Author Branding
by Cathie Dunn
Today’s post is the first in a series about Author Branding, or Author Identity. As part of the series, we will share details of how to optimise your ’author brand’. So, where to start? Read on!
You have written a book – through a publisher, hybrid, or self-published. It's out in the world, and readers will find it. They will! Then you can go straight to writing the next book. Right?
Wrong!
Being an author in the 21st century is not easy, especially in the popular genre of historical fiction. There is plenty of competition out there, with mainstream and indie publishers vying for spaces in online and bricks-and-mortar book shops. And if you have self-published your book, where do you even begin?
Whether you're just starting your journey as a newly published author (many congratulations!) or you've already released a series of books, there is one thing you will need these days:
A visible online presence!
I've been working with writers for over 15 years, as a book reviewer, published author, critique partner, publisher, editor, and book promoter. And time and again, I come across authors who could do with a little nudge, to help them make themselves more visible in a veritable ocean of writers.
So, in today's Part 1 of our Author Branding series, let's focus on the most important aspect:
Visibility!
Fear not! You don't need to be proficient in IT or on social media to be visible. You will just need to cover a few basics, to get you started.
What you'll need is:
* A Website *
Your website needs to contain a few details about you (no need to reveal family secrets!) and your writing journey. It should, of course, also show off your book(s), with added buy links to online stores. These links will direct readers to where they can buy your book. If you don't add links, the likelihood of them typing your name into Amazon search bar are close to nil. Think of the 1-click rule. If it takes more than a click, no one will bother, sadly.
Wordpress and Blogger have easy-to-use free templates to start a website, as have Wix. The process is easy enough to set up a simple site with your most important details. You can use a blog as a website too (see below)!
You can also pay a designer to create a beautiful website, but it may be that you'd need to pay each time it requires updating. Check the small print!
A website will get you started with your author identity. Readers will be able to find you and your books through search engines, and they can read a bit more about you as a person.
* Social Media *
Many authors prefer to be hermits, hiding in their writing cave, scribbling away day and night, or whenever they have a moment. A voluntary Rapunzel! It sounds idyllic, but remember our key word: visibility!
The world of social media has changed a bit from its early days in the mid 2000s. Having accounts online ensures that readers will find you where they're spending their time. And engaging with readers – and fellow authors! – is so important.
You could start with:
A Facebook account – with a linked author page.
Sadly, FB doesn't show many page posts any more, as they want you to pay for your followers to see them, but having it, regardless, and keeping it up to date with your book news, helps your – yes – visibility.
If you love creating banners, an Instagram account may be your thing. Links in posts are not clickable, but it's still worth adding them, so they can easily be copied & pasted.
Twitter has changed to X, and many authors have been moving away from it (not going into reasons here). But we think it's still a great source to share our news, for the time being.
There are a few fairly new kids on the block, well worth checking out: Threads (same owner as FB & IG, with many authors migrating across from X), Bluesky (former Twitter owner; also a growing community), TikTok (if you love creating short clips), Pinterest, Mastodon, and more.
The most important thing to remember about joining any social media outlet is that you must feel comfortable there. You can keep your personal and author personas separate. But no need to force it if you can't see yourself engaging on a certain site. And engagement is key (but more about that in another session)!
We'll share more about how to get the most out of social media in future posts.
* A Blog *
If you love sharing the background setting of your book(s) or just love chatting about history or reading or writing, a blog can be really useful. You can also share short snippets from your works, post updates about your work in progress, or host other authors. A blog allows you to become part of a community by sharing links on social media and to increase your followers at the same time. Wordpress and Blogger are ideal for that.
There are also other sites to consider signing up to, such as BookBub, Amazon Author Central, Goodreads, or writing communities, plus an array of organisations and groups supporting authors, but more on those later, too.
These are the initial steps to get you started. But what to look out for when setting up your online presence?
Think of yourself and your books as a ’brand’, just like a business would. It must be recognisable, and it's what makes you and your writing unique in the eyes of your readers.
Some tips on branding:
Use the same author photo & book banners across all sites. Sites like Canva (free) can help you create enticing banners and save them in various formats for use in different social media outlets.
Update banners regularly to include new releases.
You can even have a specific colour theme or logo that represents you and your writing.
Make sure you're consistent!
Right. That was Part 1 of our Author Branding series. Look out for more posts coming soon!
Next week, we'll be delighted to host Dr. Wendy J. Dunn, historian, tutor, and acclaimed author of historical fiction and non-fiction. Her topic will be ’Sacrifices’!
See you then!
Join our...
#HistoricalFictionChat
Today’s #HistoricalFictionChat Question:
* What should you take into account when choosing your author identity? *
Let us know in the comments below, or on Twitter / X, IG, our FB Café, Bluesky or Threads!
The Coffee Pot Book Club was founded in 2015 by bestselling author, Mary Anne Yarde. Later, her daughter, Ellie, joined her.
Mary Anne’s goal was to create a platform that would help Historical Fiction, Historical Romance and Historical Fantasy authors promote their books and find that sometimes elusive audience.
The Coffee Pot Book Club soon became the place for readers to meet new authors (both traditionally published and independently) and discover their fabulous books.
In July 2022, Mary Anne and Ellie Yarde handed over the keys to The Coffee Pot Book Club to award-winning author, Cathie Dunn, who has many years’ experience as a book reviewer, author, publisher, and editor.
Cathie continues to feature quality historical fiction novels at The Coffee Pot Book Club and its wonderful tour hosts and associates.
Great post and really useful for newbies.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Deborah. I do hope new writers will find it useful. It's always tricky to know where to start. Thanks for stopping by. x
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