Episode 116: Building Your Platform: How To Secure A Book Deal & Get Published w/ Dawn Michelle Hardy

Ever dream of writing and publishing a book? What exactly goes into working with a book agent or going the self-publishing route? How do books actually sell? How do you leverage your influence to impact an even bigger community? We’ve got some answers for you! Our guest Dawn Michelle Hardy describes the work she does as being “a talent manager for creative storytellers across multiple platforms”. She began her agency Dream Relations PR & Literary Consulting in 2004 after working with Teri Woods author of True to the Game. Additionally, she is the creator of the Speed Mentoring Series a traveling brunch event that discusses the intricacies of book publishing.

Dawn dives into her early career journey – from studying fashion merchandising at FIT and how she stumbled into the book publishing industry, honed her skills, and realized she had what it took to go SOLO and build her own practice. Dawn shares lessons she has for other creatives trying to build their platforms and get their voices heard.

Join in on the conversation on social (@dreamsindrive) and use the hashtag #dreamsindrive. Enjoy!

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ON THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS:
– How Dawn knew she would always be an entrepreneur
– Studying fashion merchandising at FIT
– How Dawn ended up in the book publishing industry
– How Dawn branched out and started her own agency as a publicist
– The power of confidence
– An important lesson Dawn learned from a past client
– The difference between a book publicist and a book agent
– How to know if writing a book is for you
– How to get your book published
– How to know when to self publish vs. get a book agent
– The truth about making money as an author
– How to secure a book agent & write a query letter that gets READ
– When to walk away from trying to get a publishing deal
– How to become a book agent
– 3 things you have to do market your book
– How to stay balanced