What's Your Author Brand?

What is your author brand? A brand is something that is easily recognizable like a logo or packaging. It’s a way for readers to know what to expect from your writing. It’s your identity as an author.

Colors - The colors you choose for your logo, bookmarks, website, and social media sites create a feeling or a mood. Make sure your color palette matches your writing style. My first traditionally published work was a short story in an anthology series that had a black, white, and red cover. I used that color scheme for my first website and my graphics. Later, I was talking with a publicist, and she asked me why I chose those colors because my mysteries are lighter and often humorous. She recommended that I stick with brighter colors and pastels.

Fonts - Fonts also evoke a mood or style. Design applications like Canva will let you create a color and font palette with some of their packages. That way, you can be consistent with your designs. Some fonts are thicker and bolder, while others are loopier. Some fonts are more casual than others. Find one or two that match your style and your genre. If you’re using it for headlines or logos, make sure that it’s easily readable. I saw a tagline on the back of a tow truck recently. It looked like it read, “We Tow Less.” The words were on two lines and there was a squiggly something that I couldn’t read under the “We.” It was actually the word “for” in a loopy font. Their message of “We Tow for Less” got lost and twisted because of a font choice.

Things to Consider -

• Make sure you have a professional headshot. Selfies aren’t the quality that you want to reproduce online or in print.

• A logo helps link you and your brand. It’s a nice item that you can include on everything.

• It’s also good to have a tagline that’s easily understood (and readable) that describes your style.

• It’s helpful if you can get all of your social media handles to be the same. Sometimes, that’s not possible. You want to make it as easy as possible for people to find you. In Meta products (Facebook, Instagram, Threads), it is much easier to find Heather Weidner than it is Heather.Weidner.1234 or Mystery_Author _Heather Weidner.

Your brand helps readers know about you and your writing style. It creates a cohesive look for your online and in-person presence.

Recent Writing Gems

I’ve attended a bunch of classes and seminars lately, and here are some of the gems that I picked up that can help writers…

Writing Dialog with Andrea Johnson:

• Johnson reminded writers that dialog is more than just a conversation. It advances the plot and establishes the tone.

• Dialog is faster for readers to process than narrative, and it’s a way to show the point of view and personalities of your characters.

• She suggested that authors avoid long physical descriptions of characters in dialog.

• Johnson also suggested that writers avoid having characters having long philosophical discussions with themselves.

Podcasts to Add to Your Favorites’ List:

• Pick Your Poison

• Dark Predators

• Murder in the Hollywood Hills

• Missing in America

• Check out Sarah E. Burr’s post on Writers Who Kill about her favorite true crime podcasts.

Book Marketing:

• Book Funnel is a way that authors can distribute their ARCs (Advance Reader/Review Copies) and book giveaways to readers.

• It does require a subscription, and several tiered options are available. Make sure you review the features available with each plan.

• Some plans have options for authors to join newsletter swaps, email builders, and book sales with other authors. This is a way to expand your audience and add followers to your email list.

Newsletter Content Ideas

New writers often ask me what they should include in their newsletters. Here are some ideas that have worked for me.

• Announcements and What’s New with You

• Give-aways and Do Shout outs to Previous Winners

• Invitation to Join Your Street Team

• Ask for Reviews/References (e.g. book clubs, speaking events, etc.)

• Highlight One of Your Interesting Blog Posts

• Recipes

• Craft Projects

• Your Hobbies

• Your Pets

• Your Favorite Things

• Feature What You’re Reading or Watching

• Interview Other Authors

• Pictures of Where You’ve Been Recently

• Highlights of Blogs, Take-overs, Podcasts, and Interviews That You’ve Done Recently

• Where You’ll Be Next

What would you add to my list?

I'm a New Author - What Should I Work on First?

New authors often ask what part of their platform they should work on and when? Here’s what has worked for me.

Website: Purchase your domain name for your site and start creating the pages. This is the hub of all of your marketing efforts. I would create it first. If you don’t have a book to highlight yet, start with a blog and build a following. Blog about things in your book, your research, your hobbies, what you read/watch, or anything that catches your fancy. Try to have a regular schedule if possible.

Link to your social media accounts to your webpage and have a place where visitors can sign up for your newsletter. You can add pages and update the look as you add new books.

Email/Newsletter List: Start collecting names as soon as you start doing events or appearances. Have a sign-up sheet where people can register. Decide how often you want your newsletter to go out and what kind of content you want to include. I do mine quarterly with some kind of contest. I include announcements, events, photos, and interviews of other authors.

