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I’m very grateful to
Elizabeth for inviting me as her guest today. She said that her readers are
interested in writing tips and suggested that I write about “writers as a
brand.”
Elizabeth for inviting me as her guest today. She said that her readers are
interested in writing tips and suggested that I write about “writers as a
brand.”
I’m happy to do this because this happens to be my field of expertise:
Besides being a multi-published author by Avalon Books and now being an
indie-author, I’m also working as a Global Marketing Manager for an
international brand, so building a brand is something I deal with every day.
But what exactly do they mean when they say you should “build a brand”?
Besides being a multi-published author by Avalon Books and now being an
indie-author, I’m also working as a Global Marketing Manager for an
international brand, so building a brand is something I deal with every day.
But what exactly do they mean when they say you should “build a brand”?
Superficially looking, a
brand is a name for a certain range of products. When you look deeper, you’ll
realize that a brand is more than that. It’s an imprint on your mind. An
established brand has certain values linked to it, and these values will pop up
in the mind of the consumer when they see it.
brand is a name for a certain range of products. When you look deeper, you’ll
realize that a brand is more than that. It’s an imprint on your mind. An
established brand has certain values linked to it, and these values will pop up
in the mind of the consumer when they see it.
Think Coca Cola. You
will not think of your sofa and a rug over your knees when you see it. Coca
Cola is the brand to go out and have fun, and they have carefully groomed that
image over centuries. Now imagine that a new marketing manager would come to
them and would say “Hey, guys, we can tap into new target groups by positioning
this brand for the home as well.” As a consequence, they start an advertising
campaign focusing on the home, when you’re on your own, just that lovely Coke
and you.
will not think of your sofa and a rug over your knees when you see it. Coca
Cola is the brand to go out and have fun, and they have carefully groomed that
image over centuries. Now imagine that a new marketing manager would come to
them and would say “Hey, guys, we can tap into new target groups by positioning
this brand for the home as well.” As a consequence, they start an advertising
campaign focusing on the home, when you’re on your own, just that lovely Coke
and you.
A risky strategy, to say
the least, because the consumer will be irritated. The values that Coca Cola
was standing for – like fun, being on the go, being with friends – are now
suddenly being diluted.
the least, because the consumer will be irritated. The values that Coca Cola
was standing for – like fun, being on the go, being with friends – are now
suddenly being diluted.
Now this is the same for
authors. For example, I’m positioning myself as an author who writes books with
touches of humor and mischief. It doesn’t matter if they’re romances or
mysteries – as long as they make me chuckle, count me in. I’ve published over
ten books and short stories, and the readers who know my name will know that
they can rely on a happy end, on a chuckle, and that they can give these novels
to their teenage daughters without a qualm. That’s what my name is standing
for.
authors. For example, I’m positioning myself as an author who writes books with
touches of humor and mischief. It doesn’t matter if they’re romances or
mysteries – as long as they make me chuckle, count me in. I’ve published over
ten books and short stories, and the readers who know my name will know that
they can rely on a happy end, on a chuckle, and that they can give these novels
to their teenage daughters without a qualm. That’s what my name is standing
for.
Now imagine that I
suddenly get this crazy urge to write a noir, dystopian novel that ends with
the world falling apart or a really hot erotic romance. Should I write this
under the name of Beate Boeker? Most definitely not! I would shock my readers
and would confuse them. I’m not saying I can’t write this; I just have to
choose a different brand – in this case a pseudonym – to make sure that my
readers get a clear message. Of course, you can make cross-references and can
tell your established readers about your different names, in case they are open
to reading widely across all genres and like your style, no matter the content,
but you have to keep your marketing well apart.
suddenly get this crazy urge to write a noir, dystopian novel that ends with
the world falling apart or a really hot erotic romance. Should I write this
under the name of Beate Boeker? Most definitely not! I would shock my readers
and would confuse them. I’m not saying I can’t write this; I just have to
choose a different brand – in this case a pseudonym – to make sure that my
readers get a clear message. Of course, you can make cross-references and can
tell your established readers about your different names, in case they are open
to reading widely across all genres and like your style, no matter the content,
but you have to keep your marketing well apart.
