While I spend more time on my writing than anything else, I’ve been thinking about my author brand. There are a number of blog posts out there about author brand, but basically it’s everything that comes to mind when you hear or see an author’s name.
Some of this is inherent in the writing. For example, I’m sure you can conjure a number of images when you think of Stephen King, from setting and characters to mood and theme. For me, the first thing that comes to mind when I hear an author’s name is their writing voice. China Miéville, Neil Gaiman, and yes, Stephen King, are among my favorite authors, and they all have strong, distinct voices.
I’m still working on getting my writing out there; one of the best things one can do at this stage is just keep writing, improve, and seek growth. Challenge yourself. So, I do. I write every day, and I push myself with every piece.
That said, I’ve recently started asking myself, “What more can I do to create an author brand?” After all, it’s not just about the work we produce, but who we are as writers, as people. Most writers will tell you the two are inextricably linked (because they are). Time and again I’ve read about how important it is to think about these issues well before publication, providing one’s writing isn’t falling by the wayside to make room for marketing.
Right now, I have my Twitter and Facebook accounts, and I have this website. Awhile back, I designed that simple crescent moon in the logo you see at the top. Believe it or not, a lot of thought went into that. Again, simplicity was key, and I wanted something that would communicate a lot about my writing in one image– genre, style, mood, theme. For example, I’m intrigued by the idea of illuminating the dark and hidden spaces of reality, and many of my stories explore perception and subjective reality by focusing on characters whose perspectives are severely skewed.
In other words, the crescent moon image evokes ideas and questions about the unknown, and that’s the kind of brand I feel is suitable for me and my writing. I thought I’d keep it simple and use the crescent moon design for my contact cards as well. With the Pikes Peak Writers Conference coming up in April, I wanted something to hand out to other writers as a quick way to exchange information. Business cards, in other words.
(Sorry about the big blurry spots. I didn’t want my phone number hanging out on the internet.)
My career is still in its very early stages, but I plan to think more about my brand and what I can do over time to make it distinct in my readers’ minds. Writers, do you think about your author brand? If so, what have you done to develop it? Where do you see your career going? Readers, are there any writers whose author brands stand out in your mind?
