How to Stand Out, Connect with Readers, and Build a Loyal Following

With 17+ years in self-publishing, I’ve worked with many authors who say they are ready to market their books but must complete the all-important step of defining and building a strong author brand. This critical step allows your book to be an extension of you—the author. Without an author brand, your book is another on a crowded shelf.

More books are published today than ever, so building a strong author brand is necessary to stand out, attract readers, and cultivate a loyal following. I’ve posted about this topic in the past, so forgive me for revisiting it again. This is so crucial for authors that I decided to post an even more precise guide in two parts. The first four steps this week, the next four coming next week.

What is a Strong Author Brand?

An author brand is your unique identity as a writer. Your voice, style, and persona combination distinguishes you from other authors. Think of it as the image or feeling you want readers to associate with you and your work. Ideally, your brand should reflect your personality, the themes you explore in your book, and the emotions you want to evoke in your audience.

Step-by-Step Guide to Creating Your Author Brand

Step 1: Determine Your Unique Selling Proposition (USP)

Your Unique Selling Proposition (USP) defines and separates you from other authors in your genre. Your USP will tell readers why they should listen to you instead of another author. With a strong USP, you avoid being ‘just another author.’ This step is essential! Ask yourself:

• What makes my book unique?
• What solution to a problem is my book offering?
• What will a reader get from my book that they won’t get from another?
• What is your expertise? Why are you qualified to write this book?
• What themes or messages do I explore?
• What tone or style do I consistently use?
• Write down your answers. Your answers will build the foundation of your author brand.

Step 2: Identify Your Target Audience

Using the answers you wrote down from Step 1, now think about the readers who are most likely to read your book. Create a reader persona to identify your ideal reader further.

Consider the following:

• Who are your readers? (Age, gender, interests)
• Who would most benefit from the topic of my book?
• What are their reading habits?
• Where do they go when they’re online?

It can be a fun exercise to give your persona an alliterative name. For example, “Bookish Bob” or “Literature Lizzie .”Then, when you’re about to write or post something, ask, “Would Bookish Bob” find this post helpful?” or “Would Literature Lizzie read this blog?” Understanding your target reader allows you to customize your brand to meet their expectations.

Step 3: Develop Your Brand Aesthetic

Now, it’s time to develop your brand aesthetic using the answers from Step 1 and the qualities of your target reader from Step 2. Your brand aesthetic is your brand’s ‘feel’ and visual appeal. It includes colors, fonts, images, and mood. It would help to use the same aesthetic each time you post (regardless of where). This allows your readers to identify you and provides consistency.

Visual Elements: Choose a color palette and fonts that match the mood of your book—for example, dark and moody colors for a thriller or light and whimsical hues for a romance. Don’t use neon colors for a book about romantic poetry.

Graphics and Images: Use high-quality images for your book covers, website, and social media profiles. If your audience is children, maybe your graphics and images are illustrated. However, a self-help book may require realistic graphics and images. Whatever you choose, remember that consistent imagery creates a cohesive brand.

Step 4: Write Your Author Tagline

Use what you’ve learned from Steps 1-3 and think through how you would summarize your author brand. Remember the importance of your USP during this step! Then, work on writing a tagline that is a short, but catchy phrase that summarizes your author brand. Your tagline aims to help define what your reader will learn by reading your website, following you on social media, or buying your book. It should be:

• Concise
• Unique
• Reflective on your storytelling style
• On-brand (remember Step 3 – the ‘feel’ and mood of your brand)

Stay tuned as I’ll post the remaining four steps next week. Reach out if you have any questions on these steps, I’m happy to help.

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With over 17 years of experience in publishing, I know the ins and outs of marketing a book. I can help you define your author brand, create a marketing plan and strategy, and increase your book sales.

Contact me at info@thebookmarketingnook.com to set up a consultation.