Blogger: Mary Keeley
Often I talk to writers who are confused about the necessity of author branding and what goes into determining their unique brand. The quick answer is that the best way to guard your author identity is to establish and maintain a clearly defined brand. Readers begin to associate your name with your particular voice, style, content, and genre. They become synonymous. That’s the beauty and reliability of a well-established brand.
One client already told me she officially has put herself on sabbatical from writing until January. Unless you are working to meet a contracted manuscript due date, it’s refreshing for mind, body, and spirit to take a break from writing over the Christmas holidays and enjoy extra time with God, family, and friends. But you can spend free moments pondering some thoughts related to establishing your brand or evaluating your current concept of your brand while you aren’t in writing mode. Since branding is a huge topic, I’m going to divide these thoughts into two posts, today and next week, to help guide your process.
First, establishing your author brand is essential to creating a consistent perception in readers’ minds. Think Karen Kingsbury. What comes to mind? Think Debbie Macomber or John Maxwell or Rick Warren. What unique characteristics come to mind when you see these well-known names? Voice, writing style, personality, passion—these qualities establish your unique identity within your chosen genre. No one else can do these the same way you do. That is a profound thought.
You know your personality, but it takes lots of practice writing to discover your special voice and develop your writing style. This is why many authors don’t get their first, or second, or even third books published. But these works still have incredible value as learning tools. Blogging is another way to practice your writing.
Next, ask yourself the following questions. You might find them elementary at first glance, but bear with this exercise. You could gather additional insights into identifying your brand or refining your current brand concept:
- Have I chosen the genre that best suits my interests and passions, or am I going for what is currently popular? Genre popularity is cyclical, so choosing by that standard alone is a mistake and won’t result in your best writing if it’s the wrong fit for you.
- What are the characteristics of the readers I want to attract? How can I touch their deepest needs? How can I give back to them?
- Nonfiction writers: What topics am I most passionate about? How can I convey my message through my unique writing style? Fiction writers: What kinds of stories do I want to write? What values do I want to express in the characters I create?
Genre selection, voice, personality, passion, writing style. These have to be clear to you before you can define your brand with confidence. It may be helpful to ask your critique partners or mentors for their perspectives on you as well as your values and strengths. Others often see qualities we miss in ourselves.
So far, do you think you have identified your brand accurately? How might your current brand concept need refining? What areas do you think you need to spend time considering over the holidays?
Next week I’ll cover areas in which to reinforce your brand once it is defined.
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Gee, can exemplary researcher be my brand? You can trust what I’ve written? 🙂
Michelle, It surely can be reflected in your brand. Anyone who leaves sunny California for the iffy, early-summr Chicago weather to do detailed research at the Billy Graham Center–or travels numerous states for accurate details for a historical novel confirms she has surpassed adequate research an advanced to an exemplary researcher. 🙂
It would seem that there is an instructive parallel in brand development in the area of painting, using the example of Claude Monet.
We tend to associate Monet with the development of the Impressionist movement, but he had to “get there” from somewhere else. Impressionism wasn’t an idea that sprang fully formed from the head of Zeus.
Monet’s influencers are many, but one can make a case for the contribution of JMW Turner’s later landscapes, and the painters of the Hudson River School (who were, in the mid-20th century, classified as American Luminists).
Claude Monet was academically trained, and worked within the Academy ‘framework” through his early career (in his late teens and twenties), but as his vision developed, he became more interested in the effect of atmosphere and the way light passed through it, affecting how we “see” objects. (The traditional approach had emphasized the fundamental structure of the subjects of the painting.)
Turner and the Luminists made this approach more accessible, and it was the path – and brand – that Monet chose to follow from about 1870 onward. There is an important distinction which he certainly made popular (but didn’t pioneer) – the use of visual brushstrokes. The Luminists eschewed this for a smooth painted surface, while Turner made use of this technique late in life.
Thus – Monet’s brand, Impressionism, a study of light, with a canvas surface that proudly proclaimed its existence as a painted work.
It didn’t take off immediately. Critics were harsh, and supporters were few. Nonetheless, it was Monet’s calling. He was willing to endure grinding poverty for this creative vision, and while we see the payoff in hindsight, he could have no such prescience.
Nonetheless, he did work toward a breakthrough, gathering like-minded painters to put on exhibitions. These first drew viewers out of something of an appalled curiosity (“Mon Dieu, would you hang THAT upon your wall, Pierre?”…””Oui, Jacques…FACING the wall.”).
