Building a brand as a writer, by author Tom Afford

Gone are the days when a writer could sit back, type a few novels and go to the pub. Like any other profession or business, writers need to create brands, develop their IP, manage marketing and sell themselves constantly. This can take even more time than the writing itself. But fear not, read on for top tips how to develop a brand as a writer. And be more successful.

Story tell

The good news is branding is story telling. As a creative writer, you already know how. This time the story is about you. You're the protagonist. What is your background. Your expertise. What are your strengths. What are your hopes and dreams for the future. Present the version of you that you want to become. And you'll slowly become it.

Your message - the why

Now you've introduced yourself, what is your message? Why are you writing? What do you want people to take away from your work. Is it a particular cause. Is it emotion. Is it a sense of adventure and longing. Is it to inspire others to dare. It can be hard to work out precisely why you are writing. Perhaps it's to relate a poignant experience. Perhaps it's a form of mediation or therapy. Perhaps it's because you lose yourself writing, entering that flow. Whatever it is, hone it down and say so.?

Your voice

Your voice as an author can be hard to define. It's broadly your style as a writer, but it's built up from various aspects. It can be the subjects you write about. The type of characters you're drawn to. The elements of humour or misery you inject in your writing. Don't fret if you can't pin it down, for with time, your voice will arise by itself. And it might change over time.?

Little and often

The key to success with branding is little and often. Getting yourself out there, and noticed, with minimal effort, whilst still being authentic and useful. There's no point writing two books in ten years, if nobody reads them. Alongside your writing you need to get noticed. Social media assists. Posting not only your works, but other helpful tips. But keep things in balance and don't let all those "likes" detract from your writing.?

Be authentic

The key to a good brand is authenticity. Be yourself. Even if you're secretly a bit weird. Weird can be good and help you stand out. Your USP. There's little point pretending to be something you're not, because people will pick up on it. Your work will deteriorate if your heart's not really in it. So don't be afraid to be you. It makes it harder to be rejected, but when success eventually arrives, you'll feel incredibly proud. It was you who succeeded. The real you.

Develop a following

Many writers are introverts who lock themselves in a room, and keep curtains shut. They avoid people, family and friends, avoid talking to strangers, for books are their companions. Unfortunately this won't cut it. You need to get people subscribed to your output. To comment and feedback. Social media can work wonders, if you use it sensibly. The important thing is to find who your followers are. People who will help and support you. The good news is you can do this from scratch, although it will take quite a while. Several years and not months. Perhaps decades or your whole lifetime. So have patience.

Who is your reader

Distinct from your following, who is your reader? New writers seem baffled by this question. My audience is anyone who reads, surely? But this isn't right. If you're writing historic fiction, that narrows your market to a much smaller group. If you're writing about science or physics, few might understand what you're on about. You need to think who your audience is and appeal to them. What kind of thing would that reader buy or be intrigued by.?

Genre or not

Tied to the above, should you stick to a particular genre? It's part of your brand. Horror, comedy, action adventure are all very different. Some writers don't like to be pinned down. They want to be flexible. But being too generalist can be a huge mistake early on. It makes it much harder to nail down your branding. "What are you about?" - "I'm about everything!" doesn't cut it. It can be better to start focused, choosing a few genres, and expand things from there. You can always change things later on.

Your website

It's amazing how many people don't use a website. Generally in business, and as a writer. Some don't have any website at all. Or if they do, it's poorly presented and maintained, as if coded in the eighties. A website is an easy way to establish and maintain your brand. It's essential. A place where people can flock to, to find out more. Post your work and your updates on it, and you'll soon spot your branding and voice popping up by itself. It can take a while, and a lot of effort to start up, but once it's established it becomes much easier. If you really can't hack it, outsource it.

Visual impact

Visual impact is part of your branding even as a writer. Words by themselves won't sell those books. You need a visual sticker, something that makes you instantly recognisable. Other businesses use logos and emblems. This might be too far for a writer, but perhaps your book-covers can stick to a style that stands out. Perhaps when you write online, you use imagery that sets you apart. Unfortunately books are judged by their covers, so make yours exciting.

Consider competitors

At any stage of your career, it helps to consider what your competitors are doing. Look at their websites, their promos, their work. What bits of their brands do you like, which bits don't you like. You can't copy them exactly, for you'll open yourself to law suits. But you can adapt aspects. But then make them unique and make them your own. Don't do things that look and sound just the same, or you'll never stand out.

Stand out - be different

Consider what other writers are doing, and then do something different. If all you can manage is the same old tired formats "7 top tips for X" then don't bother. You'll get lost in the mix. A key to this is to experiment. Choose different methods of selling your work. Not just e-books, why not podcasts. Audio samples. Mix in some photos and pictures. Look for what works well, and gaps in the market, and then fill them.

Help others

Too many writers are just focused on themselves. I write my books. I sell my books. Buy my books. And that it is all. But truly successful people bring others along for the journey. Things they find out, they present to their following. They explain things that they've learned and that will help others. And by helping others, you become more genuine and likeable. This guy's alright. Provided of course, that it's genuine.?

Beyond just text

Writing is more than just books. It's a mind-set, a philosophy, a way of life. Think how to get your work out and about, more than just with reams of old text. Experiment with audio, visual enhancements. Conferences. Think of writer's retreats. Book clubs. How can you interact more with like minded people??

Some but not all

It can be hard to strike a balance between keeping your work secret as a writer, forcing people to buy it, and getting it out there. If you want people to buy your books, there's little point offering all of it free online. There's a balance to be struck. Perhaps you can offer a sample, but not all. Or offer one free book in a series of ten. If people like it, who knows.?

Some people offer their writing for free and invite people to donate what they think's fair. Some offer master classes or subscription based contact. "So what?!" you might think, "how's that branding?" But it is branding, for yet it's another way that you're presenting yourself as a writer. When starting out, perhaps be more generous with what you offer for free. As you progress, reassess. Perhaps offering small samples for free, and then pay if you like it remains a good balance.

What makes you unique - USP

You'll hear it a lot. What's your Unique Selling Point, your USP. What makes you stand out? Unfortunately many authors think that they're unique when frankly they're not. I'm unique because I worked as X for ten years. So what? There will be countless others just like you. I'm unique because I write really well. Well, guess what, others may write better! More often! Don't put a USP if it isn't really unique. Think of the combination of factors that makes you truly unique, not just one thing. How does it support what you write now?

Build a team

When you're starting out, you probably won't have the finances for a team. You must do everything by yourself. But with time you?must?build up a team. And it forms part of your brand. Whether it's a trusted agent, or publisher, an editor, or reading group, get people around you that want to share in your success. That give you honest feedback and suggestions. Who are constructive, inspiring. Not just writing, with all aspects. The more you can outsource things, such as marketing, accounting, and website management, the more time you'll have to write!

Have patience

People who expect instant success are sorely disappointed. Building a brand as writer will take time. A lot of time. Years. Even decades. It's a long slog, but keeping at it, staying positive, and celebrating successes, no matter how small remains key.

Conclusion

So there we are, some top tips to develop your brand as a writer. It's a slow process, but if you stick at it, you'll get better. You'll gain momentum. All it takes is one break, so keeping going, and good luck!