What the Hell is an Author Brand?

In short, an author's "brand" is the overarching identity that readers see. Are you a nerdy ex-professor turned wishful sci-fi novelist? Or a chronically ill butthead who blathers on about indie publishing? My brand includes both. Here are my thoughts and musings about my personal brand and how that might relate to you and yours.

What you see of my life shapes your impression of my art. How could it not? My words, and the meaning behind my stories, take on greater meaning when you know the state of my mind when I write. Usually, it takes dozens of interactions — through paid advertising, podcasts, or posts like this — to make a first impression on a potential reader. This only works if readers see a similar side of me each time.

For example, I use the same headshot for my social media accounts, my webpage, and the author pic on the back of my books. It's an easy signal that I'm the same person.

"Author brand" is just a fancy way of telling authors to be ourselves in a consistent manner.

IMPORTANCE

As an undiscovered author, I need every sliver of help I can find to get readers' eyes on my words. It's hard as a little guy trying to be heard over the throng of twenty million other books available online. Presenting myself as the same person with the same name everywhere helps avid readers jump from my social media profile to my Amazon page comfortable in the knowledge that I'm the same person.

Bare Minimum: Use the same name. Imagine following a link from my X profile to an author page by a man with a different name. Would you stick around to find out why, or hit eject? I'd go for the second option.

AUTHOR BRAND VS. POSITIONING

Most of us–yes, this includes me–mix up author branding and book positioning. Let's clear up the confusion.

Author Branding is your outward connection with your audience that showcases your unique voice and distinguishes you from the millions of other authors. It communicates who you are and what you stand for. Your "you-ness" may not matter to some, will turn off others, and will attract the people who appreciate the life story that made you the right person to write your work.

Book Positioning is about understanding and presenting how each of your books fits in the market. The way your book's name, cover, and description fit together tells readers about its genre, feel, and unique appeal. It answers their question, "Why is this book right for me?"

The two bleed into each other — your author bio should be on your book cover, and your books should be all over your webpage — but the two end-members are distinct and should be understood before pretzeling them together.

DIFFERENT FACADES

Having a consistent story doesn't limit me to showing a single side of myself. I want people to see me as multifaceted. I've lived a complex and strange existence on this blue and brown marble, and hiding a bunch of myself wouldn't represent me. It does mean I edit my work, limit my rants, and don't show many pictures of my most chronically ill moments.

Here's an example. As a kid, I sold humanely sourced leatherwork at an art fair on a redwood-covered mountain near San Francisco. That gives you one view of me, right? Artistic. Kind. Resourceful. You might see why I was the right person to write a YA novel about a teen with heart.

Then there's the other side of that kid. The "humanely sourced" leather I turned into pouches and wristbands came from roadkill I collected, skinned, and tanned. Now you're probably thinking this kid was a little deranged — the kind of guy who can write a book about a sardonic AI that all but tortures the guy it was implanted in.

Guess what? I'm both. My brand is that while I may be physically limited now, I've lived a life full of wide-ranging experiences that help me fill the lives of the characters I create.

IS A BRAND NECESSARY?

In short, yes… if you're interested in making a few more sales here and there. A brand may turn some people away. They won't like the leatherworker I was. That's okay. The good news is that presenting an unwavering version of yourself nudges the people who appreciate your uniqueness into reading your words. You can lose ninety-nine disinterested readers as long as you get that rare one to click your link.

Note: Having a brand doesn't mean manipulating people or bending the truth. For me, it's a shortcut to being authentic. No matter where you find me, you'll find the same person and know what to expect.

FICTION V NONFICTION

Your author brand is important for both fiction and nonfiction, but for different reasons.

In nonfiction, your brand emphasizes your expertise and credibility — two crucial attributes for building trust. If a reader doesn't trust the author, they won't have a reason to believe them.

In fiction, your brand creates a consistent expectation for the type of experience your reader will have, regardless of genre or tone. If someone enjoys one of your books and finds an unfamiliar author name on the next, they'll probably assume it's by someone else.

Hint: It's easier to present a single identity than to keep track of different versions of yourself in different places. Keep it simple.

WHERE TO START?

To recap: an author's brand equals a consistent connection with the outside world. In addition to being authentically you, it can help bolster sales. So how do we build this mysterious thing?

