USA Today best seller shares her secrets of success February 23, 2023
The Basic Elements of Author Branding
When we hear the term “branding,” we usually think of logo, maybe tagline. Those are
the most readily obvious external aspects, but branding is really about all the ways you
present yourself to the world – your “total package.” Some elements are more internal to
you as an author (though they do affect those you interact with), while others are more
external-facing to your audiences. And if you don’t shape that image, your readers will
form one for you.
The key with branding is consistency. Pick something (a color, a voice, etc.) and stick
with it. Otherwise you will confuse your readers and risk fragmenting your image. Each
element of branding should work together to provide a cohesive view of who you are as
an author, much like facets in a gem.
Internal Branding
- Mission/Vision/Values – A good way to start thinking about your branding is to
develop your own personal mission/vision statements and firmly outline your values.
Your mission/vision statements should include what you hope to achieve with your
writing and how you will do it. Think about why you write what you write. Your core
values are those things you won’t compromise for anything that are reflected in your
writing. For example, mine are feminism, faith, strength, education, and Love
for/respect of history.) If you’re having trouble, look at authors you admire and think
about how you’re similar and different. This information may or may not be
something you share publically (I have my mission statement and values on my
website), but outlining this information for yourself will help you do all of the things
below. - Voice – This is both your authorial voice in your books and the voice with which you
write on your blog, in social media, etc. It is internal because it is part of you. Do you
use contractions or not? Do you prefer large words or common slang? Are you one
for short, clean sentences or are you verbose and flowery? Think about it this way: a
YA author is likely to have a much more relaxed voice than a literary fiction author
because literary fiction is concerned with the art of word-craft first and foremost,
whereas a YA author takes on a fun, hip voice in order to relate to their audience. - Attitude – How do you talk to those whom you communicate with? Are you positive
and cheery or are you serious? Are you helpful or do you give off a sales-y vibe?
Anyone who comes in contact with you will be able to tell. This is why it’s important
to stay off of social media when you are unhappy or angry. Following someone who
is constantly negative is a turn off. - The way you interact with fans – Are you quick to reply to
emails/messages/tweets? Are you open to answering questions? Do you pose for
pictures with fans at events and engage them in conversation? Or are you more
standoffish? Some authors will sign books for hours, while others refuse to ever give
an autograph. Think of your best and worst famous author experience and you’ll
immediately see why this is important. - What your books are about – This informs your voice, what you blog about, and
how you see the world. Let me give you an example: I write historical fiction about
women whose stories are in danger of being lost to history, as well as romantic
comedies about strong modern women. This means – not surprisingly – I am a
feminist. You will see a lot of social media activity from me on women’s issues, as
well as historical articles about women on my blog. It also means I will give a very
different interview than a woman who has more traditional views on woman’s roles in
society. It also means you will not see me at a conservative rally, but I would
consider attending something sponsored by the League of Women Voters. - Why you write about what you do – The “why” is almost more important than the
“what” because it gets to your core motivations as a writer. Do you write mystery
because you love solving puzzles and are insatiably curious? Do you write YA
because you want to be a positive influence for the next generation? If so, you’d
have a different brand from someone who writes in that genre because it’s what is
hot or because it was the best time of their life. Like the “what,” the “why” inform
what other marketing activities you may do, groups you may be part of, even
locations for your author events, all of which are part of your brand.
External Branding - Logo – Not every author has a logo, but having one can help people readily identify
who you are and what you are about. You should put it on your web site, business
cards, swag items, posters, etc. Everywhere. You don’t have to have something
fancy or spend a ton of money having one designed. As long as it is distinctive and
says what you want it to, you’re fine. Example: Nora Roberts’ logo is her initials in a
particular font with a circle around it. While being easy enough for a non-designer to
create, it conveys class and authority, two things she is well known for. - Color choice – This may seem odd, but consider that corporate brands go so far as
to trademark their exact shade of a color. Think Tiffany blue or Coca-Cola red and
you’ll begin to see the impact color can have. Color works the same way for authors.
Have you noticed that a lot of romance authors choose pink or red? Or that crime
writers tend to go with dark blue, black or another dark color that conveys
seriousness and the dark side of life? Cookbooks abound with green. You will want
to have one or two consistent colors that you use in your logo, on your website and
all of your collateral materials. It will tie everything together and begin to build a
vision of who you are. - Font – Font conveys a feeling, whether you want it to or not. Think of a deadly
serious message written in Curlz font or a love note written in Chiller. Doesn’t work,
does it? That’s why you’ll see romance writers leaning toward cursive, curly, curving
fonts and thriller writers using thick block caps. Like your colors, you will want to
keep this consistent. - Tagline – Both books and authors can have taglines. Either way, a tagline is a short,
one-sentence hook that says what you/your book is about and draws the reader in.
The more creative and emotionally evocative you can be, the better. If you write in
multiple genres, try to think of an element that bridges them and build your author
tagline around that. - Brand graphics – You want to have a consistent image that says “you” regardless
of where people encounter you. That means you should use it on your website,
social media, event posters, business cards, etc. You want people to know it is you
before they even see your name. When you have a new or recent release, this will
obviously tie into your book cover, but you need something for the in-between times.
Check out the web sites of your favorite authors and you’ll begin to see elements like
this, even if they aren’t specifically in the masthead of the site. - Book covers – Whether or not you have full control over your book covers, you
should at least advocate for consistency in font and, if you are writing a series, some
element that ties your titles together. The key here is making books in a series look
like they belong together. This can be done through images, title, font family, font
size and overall design composition. - Author photo – Please have a professional photo taken. Most of us will have a
generic headshot, but you can spice those up by using bright colors, which the eye
is drawn to. If you write in a specific time period or genre, you may want to reflect
that in your author photo. For example, some authors choose to be in full costume,
others are more subtle with a period-appropriate element like a hat, while some
romance authors choose to include an element of romance/sex. It’s really up to you. - Website design – This is your online presence in the world, so you want it to
represent who you are. Try to tie in the colors you’ve chosen, your fonts, brand
graphics, logo, etc. This is where it all comes together. And make sure your pages
are written in your brand’s voice. - Email signature – If nothing else, you should have your tagline below your name in
your email signature, along with your website. You may also want to link to your
books, include social media information, or a newsletter sign up link. I also include
awards my books have won and writer organizations I’m a member of. Think of your
email signature as a concise way to sell yourself and your books.
10.Business cards – Your business card should include your name, tagline, genres
and contact information at the very least. You may also want to include your book
covers, brand image, or even your author photo.
11.Social media – This was covered somewhat above, but you should always use your
author photo in your social media avatars, not your book cover, because people
connect better with faces. Again, tie in all of the other elements of your brand here
and keep your voice in mind when posting.
12.Aural/Sonic branding – Use of a distinctive sound or song to indicate your brand.
Don’t let the idea of branding overwhelm you. It’s really just a formal way of showing the
world who you already are. If you look at it that way, it can even be fun!