Everything I post on
Facebook or anywhere else has to fit to the tone of my novel. Of course, I’m
not always feeling breezy and happy and in an Italian-sort-of-mood, but when
I’m building my brand, I have to make sure I’m consistent (and if I need to
rave, I do it offline with my friends!).
Facebook or anywhere else has to fit to the tone of my novel. Of course, I’m
not always feeling breezy and happy and in an Italian-sort-of-mood, but when
I’m building my brand, I have to make sure I’m consistent (and if I need to
rave, I do it offline with my friends!).
Also, a brand has to be
easily recognizable. Ideally, this means that your covers speak the same
language. They don’t all have to look alike, but they have to convey the same
feelings. I admit that I haven’t realized this perfectly for all my novels so
far, however, for my cozy mystery series, I have decided to take one theme –
the typical Italian shutters – and to use them in different color
constellations. This makes it easy to recognize the theme.
easily recognizable. Ideally, this means that your covers speak the same
language. They don’t all have to look alike, but they have to convey the same
feelings. I admit that I haven’t realized this perfectly for all my novels so
far, however, for my cozy mystery series, I have decided to take one theme –
the typical Italian shutters – and to use them in different color
constellations. This makes it easy to recognize the theme.
Below is an excerpt of
the first novel in my cozy mystery Delayed Death. It’s one of my favorite
scenes, where the heroine, Carlina, gets to know the investigating officer
Garini a little bit better, and I think it’s a typical example of my voice or
brand – a bit of romance all wrapped around the mystery and a bit of humor, set
in Italy. I’m looking forward to discussing what you think about this topic.
the first novel in my cozy mystery Delayed Death. It’s one of my favorite
scenes, where the heroine, Carlina, gets to know the investigating officer
Garini a little bit better, and I think it’s a typical example of my voice or
brand – a bit of romance all wrapped around the mystery and a bit of humor, set
in Italy. I’m looking forward to discussing what you think about this topic.
“Where did you find your
grandfather?”
grandfather?”
Carlina throat tightened. The
preliminaries were over. Now came the hard part. “Grandpa sat at the
kitchen table.” Her voice cracked.
preliminaries were over. Now came the hard part. “Grandpa sat at the
kitchen table.” Her voice cracked.
“Go on.”
She felt as if he was pushing her bit by
bit forward, until she would drop off a cliff. “My cousin . . . Emma threw
a fit.”
bit forward, until she would drop off a cliff. “My cousin . . . Emma threw
a fit.”
His eyebrows twitched. “Why?”
“Emma was the bride! His death
destroyed her wedding.”
destroyed her wedding.”
Commissario Garini looked as if he had no
clue what she was talking about.
clue what she was talking about.
Do you have no
imagination at all? “Can
you picture the bride coming up to church and saying that her grandfather just
died?” Carlina closed her eyes. It was easier to speak without looking at
the man made of steel next to her. “Everybody bursting into tears, the
wedding canceled, no dancing, no party, the flowers wilting, the ceremony
postponed, the honeymoon annulled . . .” She shook her head so hard, she
felt the edge of the shelf beneath her hair.
imagination at all? “Can
you picture the bride coming up to church and saying that her grandfather just
died?” Carlina closed her eyes. It was easier to speak without looking at
the man made of steel next to her. “Everybody bursting into tears, the
wedding canceled, no dancing, no party, the flowers wilting, the ceremony
postponed, the honeymoon annulled . . .” She shook her head so hard, she
felt the edge of the shelf beneath her hair.
“I like the wilting flowers,”
he said. “Nice touch.”
he said. “Nice touch.”
Beate Boeker is a traditionally published author since 2008 and now offers many full-length novels and short stories online. Several were shortlisted for the Golden Quill Contest, the National Readers’ Choice Award, and the ‘Best Indie Books of 2012’ contest.
