As many of my readers may know, I’m more than just an author. I’m also a speaker, and for three decades I’ve been a brand designer. I’ve not only worked with corporations and nonprofits for the last eight years, but I have also been helping authors develop brands and marketing materials to reach their unique audiences. (Yes, I’ve been busy. Heavens!)
I realize not every writer can afford one-on-one author branding or marketing services. When I coupled that truth with the sheer number of authors now independent publishing (as of 2018, self-publishing grew greater than 40% of the total book market), it became clear to me that my expertise in branding needed to be distilled into a do-it-yourself author branding workbook. Consequently, I’m happy to announce the launch and pre-order of:
The reviews are in!
“Mandatory reading for all new clients—for veteran authors and those who are just starting the journey. Great advice from an expert in the field of marketing and branding. You will find your copy dogeared, underlined, and flagged.”
Lisa Hagan, Literary Agent
What is author branding?
In future blog posts I promise to dive deep into that question. For now, in a nutshell, an author brand is the unique collection of fonts, colors, words, and imagery consistently applied to tools you use to connect with your readers. A brand is authentic and particular to each author, even within genres or topics. (Think how different Danielle Steel is to Sadequa Johnson—both historical novelists.)
Do authors need a brand?
Do you remember the last book you read a book you really loved? Do you remember the author? Chances are you reached out via Instagram, the Internet, or through a local bookseller to connect with the author or to discover other books by that same writer. Whenever a reader engages with any materials from an author, if what they see is consistent and has a unique image and sparks a unique feeling, the person is more likely to remember everything about that experience. Consequently, as we authors publish more books, readers are more likely to come back to us if we have a consistent and authentic brand.
Why is an author branding workbook necessary now?
Publishing has changed. Is changing. Constantly. There are many paths to publishing a book and more ways for readers to find those books. And, as evidenced by the authors I work with and the massive changes in the publishing industry, publishers expect (and in some ways have abandoned) authors to carry the bulk of the reader connection business. We authors are both creating the reader experience (writing) AND managing the marketing.
How does this workbook help authors?
Taking control of your author marketing, not just for one book, but to support your entire career, can be very empowering. This workbook gives practical advice and guidelines about authorship, and the tasks, audiences, and tools required to reach readers. It also provides education and worksheets so authors can build comprehensive yet simplified brand and materials plans for their author brand and books. Along the way, I provide tidbits of information and education supporting each workbook section. When complete, authors will have what most authors don’t: a written plan for their author brand and a prioritized list of the most effective digital, social, and printed materials to produce to support that plan.
Some sample pages are below, and I encourage you to check out the workbook on my website.
My hope from this workbook is that more authors will be able to stand strong and say:
I am the boss of my Author business!!
Brand the Author (Not the Book) is now available for pre-order in a coil-bound version or on Amazon.
My website is the only place you can order a coil-bound version. If you’re anything like me, you’ll appreciate that the pages lay flat while you write in the workbook. For those who keep all their author business working documents on their computers, an ebook is also available.
Sign up for my newsletter, and you’ll receive notifications about giveaways and special events surrounding the launch of Brand the Author (Not the Book). Watch this space for more details about author branding, historical research, and writing tips.