by Beth K. Vogt, @bethvogt

I don’t do math – except when it comes to writing. 

A few weeks ago, the topic of influencers came up in an online writers group I belong to. Another author asked some basic questions, such as how to find influencers for her book and how to keep track of all the information. 

I commented, and then summarized my answer into an equation:

Influencers = A + B + C

What is an Influencer?

Defining an influencer will help us unpack the three parts of the equation. Influencers are people who are eager to build anticipation and excitement about you and your writing – your upcoming release or award or contest – because they believe in you. But influencers also have clout – some sort of pull with other potential readers.

With this additional information, then, the equation looks like this:

Influencers = Anticipation + Belief + Clout

Where do we find our influencers?

Thanks to A and B we know who influencers are (people who Believe in you) and what they do (they build Anticipation for your writing). 

Clout is the key element that makes someone an effective influencer. Don’t think family, friends, and even fans – unless they have some sort of power or position that allows them to encourage others to read your book. Consider their:

• social media reach
• connection with issues in your book
• how their passions intersect with yours

Potential influencers can include mentors who helped you achieve your success; other authors who are farther along the writing road than you are (but make sure you consider authors who write the same genre as you do); as well as readers who enjoy social media and already have an active social media following. 

How do we organize our influencers?

I recommend using an Excel spreadsheet to compile information about your influencers. It’s easily updated each year and perfect to email to your editor when they ask for a list of your influencers. Include details like:

• name
• email
• address
• if they prefer an e-book or print copy

It’s never too early to begin compiling a list of potential influencers, those people who are willing to use their clout to spread the word about you and your book. Realize it takes time to build a list of influencers. And that asking someone about being a potential influencer for your book means they have the freedom to say yes or no. Be gracious in how you ask, and gracious when they respond. Sometimes people do want to help, but the timing is off because their schedule is already overloaded. 

Moments We Forget  by Beth K. Vogt

Jillian Thatcher has spent most of her life playing the family peacemaker, caught in the middle between her driven, talented older sister and her younger, spotlight-stealing twin sisters. Then on the night of her engagement party, a cancer diagnosis threatens to once again steal her chance to shine.

Now, Jillian’s on the road to recovery after finally finishing chemo and radiation, but residual effects of the treatment keep her from reclaiming her life as she’d hoped. And just when her dreams might be falling into place, a life-altering revelation from her husband sends her reeling again.

Will Jillian ever achieve her own dreams, or will she always be “just Jillian,” the less-than Thatcher sister? Can she count on her sisters as she tries to step into a stronger place, or are they stuck in their childhood roles forever?

Beth K. Vogt is a non-fiction author and editor who said she’d never write fiction. She’s the wife of an Air Force family physician (now in solo practice) who said she’d never marry a doctor—or anyone in the military. She’s a mom of four who said she’d never have kids. Now Beth believes God’s best often waits behind the doors marked “Never.” Beth’s first novel for Tyndale House Publishers, Things I Never Told You, released in May 2018. Moments We Forget, book two in the Thatcher Sisters series, releases May 2019. Beth is a 2016 Christy Award winner, a 2016 ACFW Carol Award winner, and a 2015 RITA® finalist. Her 2014 novel, Somebody Like You, was one of Publisher’s Weekly’s Best Books of 2014. A November Bride was part of the Year of Wedding Series by Zondervan. Having authored nine contemporary romance novels or novellas, Beth believes there’s more to happily-ever-after than the fairy tales tell us. An established magazine writer and former editor of the leadership magazine for MOPS International, Beth blogs for Novel Rocket and The Write Conversation and also enjoys speaking to writers group and mentoring other writers. She lives in Colorado with her husband Rob, who has adjusted to discussing the lives of imaginary people, and their youngest daughter, Christa, who loves to play volleyball and enjoys writing her own stories. Connect with Beth at bethvogt.com.