She is a marketing manager by day with a degree in International Business Administration, and her daily experience in marketing continuously provides her with a wide range of fodder for her novels, be it hilarious or cynical.
While ‘Boeker’ means ‘books’ in a German dialect, her first name Beate can be translated as ‘Happy’ . . . and with a name that reads ‘Happy Books’, what else could she do but write novels with a happy end?
Find Beate on:
Facebook – Beate Boeker Author
https://www.facebook.com/
Facebook – Beate Boeker Author
https://www.facebook.com/
Twitter – @BeateBoeker
Homepage – www.happybooks.de
Branding is a concept I struggle with because I tend to write between-genres, and there’s often very little superficial similarity between the stories I want to tell.
But, certain elements are definitely in every story, and identifying and playing to those qualities is my best bet for branding.
Hi Elizabeth, hi Beate,
A most enjoyable and informative read. A friend of mine writes cosy, small town reads. The trouble is, her next work is a dark thriller. I think she should change her name for the thriller, now you’ve convinced me. You’ve convinced me.
Mx
Beate! Your books are great. I love everyone of them. Plus having you as a “sister” in our brainstorming sessions makes it all over the top wonderful. Great piece on branding. I read every word.
Beate–Thanks so much for posting today! You’re so right about the importance of branding. I’ve definitely got my brand in place too…so I’ll use a pen name if I go in a different direction (not required, but in my case, advisable.)
TL, I think that’s the right approach – find the elements that define you and build on that. In corporate lingo, that’s your “DNA” :-). Are you willing to share what yours are? Mine are humor and mischief, and I use those words continuously to describe my work.
Maria, yes, though it is a lot of work, I would definitely advise your friend to create another brand for her thriller, or all her cozy mystery friends will drop dead with fright. ;-) Companies sometimes bridge the gap by creating a sub brand, but it’s difficult if the gap is as wide as cozy and thriller!
Cassy! Good to hear from you, and I’m happy that you liked my little post!
Elizsabeth, thank you for hosting me. I do appreciate it, and I completely agree – your brand is firmly in place. One look at those gorgeous covers, and the reader knows he’s in cozy mystery heaven!
Great blog! Branding is something I struggle with as well. You can bet I’ll be turning my thoughts toward ways to better focus on a brand, (and stick to one genre.)
A wonderful and insightful post! Because I am just getting started and new to this world of writing, I try to always keep my brand in mind (murder, mayhem and mystery – murder follows me everywhere) since it is the promise I’m trying to always give my readers. So if I’m plotting something and it doesn’t fit those constraints then I know I need to put it on the back burner or at least a pseudonym. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you, Beate! You’ve expressed in clear, everyday language something that I’ve only vaguely understood before. Have to say, I’ve read several of your books and loved them. Using them as illustrations helped to make your point.
I just heard that branding is “whatever the customer thinks when they think of your product.” For example when I think of T-mobile, yeah, I might get an image of the girl in pink flying around in her pink helicopter, but my brain thinks: “Good customer service, high prices” so that’s their brand to me.
Interesting post! Thanks for inviting Beate over, Elizabeth! I will put my mind to branding – I’m afraid I am so varied in my writing that I need to think about this long and hard!
Jan Morrison
Sofie, you don’t have to stick to one genre. The point about branding is that you stick to what the reader expects from you. If you’ve written light and entertaining stuff (no matter if it’s YA or romance or mystery), you’re fine. It’s just if you alter the tone drastically that you’re in trouble.
Some authors draw the line early. For example, Elizabeth Peters writes as Barbara Michaels when she turns out mysteries that have a paranormal element.
Tina, with your log-line murder, mayhem and mystery, you’ve got a wide field – but of course you need a corpse somewhere. ;-)
Thank you, Sandy. I hate business people who make themselves more important than they are by putting things in a most complicated way, so I appreciate your compliment very much!
