Brand the Author, Not the Book!

[GeekDavid]

Interesting article...

At least three people asked me this week the same question: do I brand myself the author or my book(s)? What happens when I release my next book(s)?

To piggyback a bit off Lori’s last article ‘Why You DON’T Need A Website For Each Book‘ earlier this week (great article, please read it), I feel strongly the same concepts she spoke about in her article apply to your overall author platform. If you market your book and not you, the author, you risk not only creating all types of extra work for yourself, but diluting your branding as well.

Much of what they say I'd already worked out for myself, like if I was to set up a blog for a book, what happens for the next book? Still, it's worth a read.

 

[psychotick]

Hi,

A lot of it depends on where you are in your writing career. Are you well known eg Stephen King? If so promote your name. Because your name will bring you readers even if you start writing trash. If you aren't promote the book instead and hope that the book's success will eventually you propel your name up there so you can then start promoting yourname.

Cheers, Greg.

 

[Devor]

If you aren't promote the book instead and hope that the book's success will eventually you propel your name up there so you can then start promoting yourname.

If you're just starting out the difference might feel like splitting hairs, as you mostly have just the book to promote yourself with. But you want to build a brand that's bigger than your product so that the brand can grow. That could be you as an author, or in some cases a setting, or a business name you've created above yourself. But only branding the book limits your potential outreach.

 

[GeekDavid]

If you're just starting out the difference might feel like splitting hairs, as you mostly have just the book to promote yourself with. But you want to build a brand that's bigger than your product so that the brand can grow. That could be you as an author, or in some cases a setting, or a business name you've created above yourself. But only branding the book limits your potential outreach.

I'll be durned. I actually agree with Devor.

Think I'll play the lottery, the stars seem to be aligning in unusual ways.

(Just kidding, Devor.)

 

[RS McCoy]

I think definitely promote the name. A name will last your whole career and constantly grow (hopefully), while a single title will have some sort of limited lift span (hopefully a long one!). As an author, you can build on the momentum from each title to keep you moving forward. With a book, you just have the one.

 

[psychotick]

Hi,

To take the contrary view - when you put your first book out, why the hell are readers going to read the latest Joe Bloggs book? They don't know you. They've never heard of you. You need to sell the book first and that should be where all your promotional efforts should go. Later on as you put out more books you can start promoting your name.

Cheers, Greg.

 

[GeekDavid]

Hi,

To take the contrary view - when you put your first book out, why the hell are readers going to read the latest Joe Bloggs book? They don't know you. They've never heard of you. You need to sell the book first and that should be where all your promotional efforts should go. Later on as you put out more books you can start promoting your name.

Cheers, Greg.

They're also not going to read a book they've never heard of. A new author is unknown both by name and book. You need to pick one to promote, and name has more long-term benefits. Waiting to promote your name is time wasted in your marketing.

 

[Devor]

To take the contrary view - when you put your first book out, why the hell are readers going to read the latest Joe Bloggs book? They don't know you. They've never heard of you. You need to sell the book first and that should be where all your promotional efforts should go. Later on as you put out more books you can start promoting your name.

There's a difference between marketing and selling. Marketing preps somebody to be inclined for a sale, while selling has to do with that final decision. And branding, specifically, is about the relationship you have with the author or book or whatever that shapes your perspective. It might be more accurate to say market and brand the author - to shape the relationship on that level - but to sell the book.

 

[Chilari]

Hi,

To take the contrary view - when you put your first book out, why the hell are readers going to read the latest Joe Bloggs book? They don't know you. They've never heard of you. You need to sell the book first and that should be where all your promotional efforts should go. Later on as you put out more books you can start promoting your name.

Cheers, Greg.

If you have an existing author platform like a blog, a Twitter account and so on, and you're involved in online writing communities, and especially if you've got some shorts published in magazines, you've already got an author brand but your book does not. I've been working on building my author brand via my website, and I've not got over a hundred followers, and it's my hope that at least a few of those would instantly buy a book I publish simply because they like what they've seen so far and/or want to support me. No book branding needed.

For those who aren't already following my exploits via my website or twitter, for those who really don't know me, they have the option of looking me up before buying the book to discover that I've got a short story published in Myths Inscribed. Or they can just buy the book.

When i publish a book, yes, I agree - it won't be "read this book, it's by Alice Leiper who is awesome for reasons A B and C", it'll be "read this book, it's about X, Y and Z (and why not check out the author's website too)". The focus will be on the book and why people should buy it, not on the author and why people should be interested in me. But I won't be ignoring my author brand, I'll be using it to sell the book and using the book to build my brand. It's an integrated process, not an isolated one.

Maybe by book 4, book marketing will be more along the lines of "the latest book from bestselling author Alice Leiper, oh and here's what the book is about". I can't build an author brand without actually having books out forever, but if I make it all about the book, if book 2 is set in a different world with different characters, unconnected to book 1, I'll have an uphill battle trying to do the same thing all over again. If I bring in some author branding with book 1, that'll make marketing book 2 easier even if it isn't a sequel, prequel, or at least set in the same world as book 1. If I'm all about book brand with book 1, book 2 will only be able to build on that if it is a sequel or at least set in the same world.

 

[NellaFantasia]

It's been my understanding that people are more apt to buy your book if you've made an impression on them as a person who happens to be an author. In other words, if they like what you say on Twitter, Facebook, a blog, whatever, then they'll take the time to check out your book. BUT I don't have a book published. This is going by what I've read from experienced authors (and the fact that if someone adds me on Twitter and all they do is promote their book, I ignore them). So I could be wrong.