Do I actually need a brand image as a writer? A brand helps to create a loyal following of readers who enjoy and appreciate an author’s work. It also helps to attract new readers and build a reputation within the publishing industry. So yes, as a serious writer, you most definitely need a brand. Okay, what exactly is a brand and how do I get one?

A writer’s brand is a way of establishing a distinctive and recognizable identity as an author. It involves creating a consistent image and message that communicates to readers what they can expect from your writing. It incorporates various elements of your writing, such as your style, themes you explore, your unique voice, and the tone used in your script. It also heavily depends on how you present yourself on social media, book covers, author bio, and other marketing efforts such as your website, interviews, book signings and podcasts.

The most important thing to realize is that YOU are your business; not your readers, not your niche, and not your agent or publisher. No matter what, your brand image largely reflects who and what YOU are as a writer. This is true whether you have created your own brand presence or if you have fallen into the one invented for you by those who watched the fading footprints of a confused writer crossing the sand as you wandered back and forth along the literary shoreline.

Your consistency must be clear in your writing across all channels of social media. This is what creates that recognizable and memorable brand. You can’t be one person on Facebook and another on Twitter unless you are Dr. Jekyll or Mr. Hyde. Be sure everything you write reflects your personality and values.

I almost hate to say this, but here goes. Although we all try not to, most of us do judge people on first impressions as well as the many impressions a writer leaves unknowingly sprinkled around social media. We are all in this together so don’t engage in extended “discussions” (code named “arguments”) over politics, religion or any other topic that is designed to not change a single mind. Unlike many people who will argue about the texture of dirt or the color of the sky, do yourself a favor and keep scrolling. Before you repost information from a follower, try to determine if it fits the best image for your brand.

And, you’ve probably guessed by now that, like everything else a writer must do, building your brand takes a long time. I’m still building mine. The devil is always in the details of the branding crumbs I dropped above, so let’s start a conversation. Ask questions and add to the comments. We can figure this out together. 

A Writer's Brand

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