• Author brand.

The romantic in you might object to this very earthly term. However, unless you don’t care about establishing a connection with readers, or becoming a writer that writes for a living — you should understand what an author brand means.

Think about two-three well known writers. Choose your favorite ones. What is the first thing that comes to your mind? What do you feel when you think about these writers and their books?

“The sum total of these impressions can be thought of as the author brand each writer has cultivated.”

• How do you build yours?

Author branding expert Dave Chesson advocates for “sharing your authentic personality and motivation with your readers.” Sure, your readers’ knowledge of you as a living breathing person may help establish trust.

Beware of revealing too much, though, especially when it comes to social media. Author  Jeff Somers warns,

“Do not, under any circumstances, believe for a moment that your social media should actually represent you as a person. You should have a persona and a brand that you control and can shape it at will.”

What would you rather share: your personality, or your persona? Are you tired of all this “author-brand-and-social-media-domination” stuff? Would you prefer to just write?

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Image: Ernest Lawson. Swimming Hole, c. 1910. Oil on canvas, Overall: 39 7/8 x 50 in. (101.3 x 127 cm). BF496. Public Domain.