Joanna Penn of The Creative PennAccording to best-selling author and marketing guru, Joanna Penn . . .

Branding is one of those buzz-words that can turn off creatives, but essentially, your brand is your promise to the reader.

It’s the words, images, and emotional resonance that people have when they hear your name or your series/book character.

Belinda Griffin from SmartAuthorsLab shares some thoughts on how to build your authentic brand.

If you’re like most self-published authors, there is one thing you want more than anything else.

Exposure.

That’s the greatest challenge for any indie, raising your author profile and lifting your book above the vast competition.

You’re probably already juggling a dozen or more tools and tactics in the hope of getting more visibility and then someone throws the word ‘brand’ into the conversation.

What on earth is that? Surely more gimmicky marketing fluff that you shouldn’t waste your time with.

But guess what, you already have a brand! Yep, whether you like it or not, and even if you’ve never given it a single thought, you have already branded yourself.

That’s not to say, however, that you have a strong and recognizable brand or one that represents you in the way you may hope.

Fortunately, we can fix that.

An authentic author brand can help you stand out from the crowd and give you the exposure you crave.

And no matter where you are on your author journey, it’s not too late to build yours.

7 ways to build an authentic author brand:

    1. Identify your reader
    2. Develop your brand voice
    3. Figure out your USP
    4. Set some expectations
    5. Know what you’re branding
    6. Choose a look
    7. Apply your brand everywhere

Now you know why branding is so important, it’s time to get started with yours. But knowing and doing are two very different things.

Read this article in full and download  a free worksheet to help you define your brand.

Thank you to Joanna Penn for partnering with The Book Cover Whisperer to share this invaluable information. Please check out her marketing and author websites!