This presentation about the Author Platform is geared for fiction writers, memoirists, and poets. The focus here is on getting started and growing a platform with a strategy in mind. This is the first of three parts of the presentation. In this part we define the author platform of fiction writers, memoirists, and poets and then discuss the reasons for having a platform and specifically, online presence. Putting a strategy behind our author platform simplifies the process of building the platform and can make it more fun. Knowing what you are doing, why you are doing it, and who you are doing it for allows you to make conscious choices about your platform. Consciously choosing what to do and what not to do will make it easier to navigate the world of online marketing and will help you avoid the technology sprint and the chase of the next best thing.