But then…shock turned to appreciation, appreciation to love, and love to framed prints in dentist’s office from Rio to Tokyo.
Point being – if anyone’s still here? – is that brand loyalty began at home. Monet knew what he wanted to say, and how he wanted to say it, and he worked, very hard, to put his vision in the public arena in which it could be judged without the weight of academic tradition mitigating against it.
Monet was not a religious man, though probably not an atheist. He said that he was “but an eye”.
The question, and the vital question for us, I think, in determining our writing brand, is this:
Whose eye?
His?
Or God’s?
Andrew, as many have commented throughout the week, welcome back. We’ve missed you. Monet is a excellent example of the journey process for authors trying to define their own brand. He learned from others and then personalized his unique style as seen through his own eye, and he stayed true to it. His style was right for him. Therein lies an author’s or artist’s best work.
An author who sticks with his or her unique voice, writing style, and message is aligning with God’s eye for him or her, don’t you think?
Thank you, Mary. It is good to be here, good to be able to put thoughts to paper. Well, in a manner of speaking.
I completely agree that when there’s a calling to voice, style, and message, that’s a strong indicator that God is saying, “Do this for Me.”
It doesn’t follow that these won’t develop and grow; John Wyndham wrote good, solid SF for years, and then something ignited, and his storylines and characterization carried a far deeper message than the “gee-Charlie-wiz-bang” space operas of his early career. But his early stuff is still fun, still identifiably Wyndham.
Clarke followed a similar path, and turned religious in the end. Perhaps God wanted him to show how a scientific atheist could achieve a measure of faith late in life?
Regarding Monet, it’s important, I think, to realize that he worked hard at networking with dealers and framers (who also sold paintings), and he cultivated friendships with sympathetic established painters (notably Edouard Manet, who never really became an Impressionist). Monet paid this forward, and was extremely supportive of the young American Impressionists, who established something of a colony in Giverny,
Monet also knew the importance of myth and legend in his brand; he was renowned for painting en plein air, and never refuted the assumption that he only worked on site. But he did maintain a studio, and finished many, if not most of his paintings there.
Finally, he was very attentive to craft (in oil painting you have to be!). While the work can look slapdash, the brushstrokes are placed carefully, with a solid understanding of the structure of the object in question (though he was not beholden to that understanding).
Great example, Andrew! (Monet’s my favorite artist, so I may be a little biased.) The other point that can be extrapolated from your example is that there is brand within brand. Yes, Monet developed Impressionism, but Renoir quickly followed with his own Impressionism. I think the Impressionist painting styles is one of the easiest to identify. At the same time, anyone who has been exposed to Monet’s and Renoir’s artistic style can look at a painting and quickly identify which artist painted it. They did Impressionism in a distinctly different way. As you said, Monet’s branding began at home. It also began inside. Both he and Renoir had the ability to let their souls shine through their paintings. I would love to be able to do that with my writing.
Excellent point, for both Monet and Renoir, that it began inside.
Renoir’s branding is very distinctive, and I think in a sense counterbalanced Monet; Monet was very emotional, Renoir more cerebral.
As an example, Monet painted the “death portrait” of his young wife, Camille (who died of TB). By his own description, it was something he was driven to do both by grief, and by a passionate need to record the scene.
One can hardly imagine Renoir doing that!
And then there’s Pissarro’s brand, which is marked by the liberal use of a particularly virulent green…
Nice to see you here, Andrew! Missed you.
Mary, I’ve been thinking about branding recently and making notes of how others are establishing their brands, so your post is spot on for me. Thank you! I’m looking forward to next week’s post. Through the ACFW conference earlier this fall, I felt inundated with confirmation of my brand and how to help it along. Then my schedule exploded for October and November (not unexpectedly), and my plans were put on hold although brainstorming continued. I’m taking some time over the holidays to pray and brainstorm and ready some changes for the New Year. In this process, would it be best to implement a bit at a time to gauge responses?
I’ll be praying for you, Meghan.
Thanks, Shelli.
If you need someone to bounce ideas off of I’m available. 🙂
Thank you, Jenni. It’ll be coming your way.
The holidays, when you take a break from writing, provide an opportune time for praying and identifying your unique brand. Your brand is all about who you are and what you are passionate about writing. It’s what sets your work apart from others. Don’t adjust your brand by others’ responses. However, the way in which you present and reinforce your brand may be adjusted to attract and grow your audience. I’ll get into that more next week.