Your Name: Put the same name on every outward-facing mention of you. If you go by initials like I do, use those everywhere. No sense in confusing potential readers.

Your Tagline: The fastest way to describe yourself in a way that might attract the occasional reader. Ideally memorable, engaging, and succinct. My post on writing a bio touches on this.

In its shortest format, mine is "Scientist Turned Author." On my social profiles, it's the first thing people read about me.

Professional Voice: The way you speak in a professional setting can differ from how you speak at home. Present the voice that draws your kind of people to you, and use it whenever you engage.

Your Voice: Admitting that I have a valuable voice is tough because I frequently suffer from imposter syndrome. But you and I have to dig deep, appreciate ourselves, and show aspects of ourselves that other people might find interesting, funny, or downright horrifying.

WE ARE WORTHY

Identify what makes you the right person to write your stories. Is it your childhood? An ailment? A hardship? Your profound love of teapots? Whatever your reason for writing, it makes you rare and precious.

Headshots: Many authors are spectacular at words but not photography. Use your best headshot on all things digital for as long as you can handle it. Pick a good photo you can tolerate looking at for several years — I recognize most of the people I follow online by their picture, not their name.

Note: Readers don't expect an air-brushed fashion model. They want to see the eyes of a real person with flaws and character like them.

Artwork: Your visual identity goes beyond your photo — the banner on your profiles, the images on your website. I use Sci-Fi imagery wherever I can because it's what I'm into and it helps people quickly learn something about me. Be consistent.

You don't need to be a graphic designer to download photos from creative-commons sites like Unsplash.

Fonts: Use legible fonts where possible to emphasize your words. Fancy script can paint a whimsical story of romance or swashbuckling, while modern fonts speak to the present or future.

Color: There's a ton of psychology behind color schemes. My suggestion: find a picture you like, then pull colors from it. I chose two rich colors — bright orange and light purple — along with black, white, and dark gray. When I design something, I only have two colors to choose from, which makes my life easier.

Baby Steps: It's easier to take on one small thing at a time than to change everything at once. If you change your social media name and photo at the same time, followers may not recognize your account.

Engagement: Find a way to interact with people so that it's clear who you are and what you're about. For example, I write a question every morning — usually the most bizarre one I can dream up. This shows I'm inquisitive (nerdy scientist) and creative (author), and invites dialogue.

Side Comment: What works for me might not work for you. Find your own way to present yourself. Be honest to who you are.

PROVIDE VALUE

You have something to offer others. People won't know what that is until you show them. These indie publishing posts don't see a ton of traffic, but they help a few fellow authors, so I consider their time well spent. There are a million ways to provide value:

• Host a Zoom happy hour,

• Offer feedback on book blurbs,

• Start an online book club,

• Host a workshop,

• Post amazing quotes from your recent reads.

Some of the people you provide value to may become your mentors, friends, or biggest advocates. You never know.

Pick and Choose

Do you have an author photo for a book? Check. A website with the same photo? Check. Tweets with your characteristic voice? Check. What about your blog, newsletter, podcasts, webinars, or book reviews? There isn't enough time in the day to do it all. Pick and choose which tools work for you. It's better to get fewer good interactions than more shoddy ones.

Note: I can't write a newsletter for the life of me, so it isn't part of my brand. That's okay — there are plenty of other ways to reach people.

COLLABORATION

I really shouldn't comment on collaborating because I'm not great at it. But you might consider partnering with other authors for joint promotions, guest blogging on popular sites, or participating in literary panels to expand your visibility and solidify your identity.

SHARING

How much you want to share is completely up to you. Don't share anything you're not comfortable with. Some people are completely open about their lives. Others are completely shut off. Whatever your approach, keep providing content in whatever way suits you. Even better, respond to comments, messages, and emails from your readers — it shows that you value your audience.

Example: I don't post personal details about my family.

TAKEAWAY

Be consistent. Know the quickest, easiest way to share who you are and what you're about. Give people every chance to identify you across X, Facebook, your website, Amazon, Apple Books, and Goodreads–visually, verbally, and content-wise. Brand does not mean fake or misleading. You can make your brand authentic and tailored to highlight your uniqueness. It gives you a chance to stand out from the crowd.