It Takes Effort to Build an Author Brand
Many authors mistakenly assume building a personal brand either comes naturally (of course my fans will know me through my work), or that it’s simply unnecessary.
I have to admit those thoughts went through my own mind when I started this journey. It was very much like believing “Build it and they will come.” Which, as we all know, only happens in movies.
Sadly, I should’ve known better that both of those assumptions were false. For people to follow you and your work, they need to know who you are, what you write and what you stand for.
Branding certainly accomplishes this, but branding requires a good deal of effort and attention.
I can almost hear you say “But I’m an author, not a commodity. Why should I have to do it?”
Many years working in public relations and marketing taught me an important truth: an effective brand image gives you an edge in successfully selling your product … and as a writer you and your books are both a commodity.
As an indie author I can also tell you, building your brand is entirely on your own shoulders, ’cause ain’t nobody gonna do it but you.
Your Brand is Your Promise to Your Audience
What exactly does “branding” mean? We all have a personal brand, whether we know it or not. In one way or another an author is always being judged and evaluated. Particularly an indie.
To be effective, you need to control the face you show the world.
It’s your brand that tells people what they can expect from your work. But your brand stems not only from who you are and what you write, but how you’re perceived, and it should also be how you want to be known. In a marketing sense, branding is actually the process of selling yourself.
Your writing will ultimately stand on its own.
However, it’s by the conscientious building of your brand that you make it easier for your book to attract a “tribe” of readers that identify with it. And that’s the important thing: building that loyal tribe of followers.
How do you do it? Marketing guru Seth Godin describes how the landscape has changed from the old ‘mass marketing’ model many of us grew up with (me included).
Discover Your Brand Personality
The first step in building your brand is taking the time to define and articulate (at least to yourself) both how you’re alike and why you’re different from other authors. Believe me, it’s damned hard to do. It requires self-analysis and introspection.
You start by doing some research. Check out the sites of authors, bloggers, designers and other creative types. What attracts you? What turns you off? Then start brainstorming, focusing on your strengths, passions and goals.
What do you like to write? What ideas and feelings do you want people to associate with you? What mood or immediate impression do you want to evoke? Stephen King is known primarily for one genre of writing, as are J.K. Rowling and John Grisham.
You can probably articulate in very few words how all these (and other) successful authors are identified.
That’s a brand.
Painting With Light 