WHAT IS AN AUTHOR BRAND?
You’ve probably heard of “author branding” before, but I’d bet dollars to donuts that you’re here because you're still a wee bit confused about what it is — and with good reason!
For authors, branding, promoting, and marketing have been lumped together and funneled straight into social media marketing. These days everything boils down to vanity metrics — how many likes, shares, or retweets you can rack up. While social media is a fantastic tool for getting the word out, this one-track focus can sometimes miss the most important details that go into building a successful and sustainable brand.
Originally, branding was supposed to be about how you, as an author, introduce yourself and your work to readers. The whole idea is to make you memorable to your readers. It’s about building a clear image of who you are and setting the tone for what readers can expect from you, whether it's your writing style, the themes you tackle, or the overall vibe of your books. This isn’t just about selling books; it’s about connecting with people who dig the way you put words on the page and want to hear what you have to say, book after book.
So basically, it’s about more than logos, brand colors, and font choices… you know, the fun stuff. Branding, in this context, is deeper and more nuanced. It’s about the essence of who you are as a author, what you represent, and how you communicate that to your readers.
Hey… you wanna skip all of this and start working on your author brand asaptually? Dive into my FREE BRANDING FOR WORDMAKERS COURSE to discover how to connect with readers and build a lasting and meaningful career that goes beyond going viral on TikTok.
Why is Author Branding important?
Well, let’s begin with the thing we all want to do — sell more books! I know I just said that I don’t believe that a one-track focus on social media will nail your online presence — and that’s still true. It shouldn't be the only strategy on the table. It’s in the playbook, but it’s not the playbook. Successful authors often balance their online activities with traditional, tried-and-true methods of engagement, and a solid author brand makes this 100 times easier to do.
Here’s how:
1. Stand Out: Think of your author brand as your personal spotlight in the crowded literary market. It highlights your unique style, themes, and voice, helping readers pick you out from the crowd.
2. Connect with Readers: More than just your books, your brand is about the whole vibe you create. It’s how you tell readers, "Hey, this is me, and here’s what I’m about." This builds a deeper, more personal connection, turning casual readers into loyal fans.
3. Sustain Your Career: Authors with a strong brand tend to stick around longer. Your brand keeps you in readers’ minds, book after book, helping to ensure a longer, more successful career.
4. Smarter Marketing: Knowing your brand makes marketing a whole lot easier. You’ll know who your audience is, what they like, and where to find them, making each marketing effort more targeted and effective.
5. Open New Doors: A great brand can do more than sell books; it can open up new opportunities like speaking gigs, workshops, or even seeing your book on the big screen.
6. Consistency is Key: As you explore new genres or ideas, your brand is the consistent thread that ties all your work together. This helps fans of one book feel confident they’ll enjoy your others, too.
7. Build a Community: A strong brand is great for building a community around your work. Readers invested in your brand are more likely to interact, attend events, and engage with fellow fans.
8. Boost Your Credibility: A solid brand boosts your credibility. It makes you a more respected voice, whether you’re giving advice to budding writers or diving into big themes in your books.
9. Control Your Image: Finally, a good brand puts you in control. It lets you shape how the world sees you and ensures you can manage your professional image on your own terms.
So, author branding isn’t just about pushing book sales. It’s about carving out your niche, connecting deeply with your readers, and building a lasting career. It's pretty much telling the world, "This is me, and here's what I stand for."
What are the key components of a good author brand?
Creating a good author brand is like setting up your own special corner in the vast world of books where everything about it—from the decor to the vibe—screams "you!"
Here’s what you need to focus on to make sure your author brand really pops:
1. Your Unique Voice: This is all about how you write and the unique flair you bring to your storytelling. Maybe you're known for your witty dialogue, lush descriptions, or the twisty-turny plots that keep readers up at night. This voice should shine through in your books and any content you create. Full disclosure, is something that can’t be bought or faked, wordmakers! Readers these days are savvy and intuitive and frequently have the time to sniff out what feels inauthentic to them. Showing up on the page and the internet as yourself is the best way to find your people!
2. Visual Style: Think of this as your brand’s look. It includes your book covers, your website design, social media graphics, and even your author photo. All these should have a consistent style that fits with your brand's personality. It’s about making sure that when someone sees something from you, they immediately know it's yours. I write Black and interracial romance that centers Black heroines finding the love they deserve. My covers (excluding a few outliers) depict beautiful Black women — that is the visual style I’ve chosen for my books.
3. Core Values: What’s important to you? Maybe it's strong female protagonists, diversity, romance, or thrilling adventure. These values should be clear in your stories and how you present yourself. They attract readers who care about the same things you do. Like goes to like, ya know?
4. Target Audience: Who are your books for? Understanding your audience is crucial. Knowing things like their age, what other books they might enjoy, and even their hobbies can help you connect with them, but on an even deeper level. I want to attract readers and engage with authors who value creativity, growth, community, meaningful work, boldness, and success.
5. Consistent Messaging: Whether you’re tweeting, posting on Facebook, sending out a newsletter, or updating your blog, your messaging should be consistent. It should always feel like it’s coming from the same person—the you that your readers have come to know, like, and trust. Knowing that my core values are creativity, growth, community, meaningful work, boldness, and success, I will tailor my messaging in a way that reflects those values.
6. Engagement Strategy: How do you keep the conversation going with your readers? Maybe you're active on social media, perhaps you run a blog, or you might send out a regular newsletter. Whatever it is, it should be something that keeps your readers engaged and looking forward to hearing from you. For example, what if you do go viral on TikTok? Does that short-form video align with your brand, or was it just a silly something you created without assuming it would get traction? How will you maximize that visibility? A solid author brand can help you figure that out!
7. Professionalism: This might sound a bit dull, but it’s super important. Keeping things professional means being consistent, reliable, and respectful in your interactions. This builds trust and keeps your readers feeling good about being part of your community. For clarity, I’m not talking about code-switching to be more palatable to a broader audience or turning into a Disney employee when you speak to readers — unless that’s what your brand is about. In my opinion, professionalism is more about creating and maintaining the boundaries between you and your readers and treating both readers and your fellow authors with the respect they deserve.
8. Adaptability: Lastly, the ability to evolve and adapt is key. What works today might not work a year from now. The best brands stay true to their core but aren’t afraid to grow and change as their audience does. This resonates deeply for me as I think about writing new subgenres, branching out and exploring new ways to bring characters and stories to life. I want to make sure my brand is built in a way that I can bring my readers along with me and introduce them to my new readers along the way!
As you can see, getting your author brand right isn't just a nice-to-have; it's essential if you're serious about building a sustainable, meaningful writing career.
And hey, I know this is a lot of information, so if you're feeling a bit overwhelmed or unsure where to start, don't sweat it. That's exactly what the <<FREE>> Branding for Wordmakers Course is for!
This course isn’t just another checklist or set of rigid rules to follow. It’s about digging deep, finding what’s genuinely you, and putting that at the forefront of everything you do. Whether it's choosing the right visuals, crafting your message, or engaging with your community of faithful readers!
Why not give it a shot? It’s free and you don’t even need to give me your email to get started! Buckle down and start building a brand that does more than sell books—it connects, resonates, and lasts. So get in there and build your brand, you writing-ass writer! Your readers are waiting to get to know you!
xo, Tasha
