Building an Author Brand Readers Remember

Every author, traditionally published or self-published, dreams of building a recognizable image for themselves.

This can come in the form of people knowing:

• Their book title

• Their image

• Or simply their name

What authors don’t realize is that when you are building a career that is recognizable to your audience…you are also creating a brand.

Now, a brand is not always what we think it is. Some big conglomerate company that is recognizable countrywide.

A brand brings with it:

• A feeling

• A trust

• A dependability

The key piece to remember is that a brand is something your audience can rely on because they know what to expect and what you will deliver.

When we think of building a brand as an author, we think about how our audience feels when they see our books, our name, and our platform.

What many authors misunderstand about branding as an author is that there is a difference between branding, marketing, and audience building.

For example:

• Marketing = getting attention.

• Branding = what people remember after they leave.

• Audience building = creating relationships.

I want you to take a minute to think about what your audience/reader would say if they had to describe your brand in three words.

Have you ever heard that if you hook a reader on one book, you can hook them on another?

This is something I have experienced firsthand. I have had repeat customers return to my in-person events, purchase through social media, and so much more, despite the fact that I am a multi-genre author.

Why is this?

Because once a reader has had a good experience with one of your books, they feel confident to return and read more.

Did you know that many readers:

• Follow authors before they buy.

• Read multiple books from the same author.

• Join newsletters because of the author rather than a specific title.

Think about other authors who have built a brand (meaning a reliable experience that brings readers back):

• Colleen Hoover

• Sara Dessen

• Stephen King

• James Patterson

Building a brand is building an experience.

When we talk about consistency, we refer to:

• Posting regularly on social media

• Building a newsletter that is regularly updated

• Having an easy-to-navigate website and keeping it up to date

• Creating quality book covers that readers trust and sharing them

• Showcase professional-looking authors’ photos across your platform

Authors also need to focus on keeping these the same across their platform:

• Tone

• Overall message

• Values

• Visual presentation

When keeping these similar attributes in mind, we also need to consider:

• Using the same color scheme across your platform

• Having easy-to-read typography

• Knowing what your audience is looking for and is used to

• Keeping things consistent when you are posting content, updates, and new works

Whether an author believes they have a brand or not, they do.

The real question is: Are they intentionally shaping it, or are they letting others define it for them?

Readers are already forming opinions based on:

• Your books.

• Your website.

• Your social media.

• Your interactions.

• Your newsletter.

So make it count when they see your platform and your brand.

If readers described my books in one sentence, what would I want that sentence to be?

Leave a comment

Want to evaluate your brand and figure out where to make it better? Subscribe to get an Author Brand Builder Worksheet.