Indie Author Branding

 

What is Branding?

 

A hot iron burned onto the backside of a cow is not what this is about.

 

This is about how indie authors brand themselves to sell their books, otherwise known as – Image Personification!

 

The functionality of good branding is to connect favorably with other people to entice them to buy whatever you’re selling. Being positive and energetic is a good thing. People like go-getters. Being yourself can be a good thing too, (but don’t be yourself.) Be somebody who everybody likes. Be agreeable. Be smart. (People like smart people, but not too smart. Arrogantly smart is a turn-off.) Honesty is important. People generally don’t like a liar. It’s okay to write fantastical lies, (fiction), just don’t do it when selling yourself; tell the truth.  

 

My brand is simple, cynical, and sarcastic. I write thought-provoking fantasy adventure novels. I am a lukewarm person. Don’t be Lukewarm. Davos Lukewarm is a character in one of my books, and he ain’t very bright.

 

If your current brand is not working, change your brand. I know, change is scary. But that’s what branding is all about, searching, changing, and adjusting until you find an adorable and lovable brand – known as the sweet spot that attracts customers.

 

Oh, and your book has to be at least partially good, partially unique, or uniquely odd. Also, a so-so book can be successful too, if you have an awesome brand or a team of marketing experts.

 

Point of Order: Don’t have an annoying brand.

Example: Repeatedly screaming – PLEASE BUY MY BOOKS! I worked really hard on them. You’ll love them. Blah, Blah, Blah!

Silly and sarcastically annoying ain’t a good brand either. I speak from experience. I lost the genetic lottery, but I won the race to the egg, so I got that going for me.

 

My first attempt at branding was not good.

Pounding your product at a customer seems to be an acceptable practice, but it's really annoying. People don’t like to be annoyed. People like to be entertained. Mix it up. Adapt. Change. Reconstruct.

 If you’ve tried several brands and they all failed - change your name, move to another country, and write a book on how to properly weave horse hair into dinner place mats. I have already changed my name 27 times, moved to 15 different countries, and I currently write fantasy novels, but I am afraid to publish them because I am still searching for a likable brand. I haven’t given up yet. I am constantly recreating my image and imagining something strange.

Find a brand that works best for you, and then - OWN IT BABY! Take the ball and run. Score! Fly like and eagle. Get excited. Go Crazy. Sell lots of books.

 

Schizophrenic? That might be a brand that works for me.

 

“Mr. Kafka, you’ve tried that and it didn’t work.”

“True, but maybe I need to refine how I talk to you?

“No.”

“But, jimmy, . . .”

“No!”

“I have some new ideas!”

“No, no you don’t.”

“Why are you always so negative?”

“Do I really need to explain that, Mr. Kafka?

“No, I reckon not.”

 

Good Luck, fellow indie authors. I hope you find the right Image Personification that works for you!

 

j/k