It's crucial to ask one or two basic questions before you write and publish your book or engage in a lot of platform-building activity,

What do you consider SUCCESS?

For example, I was just offered a contract from a prestigious publisher that I turned down. I'm certain 99% of other authors would have grabbed it. This isn't the first time I have declined, and it won't be my last.

I wasn't offered this deal because I have a platform. It resulted from pitching a unique topic that has wide appeal. The publisher tested the topic, and confirmed it is a winner.

To me, success isn't building a platform, getting a contract, or seeing yet another title in print. It is investing my time wisely in publications that will pay off in several ways: large advances, serious royalties, and most important in "futurity."

In my case futurity means bringing me consulting and training clients. Example: I can trace more than a million dollars of consulting business to one book reader in Tacoma, Washington.

I believe quite strongly that you can waste a lot of time following the crowd into the blog-bog, a trendy way of building a platform, and it will only get you stuck servicing the blog and non-paying readers.

When does all of this Internet activity become monetized? When is the payoff, and is it worth all of the effort?

As authors, I believe we are conning ourselves into what is called The Secondary Gain Trap: Pursuing "A" when we're really hoping for "B."

Let's ask the most fundamental question: Exactly why must you publish a book?

(Fame? Money? Prestige?)

And if you do publish, will this really satisfy that need?

Before you invest another atom of energy promoting yourself or your book, address the questions I have raised, and it will help you to set meaningful priorities while focusing on activity that really produces the results you need.