People First. Platform Second.
I have all my writing saved in my Google Drive. Sometimes, when I’m avoiding the work I need to be doing, I’ll go back and read my words from those early days of writing. Then I shake my head, laugh a little, and thank God for growth!
I’m just going to be completely honest with you here — when I first started writing, I had no idea what I was doing.
Yeah, I could write coherently and cohesively. Dual undergrad degrees in English and Education, plus that MEd in Teaching and the MA in English, gave me the capacity to write way too many words. Words on the page have never been a challenge for me. Understanding my calling and the message attached to it was the part I had to wrap my head and heart around.
And maybe that’s exactly where you’re sitting today. You know you’re supposed to write. You can put words on a page and make them into a cohesive piece. But something in your soul still feels a little unsettled.
Maybe, though, for you it’s everything else that comes with author life — social media, Substack, LinkedIn, podcasts, marketing, all of it. You’re clear about the calling, but you’re completely overwhelmed by everything you’re supposed to do with it.
Who am I here to serve?
If you’ve ever sat across the table (or the computer screen) with me, you’ve probably heard me talk about serving people and serving them well. Why? Because that’s the heart and soul of what we do as authors. When I began to understand that my writing could help someone make sense of what had happened to them at church, my entire perspective changed. I started thinking about what that person might need from me when they sat down to read.
That’s where I come back to one question. Who am I here to serve, and what would actually help them? If you’re still figuring out your message, the answer can help you decide what to write. If you know what you want to say and feel buried under all the ways you’re supposed to say it, the same question can help you decide where to spend your time.
How easy it is to lose sight of people
One thing is undoubtedly true when you’re an author — you will get blasted from every direction by professionals who promise to make you better at social media, grow your Substack, get you on podcasts, turn your book into a course, or help you come up with just the right lead magnet. The list goes on and on, and if you’ve been in this world very long, you know exactly what I’m talking about.
What I’m learning is that I want to work with people who can tell me how an idea will help my readers. A podcast can get a conversation about church hurt to someone who’s been trying to make sense of their own experience. A paid offer can help me keep doing work that matters to me and to the people I serve. I need to pay attention when the only answer I have for why I’m doing something is what I stand to gain.
I’ve watched the shift happen again and again. Authors and entrepreneurs start with a genuine desire to help their readers and clients. Over time, though, profit becomes more important than people. Engagement becomes more important than relationships. Reshares and restacks become more important than the actual human behind the keyboard.
It can happen so gradually that you barely notice it. The bank account gets low. The car payment comes due. You check how a post did and start planning the next one around what got the most attention. And somewhere in there, it gets easier to remember how many people clicked than to remember what one of them needed.
Try this with one thing on your list
Pick one thing you feel pressure to do this week. Maybe you’re staring at a blank draft. Maybe you’ve written post on LinkedIn on your to-do list for three weeks running. Before you get started, finish this sentence.
I’m doing this for a reader who is ______, and it will help them ______.
Say people keep emailing you because they’re getting ready to share their writing publicly for the first time and have no idea what to say in their first post. You could write a Substack article that helps them draft an opening they’d actually feel comfortable sharing. If those conversations are already happening on LinkedIn, you could post a short example there and give them something to try right away. You know what you want to help someone do, and that gives you a reason to choose where and how you show up.
If you’d like to work through this with me
I’ll be teaching People First, Platform Second — Finding Your People, Sharing Your Message, and Serving Well Online at the free Built Different Summit, November 17–19. We’ll talk about how your writing can serve people long before they buy your book. You’ll leave with a free workbook to help you identify who you serve, choose something useful to share with them, and make a plan for showing up that you can actually sustain.
Over three days, the summit will help you uncover experience you may be overlooking, turn what you know into something people can use, and share it through relationships and collaboration. If you’ve been sitting on an idea or a piece of unfinished work you know you want to do something with, this is an invitation to start small and serve faithfully.
Get your free ticket to the Built Different Summit
P.S. Replay and VIP passes are available here.
Let’s Talk About It
When has a real conversation with a reader changed what you wanted to write?
What’s one thing you feel like you should be doing as an author that you’re unsure actually helps your readers?
What’s one small thing you could write or share this week that would help a reader with something they’re facing right now?
A little something for my fellow authors
I recently updated two of my resources for authors, and both are available on Amazon. The Connected Author is for the writer who wants to build real relationships with readers. A Yearly Plan for Purpose gives you space to decide what matters in the year ahead and make a plan you can actually live with.
If this post has you looking at your author to-do list a little differently, either one can help you make room for the work you’re called to do and the people you’re called to serve.
I write in two spaces. A Seat at the Table is where I explore faith, healing, and making room for honesty after it’s been made complicated. Ink & Intention is for writers who want to show up with clarity, discernment, and integrity—especially online.
I’m also the author of Breathing Again and several guided journals, and I work with writers who want thoughtful, grounded support as they find their voice and shape what comes next.
If you’re a writer looking for thoughtful encouragement, practical strategy, and honest conversations about the writing life, you’re also welcome to join us inside The Visible Author Facebook Community.
If something here resonated, you’re welcome to explore more at your own pace. You can find everything in one place at KristenNeighbarger.com.