Thank you, Mary. That’s exactly my question. Looking forward to next week!
Prayers up.
Your comment about critique partner and mentor opinion is helpful. After selling my first contemporary cowboy romance, I attended a writers conference where I visited with Gayle Roper about struggling to find my brand and feeling that I couldn’t ‘see’ myself. She looked me up and down and said, “You ARE wearing a denim jacket, you know.” The twinkle in her eye made me glance at my boots and jeans and think, “Oh. Yeah.” Duh. What’s that cliche about the forest and the trees?
Well, I’m in trouble. My writing motto is “love and marriage are life’s greatest adventure”, and I look like Ken Watanabe on a bad hair day.
Awesome. All you need, Andrew, is one stylized Japanese character for your motto!
I will try to find one. Great idea!
I love that, Davalynn! Sometimes the answer is so clear … others see it; we don’t. Bingo! 🙂
I’m chuckling. Davalynn, that’s a perfect example of another person seeing something in us that we don’t see ourselves. Thanks for sharing.
Hi Davalynn (and others – I’m new here. Hello!)
Thank you for that example about the denim jacket. How true! I definitely fall into this mess of over-analyzing myself, my brand, my calling. I’m in a season of wrestling it out right now, to be honest. So, thank you, Mary, for this post!
(And, if anyone wants to visit my blog http://www.frontporchinspired.com and point out any denim jackets that I’m missing, please feel free!) 😉
Anne
I sort of inadvertently stumbled on my own pre-published brand of being a professional coffee drinker with an incessant knack of taking selfies anywhere, with anyone. LOL Funny thing is, when Julie Klassen gave me a big hug at our first ever meeting and said, “it’s the COFFEE girl!” I realized not only does branding mark you, it sticks. Moral? Choose your brand wisely! LOL
Funny…and so true, Jaime. I admit if someone referred to “the COFFEE girl,” I’d think of you immediately, and the next person to come to mind would be Cynthia Herron. I know it would have to be one of you. 🙂
Did I just hear “coffee”? Oh, Mary… you DO know me so well. (AND the funny thing? I just came from Starbucks/Mall. Well—I needed energy. For Christmas shopping.) 😉
That’s not a bad brand, Jamie.
I’ll have to work on that part of my brand, because I’m trained to be inconspicuous and gray. Ideally, if I’m in a phone booth and someone opens the door, they’ll think it’s empty.
Somehow, “Meet Andrew! He’s here…really…we think!” ain’t gonna be much of a draw.
Thank you, Mary. I’m struggling through all this right now. I’m stomping my feet in aggravation at myself because I want to be clear moving forward. God really does have to kick me in the seat of my pants sometimes. 🙂
Shelli,
I’m praying for you that God will give you clarity (and patience with yourself). 🙂
Thank you, Christine.
It feels like a huge commitment to me! Praying for you as well, Shelli.
Thank you, Meghan!
Shelli, take a total break from writing over the holidays and let your mind and emotions relax and be distracted. In other words, clear your head. Don’t strive and struggle for direction. Rest from your work and pray to discover God’s thoughts for you. Keep us posted as the fog clears.
Thank you, Mary! I do plan to take a break. Just enjoy family. Rest.
When the fog clears, you’ll know! 🙂
Shelli, you have the brand you need.
God’s Texan Daughter.
Really, Andrew? I’m going to give that some thought.
I’m juggling so many things in my mind … my writing commitments, missionary topics, topics on surviving hardships, kids … a church has been talking to me about leading their ladies’ retreat this fall on surviving hardships.
Remember It’s a Wonderful Life, when George’s mother points him in the general direction … to Mary’s house. He ends up going another direction. 🙂 Just point me in the right direction. 🙂
Thank you, Andrew.
Yes, Shelli, really.
The spirit of the Republic of Texas, strong, brave, and founded on a bedrock of faith, shines out in your comments here, and in your blog.
I, for one, hope you never, ever change. We need your voice and brand to remind us of what’s true, and of that which – and Who – endures
Thank you, thank you, Andrew. 🙂
Thank you, Mary. The questions don’t seem “elementary.” I think they’re very helpful and I look forward to next week’s post.
