#WritersRoad Recap: Author Branding

An abbreviated recap of the Writer's Road chat on Twitter (using Tweetdeck with the hashtag #WritersRoad) on author branding:

Heather McCorkle  Branding is a mysterious thing to many, though at its core it's quite simple because it is about the 'core' of your writing. #WritersRoad

Allison Duke @HeatherMcCorkle Oh totally. So when we talk branding, is it a marketing thing or something else? #WritersRoad

Heather McCorkle  to @AllisonDuke A little marketing, a little bit of who you are and what your writing is all about. Basically, know they self. #WritersRoad

TS Tate (Tee)  to @HeatherMcCorkle and @AllisonDuke What do you think is the single most important aspect to branding? #writersroad

Heather McCorkle  Branding doesn't mean you always have to write one genre, or one way. It isn't about that. It's about what moves you deeply. #WritersRoad

Heather McCorkle  to@teetate Being true to yourself and your writing. #WritersRoad

Allison Duke  to @HeatherMcCorkle So...you are your brand? #writersroad

Heather McCorkle  to @AllisonDuke Exactly! #WritersRoad

Matthew Wilbur  Think of branding as the overall feel of a thing. When you walk in to Macy's it's a different feel from K-Mart. #WritersRoad

Heather McCorkle  Writers are passionate people. We write because we care deeply about something. That is your brand. #WritersRoad

J B Mills  Branding is creating a persona that people can identify with so they will want to read your work because they associate w/you. #writersroad

TS Tate (Tee)  Having a career as a writer isn't solely about the work, the marketing, etc. It's a combination of all of these. Don't skimp #writersroad

Heather McCorkle  I care deeply about the environment and endangered species, that almost always works its way into my writing somehow. #WritersRoad

Heather McCorkle  Turns out, it's my brand. Sometimes it's so subtle the reader never notices it. But it's there. #WritersRoad

Heather McCorkle  What do you care deeply about that works it's way into your writing? Might surprise you. #WritersRoad

J B Mills  When people don't know you, even something as simple as a profile pic can begin to create an impression. #writersroad

Allison Duke  So for me, my spirituality is a huge part of who I am and it leaks into my writing. I couldn't keep it out if I wanted to. #writersroad

Matthew Wilbur Your "brand' can change over time as you change. For most writers this isn't a problem because the fans change, too. #WritersRoad

TS Tate (Tee)  #Branding yourself, your name, your interests, your image will make you more visible and relatable to readers. #writersroad

Heather McCorkle  to @Nightveil Definitely! We are not, nor do we have to be, one trick ponies. #WritersRoad

TS Tate (Tee)  If you can’t clearly communicate your purpose, then how can you engage a readership? #WritersRoad

Heather McCorkle  to @teetate Exactly! Books that fail to communicate the author's purpose or underlying theme tend to fall short for me. #WritersRoad

J B Mills  Many authors switch to a pen name when writing a different genre. 2 distinct brands will help them reach 2 different audiences. #writersroad

Heather McCorkle  to @jbeemills Often a great strategy if the genres are vastly different audiences. #WritersRoad

TS Tate (Tee)  Avoid the pigeonhole. Focus the topics you discuss, the audiences you target, the way you describe your work. #WritersRoad

TS Tate (Tee)  Create core messages you will go back to again and again. #WritersRoad

Heather McCorkle  Branding is something you should be developing before you get published to help you connect to the right audience. #WritersRoad

TS Tate (Tee)  Shape your story as it relates to your work, and share that when you meet people or on the About page of your website. #WritersRoad

Matthew Wilbur  Going back to Gaiman, he's always said he's a storyteller. Not a SF or Fantasy writer but a storyteller. That's his brand. #WritersRoad

Heather McCorkle  Example: Stephen King's brand is Maine, well that and freaky. #WritersRoad

Allison Duke  So if you've established your brand as a writer and one of your works veers dramatically from it, what happens? #WritersRoad

Heather McCorkle  to @AllisonDuke Depends, does it have anything of the underlying theme, of your brand in it at all? #WritersRoad

Tina Moss  My brand is dark and quirky. Works w/ my genres and personality. But, difficult combo. Re-designing my blog to reflect this. #writersroad

Tina Moss  to @HeatherMcCorkle Thank you, sweetie. Took a looong time to figure it out. :) #writersroad

Heather McCorkle  to @Tina_Moss Don't feel bad, it took me a while to figure mine out too. #WritersRoad

Heather McCorkle  Great point brought out by @Tina_Moss. It may take you a while to figure out what your brand is. That's OK. #WritersRoad

Heather McCorkle  Genre does not define you. Dig deeper. I write about dragons (sometimes) that doesn't make me the dragon lady. #WritersRoad

Heather McCorkle  And genre doesn't define your story~completely. What lies beneath does. #WritersRoad