In part two of my series on Building an Author's Platform, I've asked a few authors to share their experiences. First up is Dora Machado, author of the Stonewiser series of award winning fantasy novels. Dora is a client of ours who has had great success with her debut novel, Stonewiser: The Heart of the Stone, and the sequels The Call of the Stone and The Lament of the Stone. All are published by Mermaid Press, a small press specializing in science fiction, fantasy, and historical novels. Like many authors, Dora poured all her energy and focus into achieving publication, and didn't give much thought to the need for a publicity platform. She was gracious enough to share her thoughts on publicity before and after the book deal.

What was your platform like before your first book was published? Did you have an online presence related to your writing?

I had no platform when my first book, Stonewiser: The Heart of the Stone was published. Zero. Zilch. Nothing. I'm embarrassed to say it, but it's true. I had been so busy writing that I had given little thought to the writing life away from the keyboard. In retrospect, I understand having an early platform may have helped me to publish earlier, but back then my mind was consumed by the idea of perfecting my manuscripts. I think writing can be such a demanding craft that sometimes it's hard to see beyond the end of a story.

Florida-based writer Dora Machado had the nice distinction of being the first fiction author ever to be published by Mermaid Press. The second book in the series, Stonewiser: The Call of the Stone, is scheduled for June, 2009 release.