Do you have an author brand? As a writer, I know how easy it is to get wrapped up in the writing process daily. For months, I focused solely on writing my first book. Then, when I came up for air, not only did I have to start thinking about marketing my work, but I soon learned that I had to build an author brand.
Photo by Jacob Lund
And before you object, yes, you need an author brand.
Why? Because a brand is anything that separates one product from another. So, your brand as a writer lets people know who you are, what you like to write, what you stand for, and any other products you offer. Bottom line: The public should recognize your brand and distinguish you from other writers.
Before I finished writing my first book, I started introducing myself and my book to the world.
Below are seven strategies that you can use to build your author brand. A few things to remember:
1) There is no one way to build an author brand. What works for one writer may not work for another writer. So, focus on what works for you. Be authentic and stay true to yourself.
2) You DO NOT have to do EVERYTHING listed here to be successful. Instead, try one or two things and build as you go.
Disclosure: This page contains affiliate links, which means I receive a small commission, at no extra cost, if you purchase using the links.
Planning has been an essential part of my journey. Start with a business plan before writing your book or launching your new writing project. This will help you get a clearer idea of your goals and how best to achieve them. The more detailed the plan, the better your chance of succeeding. Ask yourself questions like:
- What do I want to accomplish? What are my goals?
- Who is my ideal reader? Or target audience?
- When will I be ready to launch my writing project or book?
- How will my writing business grow? Will I write a series of books?
- How much will I charge for my work?
- How will I let reporters and the public know about me?
As you answer these questions, you can create a business plan. In addition to your business plan, here are seven additional tools and strategies you can use to help you build your author brand. As you move forward, I encourage you to try new things and not be afraid to step outside your comfort zone.
Also, check out 3 Great Ways to Promote Yourself as a Writer.
#1. Content marketing plan
Next, create a content marketing plan to launch your book. Content marketing is a powerful tool for any business, whether you’re an individual or a corporation. The key factor in its success lies in the consistency with which content can be developed and distributed across various channels.
What is content marketing? Content marketing is the process of creating and distributing relevant content to attract an audience and ultimately drive profitable customer action.
Content marketing is a way to provide solutions for your customers’ or readers’ pain points and challenges. It allows you to tap into what readers care about by focusing on value propositions. When done correctly, content marketing helps create a relationship with your audience, which leads them to trust you. When you build trust with your audience, they’re more willing to buy from you when it comes.
The content you create to promote your author brand should be engaging, informative, and entertaining. It’s also essential to engage your customers in ways that will help them promote your brand.
#2. Media kit
A media kit, or press kit, is an essential public relations promotional tool to help you present yourself to the media and potential sponsors. Media kits provide journalists with the information they need to write about you, generating coverage for your book and brand. A typical author media kit, which I recommend that you refresh and keep updated, includes:
- A 100 to 200-word biography
- Press release
- A tip sheet that offers the media various topics they can discuss with you for potential stories.
- Photographs
- An excerpt from your book’s first few pages or the opening chapter.
- Sell sheet which offers retailers and book bloggers details about your book (see an example of my sell sheet on the right)
- Contact information
To create my sell sheet (and all of my content), I used my favorite graphic design tool, Canva.
Please sign up for my newsletter below if you would like to grab a copy of the FREE media kit I created in Canva. You will need Canva to make changes to the kit.
#3. Launch a website
A website allows you to highlight several aspects of your writing — books, a blog, workshops, speaking engagement dates, and reviews. In addition, a website is excellent for sharing your work with potential literary agents and event planners looking for speakers for an event. I launched my website to coincide with my first book, Time to Refresh.
Before launching a new website, you will need a hosting provider that offers various hosting services, like Bluehost or Siteground. Once you have chosen your provider, you can build your website with WordPress. There are many easy-to-use themes to develop your website, and you can select the number of pages for your site.
You can promote your book and interact with fans and potential readers through your website. Build an email list by offering valuable tools and information to visitors to your site. You can use many email marketing tools to engage with your website subscribers. For example, I use ConvertKit to share information with my target audience, but there are also MailChimp and Constant Contact.
Be cautious about websites: Keep your website updated with new information. Create a plan for managing your website, including an editorial calendar if you plan to have a blog.
#4. Start a blog
Use your blog to position yourself as a thought leader with experience related to various topics. Before you start a blog, consider the following points:
- Blog tagline and title — Your blog’s tagline should summarize the heart of who you are and what readers will find when they visit your site. The title is vital in attracting people to take a look, so it needs an attention-grabbing phrase or two that sums up its purpose for existence.
