What’s Your Brand?
This post originally appeared on my critique group's blog, Pens & Brushes. We, Groggers, felt that the Grog readers could also benefit from this information. I hope it's helpful!
Recently an agent asked me what my author brand
would be. The problem is that I write in topics all over the place. I
write whatever stirs a passion. It’s hard to nail down a brand.
So I decided to do some research on branding. When I
hear the word brand, I think of my two kids who debate over which athletic
brand is better: Nike or Adidas. When we go out, they like to look at the shoes
people are wearing. Nike vs. Adidas. But the take-away for me is that the kids
associate Nike and Adidas with athletic quality.
So what does
this have to do with being a writer?
According to an article on Huffington Post, “Why
Every Writer Needs an Author Brand,” it states that your brand is a promise you make to your
readers. “You’re promising your audience a particular kind of reading
experience, and you shouldn’t let them down. From project to project,
maintaining continuity in your voice as a writer is vital to building a
successful author brand and establishing a strong fan base…Genre typically
comes first, and branding follows after. Your brand will exist within the genre
you’re writing in.”
When you hear the name Mo Willems, do
you immediately think of Pigeon, Elephant & Piggy? Funny books for the very
young? When you hear the name Grace Lin, do you think of children’s books with
Chinese characters? These two authors have built a brand.
 |
| Grace's new book coming in October! |
So
how does one build an author brand?
Kimberly Grabas, author of Quick Start Guide to Building Your Writer Platform, states, “Your brand stems from who you are, how you want to
be known and who people perceive you to be.”
So I sat at my computer and thought.
What kind of stories do I write? I looked through my collection of picture book
stories + one novel and work-for-hire products. What theme or topic stands out?
(to be revealed at the end)
Nina Amir said in the article “6 Branding Tips for Writers and Authors,” to determine this, consider:
·
the types of writing you want to do
·
the subjects about which you want to write
·
the types of stories you want to tell
·
the themes you want to cover in your work
·
the ways in which you want to serve you readers
·
the clients or customers you want to attract
·
the spin-off books (sequels or series) you would like to publish
·
your values
·
your interests
·
your passion
·
your purpose
One of my critique
groups was talking about branding this week. Writing friend Carrie Finison
said, “In
the musical world, I think of brand as the type of music I expect to hear when
a band puts out a new album. Some bands/musicians have a very distinctive
sound, while others are a bit more versatile, while still remaining in the
realm of a certain musical style. I wouldn't expect Coldplay to produce a jazz
or classical album, for example - that doesn't mean that they wouldn't use jazz
or classical elements in a song.
In terms of companies, brand generally means what type of items I
expect that company to produce. Apple makes computers. Would I be surprised if
they started selling speakers? No. Would I be surprised if they branched out
into a line of beverages? Yes. That's not their brand.”
Since I write a lot of nonfiction + fiction + Korean themed
stories + American stories, another writer friend Hannah Holt helped me state
it this way. DRUM ROLL…
My brand might be: an informational text and humorous fiction writer
with an American/Korean fusion.
Let me know YOUR brand and what you think of this
branding idea in the comments!