My first novel came from my heart and from my experiences. I wrote five drafts of it, had started to get it professionally critiqued and edited, then I read a post by Rachel Kent about what to do if you (the writer) get a call from an agent who is interested in representing you. In that post, she talked about being able to discuss the second book you were working on and an idea for a third. On this topic, she mentioned the importance of branding.
That post (thank you, Rachel) was a turning point for me. I had taken a break from working on the novel in order to feel fresher when I started (I hoped) the final draft before sending out queries on it. In the meantime, while it was being critiqued, I had started writing what I had intended to be a fun little short story about a teenage faerie.
Then four things happened: 1) As I developed the characters and plot, I realized the “short story” was a novel, 2) I got back a critique of the first part of my original novel (an adult novel that maybe could be called “literary” or “psychological”), and the editor, who is a published novelist, gave me the name and phone number of her agent with the offer to recommend me to her agent, 3) I discovered I was having a great time writing the second novel and it was going so much faster than the first, and 4)I read Rachel’s post and, after some soul searching realized that I could not develop that type of novel as my brand; I just didn’t have another one of its kind in me. So I had to decide, when I was so close to sending out my beloved first novel, if I should put it in the drawer and instead pursue developing a brand from the second one. After prayer and a bit of soul searching, that’s what I decided I needed to do and I have no doubt that it was the right decision. The second novel, a YA fantasy with strong strands of Celtic, particularly Irish folklore and symbolism in it, fits who I am–what I enjoy reading, the culture I was raised in, among other things. Also, I had already come up with a main character and plot for a follow up novel in the same fantasy world before I read Rachel’s post. Now I have clear ideas for three novels with two other possible novel plots / characters.
It was not easy to let go of the first novel. I believe in the story and its message, and the characters are old friends to me. Still, I believe God send me Rachel’s post at just the right time. Although the first novel was genuinely from my heart, if I had to write successive novels in the same vein for the sake of branding, those novels would have been would have been created for the sake of business, not born out of love. And I think that would have shown through in the writing.
Have a great weekend.
Thank you for sharing that, Christine. Very encouraging.
Glad it helped, Shelli. I’m sure God will “point [you] in the right direction. Just keep listening (and be gentle with yourself). 🙂
Christine, your journey is informative for other writers. Thanks for sharing. It’s easy to miss insights and God-ordained timing of things, but clearly you recognized them along the way. What a blessing.
And hold onto that first novel. It may have its perfect place someday.
Thank you for the encouragement, Mary. 🙂
I am saving the novel and hoping to be able to publish it (maybe self-pub under a pseudonym)one day.
By the way, I apologize for writing such a long post.
I am late to the party, here Christine (I have a day job), but I really grew encouraged from your comment about how you found your genre and brand. Thanks for taking the time to share that.
Thanks for this timely post. I’m still trying to find/define my brand. I can’t seem to find it. I write about families, not necessarily “traditional families”. I’m guessing that’s my brand. Am I right?
SJ, take a long view to the future when identifying your brand. Do you see yourself always writing about families? And what about families? Have you developed your voice that is uniquely you and write in that same voice consistently? Have you settled into a consistent writing style that is yours?
Ponder those questions and each of the three questions above until you feel you have a clearly landed on your unique brand.
One of my critique partners told me she considered my brand to be “home,” which was a relief, since home and friends-as-family are what I consider it to be. Thank you for another great post, Mary.
I agree. There’s a warmth in your writing that the reader can relate to and delight in. 🙂
Thanks, Jenni!
I agree “home” fits you, Heidi. You can go further, though. What about your voice, writing style, personality, and values make your writing about “home” different from all the other authors whose books also are about home? An important purpose of a brand is to communicate the uniqueness in what you write.
Mary, I so appreciate these pointed questions? Mulling them over now…
Mary, I convey that home isn’t a place, it’s a condition we feel inside our hearts. And for me, some of my closest family isn’t related at all! I hope my unique views seep onto the page through my voice; I’ll read next week’s blog to learn how to refine it! 🙂
It’s interesting that what I first did that editors like is what readers still note about my books-that I offer doable, creative solutions and creative ideas for families. I am all about the family, but as a mom of 5, I’m also about connecting to God with easy activities and finding solutions that work without adding more to the workload.
That’s it, Karen. You just described the uniqueness of your brand and what sets your books apart from other books about family. I appreciate you sharing your example with us.
