Indie Author Branding: How to Figure Out How to Brand Yourself | Elizabeth Barone. It took me about a year to figure out how to brand myself as an author. This was after I decided to be a professional novelist. Before I figured it out, I worried about it almost all the time. After all, I used to work with non-profits and small businesses to create their web presence—a form of branding.
I couldn’t figure out how to translate those principles to my own company. Meanwhile, I read articles about choosing a genre and establishing yourself as an author of a niche. The only thing I had going for me was a website: elizabethbarone.net. Then I stumbled upon an interview Joanna Penn did with CJ Lyons, who calls her books “thrillers with heart.”
Stories powered by strong, intricate characters who are plagued by realistic problems and situations. I took a look at all the things I’ve written over the years. Author Eric Dontigney summed up how an author can brand themselves: I found that you don’t have to get too narrow, though. Take a look at the things you’ve written. Like this:
Creating Kick-Ass Book Blurbs. Marketing to the YA audience. By Elizabeth Arroyo, @EArroyo5 I'd like to welcome Elizabeth Arroyo to the blog today, to chat with us about building street teams. This is something I'm very interested in myself, so I'm happy to have her discuss this. Marketing a book is a challenge, but with the help of enthusiastic readers and fans, the job can be a little easier. Elizabeth has worked in the community for the bulk of her professional career. She enjoys quiet moments, action flicks, and dancing with her four-year-old. THE SECOND SIGN is her debut novel.
Take it away, Elizabeth... Thanks for hosting me. Building your "street team" on the actual street. I spent a lot of time working in the community--10 plus years. Throw a wide net for the best community impact. Here are some tidbits I learned along the way to ensure a great turn-out. You don't have to plan this alone. The Second SignDark YA Paranormal RomanceSapphire Star Publishing When a demon guardian comes to collect her soul, she refuses to give it up. Podcast: Advanced Blogging Tips For Authors With Blogging Teacher, Paul Cunningham. If you are new to blogging, try this Blogging Basics podcast with Joel Williams. If you are ready for some more advanced blogging tips, then this is the audio for you!
Paul Cunningham is the Blogging Teacher, providing articles, tips and tutorials to help bloggers overcome the many challenges they face in building a successful blog. He is also an IT professional and technical writer. PC: Thanks Joanna, an absolute pleasure to be here. JP: It’s great to have you along. So, we met last year when you came along to one of my seminars, which was fantastic. PC: Sure. I like writing. JP: Absolutely. So, they’ve got a WordPress.com blog site and they’ve been blogging for maybe four or five months and now they’re going to take it to a new level. PC: Obviously you’ve already talked about free services and getting onto an unbranded site, un-hosted site, that’s really important. So, you know, what are we trying to do as writers? JP: Well, lots of things there. PC: It does matter. JP: No, that’s good. The Ultimate Guide to Facebook Marketing.