You are a phenomenal published author in the making
and should pay close attention to the subtle things that speak loudest about
you – your author brand.
Author branding is important for every aspiring
author/published author who intends to build authority around their works
either as a fiction or non-fiction author in the writing industry.
Creating and owning your brand as an aspiring author
is a gradual phase that will unfold easily when you get it right from the start
and implement the level-up strategy that will help you grow from aspiring to
published author.
Branding is a process that is consciously implemented
from the inception of the idea to become an author, to your first published book
and subsequent publications after that. Your brand could evolve with time but
the central theme/idea behind your brand will hold still and continue to convey
your message.
If you’re a fiction author, don’t feel discouraged
that you may not have a brand because you write fantasy, romance, erotica,
sci-fi, and horror as against a non-fiction author who specializes in self-help
books or has authority in the areas of finance, personal development, business
or wealth creation.
Absolutely Not.
As a fiction author, you can build your brand in a way that represents what you believe in and conveys in your books. Understanding the message, you would like your brand to be represented, is the beginning of a long list of reasons why you should embrace author branding as an aspiring author.
Here are 6 reasons why aspiring authors should embrace author branding from the inception.
Reason #1: Define Your Central Message
You cannot project your brand to the world without
first discovering what you want the world to know about you. What message do
you want the world to embrace about your brand or what do you expect your author
brand to be associated with?
Investing in your author brand will help you define
your message, refine your beliefs, shape your genre, influence your
personality, and build authority in your space.
Author branding will also help you identify your
purpose and core focus which will aid your brand positioning in the digital
space.
The central message of the Creatives Oasis Blog is to
educate aspiring authors on tips, tricks, truths, issues, mistakes & problems
associated with the writing journey and to proffer solutions through posts,
digital resources & recommendations from knowledgeable individuals in the
writing space.
Because of a clearly defined central message, my
author brand can be identified with aspiring authors and young/budding
creatives which will invariably help me define my target audience.
Reason #2: Define Your Target Audience
Every niche has a target audience, and you must
identify whom your message is made for. As an aspiring author, one of the biggest mistakes you should avoid is jumping right into writing without taking
the time to choose your genre first.
Choosing your preferred genre will help you niche down
within that genre so you can project your message to a special audience or a
group of audiences depending on your niche.
As a romance and erotic author, myself, my audiences
are in the sub-niche within the romance and erotic genre like Billionaire
Romance, Mafia Romance, Office Romance, Milf Erotica, BDSM Erotica, Age-Gap
Romance & Erotica, and so on.
Understand that there are specific individuals whom
your message is made for and author branding helps identify who they are. Just
like you cannot sell to everyone, your brand isn’t for everyone.
Clear identification of what your central message is and who your target audience is will help shape your author’s brand.
Reason #3: Own Your Space
How will you feel when your brand becomes identified with a certain trend or style? Proud, right? That’s the power of author branding.
From your author’s name, pen name or brand name, or brand
logo to your colors, style, website, blog, community, social media, and
anywhere else, your brand will speak and feel the same way, which will leave a
lasting impression in the minds of your visitors.
When I began to think about creating a blog, the sole
purpose was to educate people – creatives – on the mistakes I made as an
aspiring author myself. I wanted to be a guide to young creatives who are
starting and have fears about the writing journey.
I didn’t have a guide starting and I never knew how
much it’d cost me until I was fully submerged under all my mistakes. So, with
each mistake I tackled, I wanted to share my experience about it, hence the
creation of this blog.
Before launching my blog, I already had my message and
I knew my message was meant for budding authors, so I began with slow &
steady steps to learn all I could about blogging, setting up my blog, and
defining a means to reach out to my target audience with all I knew.
The creatives oasis blog page on Instagram is a direct
replica of what you’ll find on my blog, Pinterest board, Facebook page, &
Website. Although modified to suit these platforms, the message is still the
same.
Author branding takes time – you should see my main
author’s page, it’s still a mess – and I can assure you that with time, as you
grow to understand your voice and style more, so will your author brand evolve.
Don’t sweat it too much, but pick something to focus
on and build from there.
Reason #4: Build Authority
The combination of a compelling central message, a
target audience for your niche, and a clearly defined space equals authority in
that niche.
Using my author’s page as an example, I’ll not say I’m
an authority in my niche yet because it’s still a work in progress. Although I
have a central message which is to write unconventional heartwarming,
toe-curling, and sheet-grabbing steamy romance with happy endings while my target
audience, which is cozy romance and erotic readers, I do not have the catalog,
an award, or a bestselling badge yet, to prove myself as an authority in that
niche.
Another example is The Creatives Oasis Blog has a
central message for aspiring authors, a target audience including both aspiring
& published authors, and a space – a blog – equipped with tools, posts, videos,
materials & recommendations that will help aspiring authors overcome their
pain points. This creates an air of authority around this brand.
In time, your author brand will grow to have an air of
authority around it, but it will take cultivating the habit of consistency to
keep your brand alive and thriving.
Embracing author branding will help you build
authority around your niche, build credibility, and garner recognition for
your brand.
Reason #5: Build Credibility
Achieving the first four stages will automatically add
credibility to your author's brand. Your voice begins to break through the ice
and draws more eyeballs towards your brand as your audience spreads the word.
The more attention your brand gets, the greater its
exposure to opportunities, and the greater its recognition and expanded growth in
the industry.
When a brand speaks for itself and through others, it
becomes credible. It draws attention to itself and creates opportunities for
networking and collaborations with other like-minded individuals in the same
space.
As much as gaining authority in a niche may be
difficult to achieve, it doesn’t mean you cannot gain credibility. Putting your
brand out there for the world to see, staying consistent with your brand goals,
sharing value, building engagement, and meaningful relationships, showing up, and
solving problems are enough to gain credibility for your author brand.
Consciously building your author brand will always pay
off in the long run.
Reason #6: Build Recognition
The ultimate goal of building your author brand is to
stand out and gain recognition as a fresh voice in the industry. It is a
process that comes with a combination of many other things.
First, you have to get the process right from the start. Next will be to understand the level-up strategy for aspiring authors & overcome your fears about the process.
Also, you'll have to understand the value of networking as an aspiring author and the
importance of collaborations in building your author brand.
For your author brand to gain recognition, it has to be
worthy of that attention. Be creative with your brand, write what people want
to read, don’t be shy about promoting yourself, don’t be reluctant to talk
about your brand or share your ideas with the world, and don’t be too eager to jump
upon every offer but make sure it aligns with your brand goals first before you
venture into it.
Recognition comes with visibility which in turn propels growth and opens wide the portal of opportunities. Embracing author branding has its cons but the benefits far supersede it.