Something’s been floating around inside my skull since I read this (bouncing off the madly spinning hamster from time to time), and it’s finally stopped long enough for me to recognize –
Brand is legacy.
It’s the architect who “lives” in the walls of the house she designed, the engineer (such as Horikoshi Jiro, who designed the Zero fighter) who you cannot find “in” the airplane, but who is part of every curve.
And it’s God, whose immanence in the world is best seen through people who try to follow Him even when it seems like there’s no point.
All the more reason to stick to writing that which you believe, because if you don’t, you might end up believing what you write.
Yes, it is a legacy of sorts. Your brand is what you give to your readers in everything you write. Once an author determines his or her brand, the brand should guide whatever the author produces. The audience you attract will become loyal to you as you consistently deliver what they come to expect from your writing.
This is a struggle for me, so I’ll throw this out there…
“Justice and reconciliation in the historic South West, woven with a thread of romance.”
There’s romance in there too, but I don’t write hist/rom, I write hist/fic with a thread of romance. But, I kinda think that blurb is missing some punch. Some WOW.
How about this –
The rough justice of the Old West, tempered by redemptive grace, and the hope to find a loving heart.
For what it’s worth, Jennifer, having read an early draft of your first book, I think it will appeal to hist/rom as much as hist/fic readers. There is the undercurrent of belief in romance that was there then, and unless you’ve carefully excised most of it – I believe still is.
Jennifer, reconciliation is a redemptive theme for all your stories and should be expressed as part of your unique brand. Ask yourself these questions regarding the other elements:
Will there always be justice in my novels?
Will the setting always be the Southwest?
If the answer is yes to either or both, it/they should become part of your brand as well.
Love the reconciliation theme, especially in light of some of the heinous tragic events you’re writing about. Hope in the darkest of nights.
I’ve struggled with this (and coming up with a tagline), and while married main characters seem to recur in my books, that doesn’t mean I will always have them (and I just released a nonfiction Indie Publishing Handbook). But I will say this–if you land in a niche, people will associate you with that niche. Anytime Viking news of any sort comes out, I have several people post it in on my Facebook wall or link me up with it. I totally appreciate this as I’m not a huge news hound! 🙂 Just a case where sometimes it’s okay to be the weird one in the bunch, writing about an uncovered time period. So for now, I’m happy for my name to be my brand.
Heather, I wondered about your personal indie experience, so I’m glad you chimed in.
And yes, when I see Viking stuff on Pinterest I think of you. 🙂
Heather,
See if this resonates with you. I think your brand includes: stories about strong women who deal with their journeys and struggles by drawing on their faith. Also, you have an honesty and a gentleness that shines through all of your writing, even FB posts and posts here.
In regards to the Indie Publishing Book, while it doesn’t fit brand technically because you’re a novelist, in a way it does fit. Readers who have followed your journey know (or have some sense of) how hard and well you have worked to get your novels published and promoted. You have been doing an incredible job and you have had success. That means that you have written the handbook from a place of experience and authority. It is a reflection of your journey and, therefore, seems to go with your brand the same way that the Disney theme parks sprung out of the Disney movies / storytelling. I think anyone who is thinking of pursuing self-publishing would be crazy not to buy your guide.
I’m praying for your continued success, and I thank you for the inspiration that you have been and continue to be to me.
Aw, you gals are the sweetest. I’m glad that the gentleness shines because sometimes honesty and gentleness don’t mix! LOL.
And good point on the strong women. I do have those and will probably continue to have them, even if I veer into YA.
Oh–one GREAT tip I got from Randy Ingermanson is that if you’re wondering about your brand (and you have books out), read your reviews. Highlight words people say over and over in the high-star reviews. I did this and I got a great idea of how my readers perceive my books. However, I couldn’t really mesh all those adjectives/phrases into an all-encompassing tagline. So yup–name is all I’ve got now. 🙂 Thanks for chiming in on this!
I will say that for indies, we probably tend to focus less on branding, simply because many of us do have several genres going or are hybrid–so we might have an established tradpub presence and then veer in another direction/genre for indie pub (case in point, Dan Walsh who went from romance to suspense with his indie release). So for us, I do think name recognition is pretty key, as well as consistency in look and writing style, etc.
And something I’ve heard repeatedly is that brand is what people think of when they think of you as author. So I think that definitely encompasses the look your site has, the things you blog about, tweets, etc. People get to know you through your online presence.
You(and Thor) have made Vikings way cool.