Clover, you mentioned another very important point of the brand without even noticing it – you said it’s all pink. That’s just it! T-mobile managed to claim that color as their brand property, something they did with immense funds and years of sticking to it. You see pink, you think of the brand. Did you know that there are ways to put a value onto that knowledge inside consumer’s heads? That’s why it’s so expensive to buy a company with a good brand.
Jan, if you’re willing to discuss your thoughts with us, we could try to help you on your way to defining your own brand. It’s not done in one day, but usually, you already know it in some fuzzy way deep down inside you – you’ve just not put it into words.
I love your comments! They are really making me think, and it’s fun to discuss this!
Enjoyed your post very much, Beate, and I got your book Delayed Death, and looking forward to my Beate B chuckles or should I say BB grins? LOL
I’m intrigued how all of a sudden all sorts of writers are talking about branding (I’ve got a whole group over there in Texas that talk about it non-stop, and refer to some big TED talk about branding). I realize a brand is important but I worry about any advice to change one’s pseudonym when one changes the type of writing. We all have friends who have done so: if they write romance and suddenly produce erotic stuff, hop, there goes the name!
Yes, it makes sense insofar as you don’t want to shock your habitual readers with pornographic stuff! But honestly, you’re indenting your brand! You could even damage it! Consider the efforts that go into writing. If you spend time writing a book that goes counter to your brand, in practice you’re spending a lot of time AWAY from your brand-building activities.
Wow, that’s a double life! And what pressure too! Is it really worth the trouble?? Quite frankly, I don’t think so. You just come out in the open about your book: on the cover you announce it’s erotic, the blurb says watch out, this stuff is hot, stay away if you don’t like sex, or whatever is suitable to advertise that this product, while still yours, is another genre…
Maybe I’m wrong, but it’s my humble opinion that if your spend 24 hours a day building your brand then produce something entirely different under another name, well, then you have to again spend 24 hours a day building your new brand. Now, 24 plus 24 is 48 so that won’t work!
Just saying…
You’re totally right that it’s an immense amount of work, Claude, but I still feel that you have to do it if you are producing wildly differing stuff like erotica and cozies. It’s not easy for you as the author, but it’s easier for the reader. And that’s what’s important. It’s like combining dog food and children’s games under one brand. If it makes people blink in confusion, you don’t want it, not even for a second. You want them to buy every single one of your books blindly because they know they’ll enjoy it.
So, if you’re not a full-time author, it certainly helps to stick to one name, one brand. Heck, even if you ARE a full-time author, it’s a hectic schedule, but ultimately, the consumer/reader is the one who has to be made happy.
This is a very interesting post, I enjoyed reading this very much!
http://www.modernworld4.blogspot.com
Thank you, Gina!
Thank you for sharing your advice its very useful, creating a brand seems to be a hot topic these days. I’m just a beginner but I plan on writing for the rest of my life and might not want to write the same genre. I think using a pen name is an ideal solution, otherwise your book might need a warning label. I will worry about these things when I have a fan base. ha.
Beate, these sound like my kind of books – the kind I enjoy reading, I mean!
Thanks for your informative post! Very helpful. I write natural remedies mysteries so I try to keep all my posts on Killer Hobbies, Facebook and Twitter in service to that theme. What you wrote just reinforced that action for me. Thanks! Chrystle
Consistency…great advice. Thanks!
Branding is when that idea or image is marketed so that it is recognizable by more and more people, and identified with a certain service or product when there are many other companies offering the same service or product. brand building agency is the one who understands your brand help to boost up !
Authorship is a pretty tricky thing, since it’s built around reception and reputation. We only have to look at the ‘author is dead’ thing to get an idea. People, meaning customers, tend to be flippant about their purchase and preference, and are always acting at the spur of the moment. But they also fall back into instincts, and thus signposts. Which is why we should always incessantly remind them of our ownership of the work, by reinforcing what it sounds like and reads like. The other is simply name recall, which we ascertain through constant advertisement and campaigning. Which entails professionals. Teams of them, in fact.
Layla @ Sacramento Marketing Labs