Your Author Brand: What It Is And Why You Need One
Almost every author I’ve met, whether they write literary fiction for a small press or category romances for Harlequin, has considered themselves an artist of some sort, and no one wants to equate selling their art to selling Kellogg’s or Coca-Cola. They don’t view their books as commercial products. But the purpose of branding is the same whether you’re selling books or breakfast cereal: to let customers know what they’re going to get before they buy. When you pick up a Coke, you know exactly what the soda is going to taste like. You know that the Lexus will have more luxury features than the Hyundai. When you pick up the latest Nora Roberts novel at the grocery store or a James Patterson book at the airport, you know what types of stories are within those pages. Known brands are comfortable, familiar, and comes with limited risk.
According to Bowker, millions of books are published each year, and the majority of books purchased come from established bestsellers. While some readers are willing to take a chance on a new author or a book they’ve never heard of, most want a guarantee that the next book they pick up is worth their time and money. So, they go for established names (Patterson, Roberts), books that are getting tons of media attention (I’m Glad My Mom Died, Where the Crawdads Sing), or the current award winners (Hell of a Book, The Netanyahus).
So what does that mean for new or midlist authors? How can you get readers’ attention and build an audience in such a crowded marketplace? By establishing a brand.
Through a combination of publicity and marketing efforts, you will teach people what to expect from you and your books. Your social media content, the topics you speak about at conferences or discuss in media interviews, articles you write for websites or magazines—they should all reinforce this brand. You teach people, namely readers, what sort of content to expect from you. Then, when you have a new book out, readers are more likely to buy it because the risk has been reduced.
Need more convincing? Think about the last 10 books you’ve purchased. Why did you buy those? Chances are, you bought those books for one of two reasons:
You’re already a fan of the author and they have a new book out.
Multiple friends had recommended the book, you’ve heard a lot about it on social media, and/or the book has received a lot of media attention.
People are risk averse; that's why they tend to buy from known entities. An author brand will reduce the risk for the reader by conveying what they're going to get out of the book before they buy.
What’s my author brand?
The formula for creating your author brand is fairly simple:
YOU + YOUR BOOK = YOUR AUTHOR BRAND
Your author brand is who you are and what you write. This extends beyond your name and genre of choice; it gets to the heart of who you are as an author and the types of stories you tell.
Consider the following:
You
What is your day job or background?
Do you have any kids? Pets?
What do you do when you’re not writing?
How are you different from others in your field?
Your Book(s)
What is the primary theme of your book(s)?
What are the secondary themes of your book(s)?
Who is your protagonist? Their age, their occupation, their challenges, etc.
Where are your books set?
Look through your responses and see if there are any common connections or themes. For example, if you write small-town romance, the fact that you grew up in a small town should be incorporated into your author brand. But if you write space operas, your small-town upbringing would be less relevant.
A few examples of memorable and favorable author brands:
Lee Child is known for his long-running, bestselling Jack Reacher series, but he’s also known for being an avid reader, as well as a supporter of indie booksellers and the crime fiction genre as a whole.
Gillian Flynn tells stories that are set in the Midwest and explore the dark side of human nature.
James Rollins is a former veterinarian whose bestselling, high-concept thrillers explore the intersection of science and history.
Crafting an author brand can take time and practice, and as you publish new books, your brand may shift slightly. But no matter where you are in your publishing journey, a memorable and favorable author brand is the key to growing a loyal readership and establishing yourself as a career author.
