[00:00:00] When I say the author names, J.K. Rowling, Malcolm Gladwell, Stephen King, Elizabeth Gilbert, Gretchen Rubin, Marie Kondo, Eckhart Tolle, Brene Brown, Yuval Noah Harari and Neil Gaiman. What comes to mind?
Even if you don't realize it, what comes to mind are items associated with the authors brand? You know those moments when you hear an author's name and instantly associated with a particular genre style or theme. That's author branding at work. The invisible bond that links you, the author to your audience.
I'm Zach Kristensen, and this is Beyond the book presented by Juxta book.
As Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon aptly put it, "Branding as what people say about you when you're not in the [00:01:00] room."
In the context of authorship, branding transcends beyond a logo. It mirrors your identity as an author. There are three crucial components that we suggest to build your author brand.
Psychological branding. Physical branding and strategic branding.
Psychological branding is the emotional pathway between you and your readers. It's about understanding how you want your audience to perceive and connect with you. This element is closely tied to how you can address or resolve reader's challenges through your writing.
Next is physical branding.
Which encompasses tangible aspects like your logo, website design, color scheme, and even how your name appears on your books. A well curated physical brand, embodies the identity and values you've established through your psychological branding. You can not [00:02:00] have one effectively without the other.
Lastly, there's strategic branding. The art of creating a clear and memorable author identity. It's about integrating your psychological branding into an engaging narrative that tells your unique author story.
So, how do you begin building an author brand? Start by committing to be proactive in shaping your brand.
Remember people will inevitably associate you with a specific brand or reputation. By actively participating in building your brand you maintain greater control and intentionality.
So consider what type of author brand you want to build? Are you leaning more towards a personal author brand, a book brand, company brand, or maybe a combination of these.
A personal or author brand focuses on you as the author. Think Stephen King where there names [00:03:00] immediately invoke certain themes or areas of expertise?
Book our book first branding spotlights the books themselves rather than the author. Atomic habits and Diary of a Wimpy Kid are prime examples.
Company associated branding is often used by firms that publish books related to their services or solutions. Their books serve as marketing tools, introducing clients and target audiences to their offerings. McKinsey, Gallop, Arbinger Institute and Franklin Covey are perfect examples.
An author's brand can start out as one of these, but then also blend to become a combination of personal, book, and company. It's not always straightforward and these are not always distinctly separate and that's perfectly okay.
Author branding is vital to your journey as a writer, it's about more than just selling books. [00:04:00] It's about creating an enduring relationship with your readers.
So take the time to think about your brand and how it reflects who you are as an author. After all your brand is your legacy.
To get help with your author brand . Visit juxta book.com. To set up your author coaching session today.
If you have any questions about a recent episode, I'd love to hear from you. Visit juxta book.com forward slash beyond the book and click the appropriate button to leave your question and we will include it in our weekly Q and a episode.
Your book is just one chapter in your author journey. Think beyond the book as you craft your path. Thank you for your questions and thank you for listening.