There are all kinds of free and paid email services that you can use to build your newsletter from templates and to house/maintain your list of followers. Remember, you can be banned from social media platforms, or the site can shut down. When this happens, you have no way of contacting those followers. You own your email list, and that’s why it’s important to have and cultivate.

Social Media Sites: I would also start to build a following on these as soon as you can. Agents, editors, and publishers often look at your website and social media sites to see your content and what kind of following you have. I started out years ago with three Twitter followers. It takes time to build an audience. Choose the one or two sites that you want to focus on and follow at least 10 people a day.

I write cozy mysteries. Most of my readers are on Facebook, Instagram, and Threads, so that’s where I focus most of my time, but I do have a presence on a variety of other sites. Make sure your readers can easily find you. Make the look and feel of each site (photograph and banners) similar. To build (and keep) an audience, you need to be social. You need to interact with those who comment, post interesting content (that’s not all “buy my book”), and share other’s celebrations.

A business page on Facebook and Instagram gives you access to metrics and insights about your page and activity and access to the business tools. I can see when my followers are most active, and I can schedule posts during those times. Some authors use their personal Facebook accounts. There is a limit to the number of friends you can have on a personal account, and once you hit that number, you can’t expand your reach. The business page isn’t limited.

I would focus on these three key parts of your author platform as soon as you decide to start your writing journey. There is a lot of waiting when you query agents or publishers or while you wait for publication. I would use this time to work on your website, newsletter, and social media sites.

What else would you add to my list?

What I've Learned Recently about Book Marketing

I’ve attended some Sisters in Crime chapter presentations recently, and I’m loving that I can experience speakers and workshops from all over the country. Here’s what I’ve learned recently about book marketing from Chessie, Grand Canyon Writers, and Central Virginia chapters.

From Brian Paone’s session on effective marketing, I learned:

• You cannot wait for readers or sales to come to you.

• If you decide to write in a new genre, be prepared that it will be almost like starting over with your marketing and platform-building.

• Your website, headshot, and social sites need to look professional. You also need to look professional on virtual calls and in-person events.

• For in-person events where you have an author table, you need to make it unique and attractive. You want people to approach you. Make sure to take a look at how your table looks to the audience before the doors open. Make sure that all book covers face the audience (and not you).

• Have a good elevator pitch about your book(s). You need to practice this and be ready, but you don’t want it to sound too rehearsed.

• When you are at in-person events, stand as much as possible. Stay off your phone and smile. You want to be approachable.

• When someone approaches your table, be the first to speak. At in-person events, readers want to connect with authors. Be conversational.

Nicolette Lemmon had some very helpful advice. You also need to check out her book for writers at any stage. It’s called Write. Market. Succeed. An Author’s Marketing Playbook.

• Know where your readers are. Know what social media platforms they prefer.

• If you are trying to figure out who your reader is, go on social media and find authors that are similar to you. Look at what they are doing and look at their reviews. You’ll get an idea of what their fans like.

• Start your marketing plans BEFORE your book is out.

• You have about 8 seconds to get someone’s attention on social media.

• You have about 30 seconds when you talk to someone about your book to get your key points across. Make sure you have a short elevator speech ready to go.

• Your audience has to see your message 7 times before they remember and recognize you/your work.

• Make sure you stay visible on your website and social media.

• Your website is your online office. Make sure that you update it regularly.

• Google yourself to see what comes up.

• Pay attention to your writing business.

I've Got a Table -- Now What?

You’ve registered for a table or a half-table at a book event. Now what? Here are some hints that I’ve discovered over the years that can help you promote your books and make the most of your display space.

My One Rule: Pack only what you can carry. Bring what you need but not enough to make two or three trips to the car. Books are heavy. I either use a rolling suitcase or a collapsable dolly.

My Bag: I have an event bag, and I restock it after ever event. Here’s what I keep stocked in mine:

• Bookmarks, Business Cards

• Give Away-items (usually pens and a container to hold them) If you bring candy, make sure to have a dish. And don’t bring chocolate if it’s a hot day.

• A Tent Card (with my name on it in case one isn’t provided)

• My Acrylic Sign Holder

• My Banner

• An Unwrinkled Tablecloth (Mindy Quigley turned me on to fitted stretch tablecloths that connect to the table legs. They don’t wrinkle, and they hide whatever you’ve stashed under your booth.)

• My Emergency Stash: a small notebook, lots of pens, tape, painter’s tape, scissors

• Book Stands (I like the ones that fold.)

