platform is subjective. There’s no magic follower count, no fixed benchmark, no “hit this number and you get a deal.”
People with huge platforms get rejected. People with small or unusual platforms sometimes get deals.
You cannot fully opt out of marketing if you want a traditional deal. You don’t have to be “Insta Famous,” but people do need to know who you are.
For entrepreneurs, the good news is that the same actions that build a successful business — audience, visibility, content, relationships — are the very things that form your author platform. The work you’re already doing to grow your company is the work that positions you for a book deal.
What Actually Counts as Author Platform?
Meghan treats platform like a prix fixe menu: you don’t need everything, but you do need a mix.
Your author platform can include:
Email list
Social media presence
Press or media features
Free content (podcast, blog, YouTube, newsletter, etc.)
A “real” job or formal role (boards, universities, well‑known organizations)
A network of influencers or leaders
Speaking (keynotes, workshops, panels)
Corporate programs or education (training inside companies, bulk book buys)
You choose the combination that fits you and your life.
The goal isn’t “a million followers.” In many traditional nonfiction cases, what you need to demonstrate is that you can reasonably sell around 20,000 books — enough to make a publisher money and justify their investment.
Common Misconceptions Meghan Shreds
Misconception 1: “If I don’t have a huge following, I can’t get a deal.”
Not true — but also not totally false. You don’t need to be a viral TikToker or household name, but you do need evidence that:
People know who you are.
People engage with your work.
There is a believable path from your current audience to a meaningful number of book buyers.
Sometimes the author with the biggest social numbers gets rejected. Sometimes someone with no social media but a powerful offline platform (like corporate speaking, academia, or a strong network) gets a deal.
Misconception 2: “Publishers will handle all the marketing anyway.”
This is one of the biggest myths. Meghan is clear:
Publishers are corporations. They invest where they see a return.
They expect authors to bring and grow an audience, not just hand over the manuscript and disappear.
They want authors who already have proven content and proven engagement.
They don’t “only want famous people,” but they do want people who either are known or are clearly capable of becoming known.
Misconception 3: “Platform is out of my control.”
Actually, platform is one of the few things entirely in your control:
You choose which channels to use.
You decide how consistently you show up.
You decide whether you’re interested … or committed.
If you genuinely don’t want to build a platform, self‑publishing or hybrid publishing may be a better fit than traditional deals.
The Hard Numbers: Interest vs. Commitment
Meghan shares a striking contrast:
She’s taught 200+ people the basics of traditional publishing and author platform.
Out of those, only 3 followed through to build an audience around unique content and move toward a deal. That’s about 0.006%.
By contrast, among the clients who work closely with her team on book proposals, 100% got literary agents and 90% got book deals with major publishers in 2024.
Her theories:
Platform takes real work.
Clients who come in with strong platforms usually post multiple times a day, create a lot of content, and stick with it even when their audience is small.The success rate mirrors online business realities.
Most online businesses fail early. Building a platform is similar: many are interested, few are truly committed.For many, a book is more dream than project.
Like retiring overseas: lots of people love thinking about it; far fewer actually take the steps to make it happen. The same is true for “getting a book deal.”
Her conclusion: the difference is commitment. The people who win are the ones willing to do the long‑term, often unglamorous work.
Questions This Episode Answers
“What exactly is an author platform?”
“Do I really need to be on social media?”
“Can I get a book deal without a platform at all?”
“Why do only a tiny fraction of aspiring authors succeed?”
“Is building a platform worth it if I’m already running a business?”
Are you just interested in writing and publishing a book…
or are you committed to doing the work only a tiny fraction of people will do?