- About page—People who visit your blog want to know more about you. Create a separate page that highlights your career and experience.
- Blog post topics — Make a list of topics you plan to write about regularly. Create an editorial calendar outlining when to cover each topic and post consistently. I use CoSchedule to help me schedule blog and social media posts.
- Comments—To get the most out of your blog, you should develop a policy for handling comments. Decide upfront whether every comment receives approval before going live or if every comment goes live without your review. Also, determine how you will deal with any harsh comments or spam that may get through.
I started my blog in 2019 to share my thoughts on topics near and dear to my heart—writing, communication, productivity, book reviews, change, and faith. To hone my blogging skills, I took Suzi Whitford’s Blog by Number course. The course was AMAZING! Suzi offers so much valuable information on blogging and a FREE course that includes a FREE blog plan.
#5. Social media
Social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, TikTok, and LinkedIn offer you a way to connect with your audience. Before you tweet, post, or like anything, determine the messages you will post and how often. Then, create a simple strategy for how you will use social media. Test different social media platforms and select two to get you started. Don’t worry about building your author brand on all platforms at first. Instead, focus on the social media platforms that work best for you.
To sign up on your social media platform of choice, take the following steps:
- First, create an account name, profile URL, or user name.
- Then, add a link to your website in your new social media profile.
- Add your profile information.
- Connect with other authors, creative entrepreneurs, or authorpreneurs you know; consider following or friending them.
- Be prepared to add a post.
You can create banners for your social media platforms in Canva. Here is an example of my LinkedIn banner.
For more information, check out How Writers Can Post Stuff on Social Media Readers will Love
#6. Podcasts
Another great way to promote yourself as an author is through podcasts. With podcasts, you could either be a guest or start a podcast where you interview guests about topics important to you and your audience.
Whether you decide to be a guest or a host, you must create a plan. Here are a few steps to get you started.
- Find podcasts that reach your target audience.
Do a Google search on the best podcasts (fill in the blank with your niche or genre) to find your target audience.
Go to iTunes and do a keyword search for podcasts that match your interests. For example, I would search for podcasts for Christian women, productivity, or writing. - Keep a running list of the podcasts that fit your niche.
Draft a pitch email to the podcast host to learn how to be a guest. If you’re looking to host a podcast, note that the podcasts are similar to the kind of podcast you want to launch. - Consider an offer for the podcast audience.
If you secure a spot on a podcast as a guest, consider giving away a free copy of your book or product. Offer the audience a discount using a code unique to that show. If you’re hosting your show, let listeners know where they can buy your book or if you’re offering a discount for a limited time.
Get a good microphone, whether you are a guest or a host. For my first podcast, I relied on the microphone on my MacBook. This was a big mistake. I realized the sound through my laptop speakers was not good. Since I was on a blog and podcast tour with my book, I purchased a new Shure microphone and boom arm for my workstation.
#7. Guest blog posts
Guest blogging is one of the most effective strategies for extending your content marketing reach. It gets fresh eyes on your writing, secures high-quality backlinks from authoritative domains in your niche, and increases social shares across platforms like Facebook or Twitter (now known as X).
The first step – before getting started with guest blog writing—is figuring out the following things:
- Which bloggers reach your target audience?
- What tags and categories does the blog use?
- Will the blog allow you to include your byline? If not, the site’s value to your brand may be insufficient without a byline.
- How often does the blog publish posts? They may not offer guest blog posts if the blog isn’t updated regularly.
Once you find blogs that meet your needs, review their guidelines, write original content for the audience, and submit, include links to your social media platforms and website whenever possible.
If you want to see a few examples of excellent author branding, check out these sites:
Create a 30-day action plan
Now, it’s time to take action. I find that it’s best to research an idea or work on an action plan over 30 days. While some projects may take 60 or 90 days, I like to work on things in 30-day increments.
In your 30-day author brand-building action plan, you’ll want to include these eight things:
- What are the goals you want to accomplish?
- What small wins would you like to achieve within these 30 days?
- What will be your success metrics?
- What is your learning goal? Will you learn how Instagram works? Will you learn how to write blog posts?
- What will be your daily activities?
- What will be your weekly activities?
- What do you want to attempt to do at least once within your 30-day period?
- How will you get your activities done? Schedule everything in your planner.
Are you ready to take action? First, create your 30-day action plan by answering the questions above. You can also add different questions to the list. Then, let me know if you have any questions or want to share big or small wins.
Finally, you can build your author brand in many ways beyond what’s listed here. I hope this post inspires you to either START or KEEP GOING.