• Clipboard for Newsletter Sign-ups

Table Displays:

• Know the size of the table. Make sure you check the specifications and rules for the event. Some don’t allow free-standing banners.

• If you’re sharing a table, be a good neighbor. Don’t encroach on your partner’s side. He or she has a display to show off, too. And if you have a standing banner, don’t block anyone else’s table.

• Make your space eye-catching. You want people to stop by and talk to you. Always have some sort of give-away: bookmarks, pens, candy…It is an icebreaker that draws people in to chat.

• Have some sort of a theme. If there’s a theme in your books, add small touches that create a polished and connected look for your display. Figure out what’s integral to your story and highlight that. (For the Mutt Mysteries, we had a dog/pawprint theme.)

• I put small stacks of books on the table. It creates a sense of urgency for buyers. If you have hundreds of books there, some get the idea (right or wrong) that your items aren’t selling. And everyone wants to get one of the last ones before they sell out.

• If you can, offer a deal or discount for that day. I put up a sign and offer something like a small discount if they buy two or three at full price.

• If you can’t think of anything specific for your table, bring a vase of flowers. It brightens up an empty space.

What’s on your display table?

Marketing Tips for Writers

Recently, I’ve attended several marketing workshops, and here are some good tips that I gleaned from the speakers.

Facebook and Social Media Sites:

Barbara Hinske, with the SinC Grand Canyon Writers, stressed that authors need to go where their readers are on social media. She recommended using Facebook groups as part of your marketing strategy. Set one up for your street team/super fans. Also look for online groups that share interests with the themes in your books.

Trends and analytics change almost weekly on the social media sites. You need to keep up with what’s in and out. Marketing ideas that worked last time, may not work the next time.

Nancy Cohen suggested making a list of all the Facebook groups from your genre that allow book promotions. She has a document with all the links, so when she has a post, it’s a lot easier than trying to find sites.

Newsletter/Email List:

Barbara Hinske stressed the importance of always building your email/newsletter list. This is a key part of your author platform. Make sure you have a signup sheet at every event you do. When I do Facebook parties and take-overs, I always include a link for people to sign up for my newsletter.

Other Resources:

Speakers in both of the sessions I attended recommended the following as resources for authors:

• Bryan Cohen

• Mark Dawson

• InkersCon

What have you added recently to your marketing toolbox that works for you?

Do You Invest in Your Writing Career?

You as an author are your brand, and you need to treat your writing as a business. Here are some ideas of ways you can invest in your learning and your craft.

• Do you have a professional membership in a writing organization? Many like Sisters in Crime have local chapters. These groups can help you with training, programs, ideas, and writing opportunities. Mine are invaluable. I cherish the friends and the networking opportunities they afford. My first traditionally published work was a short story in a Sisters in Crime anthology.

• Do you have a professional headshot? Selfies and candids are fun, but you need a professional photo for print media and the web. Selfies don’t have enough dpi (dots per inch) resolution, and if you try to enlarge it, it looks fuzzy. Invest in a professional photo. It’s one of the first things I spent money on.

• Do you invest in your training or learning? Professional organizations often have programs or learning opportunities. Check out online programs, YouTube videos, your local library, and your local colleges. Many offer low-cost or even free courses on a variety of topics that can help you on your writing journey. Don’t forget blogs and online magazines. There are tons of articles out there with good advice.

• Is your computer secure? Your writing is valuable. There is nothing that will make a writer cry faster than losing part or all of a manuscript. Make sure you back up your files.

  • You need to make sure you upload patches and updates when they come out. These fix vulnerabilities in your applications or operating system. The longer you wait, the longer you’re vulnerable.

  • Make sure you have anti-virus software on your computer and make sure it’s up to date.

• Do you have a brand?

  • A logo for you and your books are nice. You can use it on your website and your socials.

  • Your platform (website and social media sites) should have the same look and feel (e.g., colors, fonts, etc.). My first work was published in an anthology with a red and black cover, so I did all my graphics in those colors. A publicist told me later that it really didn’t reflect my writing style. She told me to use pastels since I write cozy and funny mysteries.

  • Make sure that your readers can identify your sites. A professional photo and a logo go a long way to help with this. If your photo is a flower, readers often don’t realize it’s your author page.

  • Make sure that your site, your biographies, and book lists are updated regularly. People don’t visit outdated or inactive sites.

  • This sounds like Captain Obvious, but it’s true sometimes. Make sure visitors to your website and socials know you are an author. Your banners, posts, graphics should all promote your books and services.

What else would you add to my list?