(And thanks for the comment above – it is nice to be able to be here again.)
Newbie author here. I’m sorting out branding vs “presence.” I know what I write and have a solid style in it; my stories involve identity issues, future stories to include multiple personalities and twin issues.
I’ve long taken advantage of my first name – robin – for what I perceive to be branding: Robin’s Nest, Bird’s Nest, etc. Am contemplating a brand [no pun intended] new look, drawing on my surname of “mason” and my BFA in Interior Design, and a tag to coalesce with that.
My question is, then, is there a difference between branding and [social] presence? Between my writing style and genre, and my logo or tagline?
Fantastic question, Robin! Can’t wait to see what Mary says.
Robin, that is an astute question from a self-described newbie author. The simple answer is that your presence, whether on social media, in-person, or in your writing, should be a consistent reflection of your brand. That is how you will reinforce your brand. Done deliberately and consistently over time, your author name will become synonymous with your brand. Instead of asking for your new book by its title, your readers will simply ask for the next Robin E. Mason book. That’s the ultimate goal of a successful brand.
Thanks Mary! I give much credit to my many online author friends, and to a real-live in-person friend for even THINKING about branding! Even as a “newbie” [and by newbie I mean one pubbed title] I have followers on my various sites – but IF I change from the play on robin, to using my last name, I would make a big promotion out of it! I made an artist book drawing on my ID skill set, which was titled, “Transformation by Design,” and my author tag if I use the new theme, will be, “Stories by Design.” Currently I don’t have a tag, so there’s that that I really like about making the switch…..
I have written almost 30 books for Harlequin’s Love Inspired line, but have been mostly keenly interested in my brand now that I am indie publishing some pieces. I have a long-standing series with Love Inspired set in a small rural Montana town called Dry Creek (and most of my indie work will be set in rural Montana). Because of this I started posting pictures of Montana (from a group that takes such photos — they are all attributed as shared on Facebook). That gave me a Montana feel, but when I started focusing on photos with barns in them I realized I was on to something. People have now started sending me photos of barns in their part of the country. I have an old barn in my series that is used for community events (most notably an annual Christmas pageant) so the barns let us talk about my characters. Just recently I ran a giveaway for people signing up for my newsletter and I gave away calendars that show pictures of barns and give scripture versus. The people on my facebook page loved the calendars. I mention all of this because it is useful to have something concrete to tie around one’s brand. Instead of being the coffee girl, I will be the barn girl in a few more months. I am happy for this because I do believe these barns attract the kind of reader who will enjoy my series of books.
Well done, Janet!
I admire this creativity and the ways you honed in on what your reader was interested in, tying it uniquely to your books.
Oh, I love this, Janet! We have a woman who did a great barn book in our area–went around taking pics of old barns. So nice to have that era captured on film and definitely brings cozy thoughts to mind!
Janet, that makes sense if all your future books are going to revolve around barns in Montana. But that alone could define coffee table or travel books. You need to go further to convey your voice, writing style, the kinds of stories you write, and your genre, which I assume is romance from your publishing history, in as few powerful words as possible for ease of remembering. These factors define how your books are unique among the other books in your genre.
Late to the party—I was Christmas shopping!
I’m honestly not sure if I “found” my brand or it found me. Folks tell me I have a very distinctive voice, but really I’m just “me.”
At the heart of my writing is faith and family. (AND because I’m a huge-HUGE–Debbie Macomber fan, she’s been a strong influencer for me.)
I have a passion for the underdog. Encouragement. Chicken fried steak and mashed potatoes and gravy. A pot of strong, black coffee. The Ozarks. AND… I love to dish it all up on plates of LOVE!!!
I’m not fancy or pretentious. I think I may have my brand nailed down—though I must credit Kelli Standish with my tagline: Heartfelt, Homespun Fiction.
I think it may stick. 🙂
Cynthia, yours is a great example of an effective brand statement. Those two words, heartfelt and homespun, placed side-by-side, convey volumes of accurate information about your novels as you describe yourself and your writing.
Cynthia, I definitely associate you with chocolate and coffee…and sweetness and encouragement!
