How to Build Your Author Brand—Tips for Connecting With Readers
As an author, your brand is your identity and how you present yourself to your readers. Your author brand is the public perception of who you are and what you stand for as a writer. A strong author brand can help you connect with your audience, build a loyal following, and ultimately sell more books. Here are 10 tips for creating a powerful author brand that will help you stand out in the crowded world of publishing.
1. Create a Professional Website
In today’s digital age, having a strong online presence is crucial for any author looking to build their brand. Having a professional looking website is essential for building your author brand. Make sure your website is easy to navigate and showcases your brand identity. Your website should include information about who you are, what you write about, and how readers can contact you. It should also include links to your social media accounts, so that readers can easily find and follow you online. You want readers to be able to find the information they need quickly and easily.
If you join our Aspiring Authors Programme, you can benefit from your very own author website tailored with your branding to kick start your online presence.
Having a professional looking website is essential for building your author brand.
2. Engage on Social Media
Social media is one of the best ways to connect with readers and promote your work. You should create accounts on the main platform(s) that your ideal reader uses. If you’re a busy person, stick to one main platform; if you have a little bit more time you may want to consider another one or two where you can reach your ideal reader. The major social media platforms to consider are Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok and LinkedIn, depending on your audience. You may also want to consider Pinterest and YouTube; they’re both growing platforms and potentially a great place if you have images and video content to share.
Whichever platform(s) you choose, use them regularly to connect with readers, share updates about your writing, and promote your work. Share interesting articles related to your book or start conversations about topics related to your work. Engage with your audience by responding to comments and messages, and consider hosting online events like Q&A sessions or book clubs. This will all help you build relationships with potential readers and establish yourself as an expert in your field.
Social media is one of the best ways to connect with readers and promote your work.
3. Develop a Unique Voice
Before you can create a strong author brand, you need to define your brand identity. This includes identifying your unique voice, style, and values as a writer. Ask yourself what sets you apart from other authors in your genre and what message you want to convey to your readers. Once you have a clear understanding of your brand identity, you can start building your brand around it.
Developing a unique voice will help you stand out from the crowd and make it easier for readers to recognise your work when they see it online or in bookstores. Take some time to think about what makes your writing unique and how you can use this uniqueness when engaging with potential readers online or in person.
You need to define your brand identity; develop a unique voice.
4. Network With Other Authors
Connecting with other authors and influencers is another great way to build relationships with potential readers, expand your reach and promote yourself as an expert in your field. Attend events like book festivals or conferences where authors gather together, join online groups dedicated to writers or publishers, or reach out directly via email or social media platforms like Twitter or LinkedIn. Consider reaching out to other authors for collaborations, such as hosting a joint event, guest blogging or interviewing on a podcast. All of which can help increase visibility for both parties involved.
Connecting with influencers in your genre, such as book bloggers or bookstagrammers, can help promote your work to their followers. Remember to approach these relationships with a genuine interest in their work and a willingness to support them as well.
A word of caution, as soon as you start posting about being an author or writing a book, you will be approached for opportunities to pay for someone to review your book. It is unlikely that these will help as more often than not the followers of these accounts are not genuine. Always do your homework and if you’re not sure whether something is genuine, come and ask in the Aspiring Author Community.
Attend events like book festivals or conferences where authors gather together.
5. Be Consistent With Your Content
Finally, it’s important that whatever content you produce (blog posts, videos, podcasts, etc.) is consistent in terms of quality and tone of voice so that readers know what they can expect from you each time they come across one of your pieces of content online or offline.
A strong author brand is not just about your writing, it’s also about your visual identity. This includes your author photo, book covers, website design, and social media graphics. Develop a consistent visual identity that reflects your brand identity and use it across all your platforms. This will help readers recognise and remember your brand, and make it easier for them to connect with you.
Being consistent will help establish trust between yourself and potential readers which will make them more likely to purchase one of your books when it becomes available!
A strong author brand is not just about your writing, it’s also about your visual identity.
Book a call to see how I can help you create your author brand while writing and publishing your book.