I’m also new with branding concept, and recently chose’Praying my story gives God glory’ as a tag line – is THAT a brand ? I thought a brand was like Apple computers simple apple with a bite out – or Facebook’s is the fat lowercase blue f – is it a picture or words, a tag line. I named my newsletter The Caryler and thought of drawing a simple 1800s singing lady with a muff and big hat tied under her chin. Could that be my brand ? Does a singer lady and Praying my story gives God glory have anything to do with historical Christian Texas Romance? Or Biblical fiction? Maybe my singer lady should wear a horse lady hat (similar in appearance to a cow boy hat 🙂 ) Blessings!!
Caryl, praying your books bring glory to God is just that, a prayer, and it’s an excellent goal for your writing career. But it isn’t a statement of your brand because it doesn’t express your unique voice, writing style, the kinds of stories you write, or your genre. Spend time pondering the questions in the post and deciding in what genre you want to write for the foreseeable future. It might be a idea to go through and thoughtfully answer the questions, then step away from them for a week before going back to answer them a second time. You might have some insights and food for thought as you compare your first set of answers with your second set. Best wishes to you.
Brand….hmm…right now, I’m using “Grace. Love. Southern Charm.” But I think I want something more specific. Will have to mull over that.
Great post, Mary!
Courtney, you’re on the right track, but I agree you need to be more specific.
Mary, the dialogue today is fantastic.
I’m having a blast exploring and establishing my brand consistently on Facebook and Pinterest. I realize that FB is always changing the way they operate so I need to be discerning in the ways I proceed.
So much of the learning curve is about paying attention.
What causes people to engage, not only with you as the writer, but with each other?
What posts are people sharing?
What posts are people anticipating?
My historical suspense illuminates ‘treasures hidden in darkness’. New life amidst decay. Renovation of downcast souls.
There’s a huge tie in to my passion for historic preservation.
Jenni, you’re on the right track. You have chosen some powerfully descriptive words for your unique historical suspense novels.
As a reader and author-lover and fan, I have often found that the best brands occur without the author being cognizant *of* that brand. Sometimes a brand just comes naturally and sticks. As a reader, I know that I want a certain experience from certain authors due to this invisible brand that somehow has made an indelible and lasting mark on me. I think sometimes branding can be harmful if it is forced or someone tries too hard. Like any marketing efforts in this crazy world, readers can be well attuned when something is being shoved at them 🙂
Rachel, thanks for commenting. I agree that the purpose of an author’s brand is to describe the books he or she writes, not to power-sell them. I’m not exactly sure about what you meant, but authors never should allow readers to determine their brand. Authors must define and control their own brand because they need to write what fits their interests, voice, writing style, and values in their chosen genre. They need to be strategic about consistently delivering their unique brand in everything they write because the readers they attract will come to expect it. That experience you expect from certain authors points to the success those authors have had in establishing their brand, which may be conveyed quietly to you, the reader, but has been a deliberate effort on the part of the author.
Hi, Mary.
These are great questions.
I’ve played around with taglines a lot, but haven’t yet come up with one that includes my genre. Right now, I have “Laugh. Sigh. Believe.” Because laughter, romance and redemption are important to me in books I read and write, no matter the genre.
Taking a break over the holidays sounds wonderful. I’m deep into the first draft of my second MS, trying to get it to an agent who heard the idea I was working on and requested the full when it’s ready. I promised to have it ready for the Genesis, but since the Genesis deadline isn’t until March, I plan to take a few days to enjoy family and friends after the draft is complete. It’ll be nice to have a breather between drafting and revisions.
Thanks for getting us thinking with this post!
Is there room within a “brand” for different genres? I’m fascinated by ancient man, (the young-earth version, not brutish ape-men,) and my current novel is historical fiction, set in 2242BC. I also have an idea for a lighthearted novel set in modern times, involving handful of characters trapped in pre-flood ruins. Both stories deal with ancient man, but one sticks strictly to historical facts, and the other is a fanciful “what if.” One would be classed as Biblical Fiction, the other as Science Fiction. Is the common bond between the two stories strong enough to constitute a brand?
Thank you!
Middle Graders Love Funny
“I Put The Fun Back In Funny”
This is exactly what I needed to hear today, Mary. And Christine’s remarks about holding back publication of her first book because she felt she was going a different way with her branding = priceless. This discussion is food for my writer’s soul.
I’ve finished the first draft of my historical romance and it’s been scrutinized by a publishing house editor. We agree it needs several revisions, etc. But I’m passionate long-term about the devotionals I write for my blog. No matter what happens in the future, I will be measuring my thoughts against scripture. Does this indicate I may not be on track with historical romance writing?