Update

Hello everyone! 


Thanks for being patient while I work toward getting Flavor Brand Strategies off the ground.  Overall, my writing has slowed significantly.  


With the warmer weather on the weekends, I'm wanting to go outside and DO things rather than write.  I'm sure I'm not the first to struggle with time management of my writing, but I'm finding it increasingly difficult.


I know I need to just choose a time that works and write every day.  Is there anything that seems to work really well for you?  


  

An Author IS a Brand

Okay, so for those of you who have been following the blog, you know that my day job is as a Brand Wrangler (Account Manager) for a company called Brand Iron.  This means the strategy behind branding is a huge part of my life and I find that it's applicable in many ways. 

One thing that I think will be to my advantage as I finish my book and begin to peddle it around to agents and publishers is that I understand that my book is a product.  

Now, I know.  Authors are artists and they want their book appreciated for the masterpiece it is.  But let's face it, the publisher wants to make money - and they want to continue to make money in the future with the new author they pick up.  This means when they sign a new author, the publisher is making an investment.  When this happens, the author themselves becomes a brand.  That is to say, they should become a brand.   

How can a person be a brand?

 

Well, I'll tell you.  It's the same as any business. 

It takes research and attractively packaging products and services, or in this case, your abilities and assets in such a way that differentiates you from the competition, other authors.  

Once you have a niche or have found that sweet spot of "white space" for yourself (and this could include a unique writing style, a specific topic or audience you focus on, etc.), you position yourself as an expert to your target audience.  

If you write about teenage werewolves, or historical fiction or you really understand the dynamics of generation Y, you probably have a specific group of people who love to read what you are an expert on.  Some groups are larger than others, but if the group exists, they will read what you have to say.  And once you have a captive audience, keep writing to them.  

Now does this mean that you're stuck writing the same thing forever?  No.  That could get old really fast.  But if the "you" brand is to be a strong one, stick with it for a while.  Be consistent.  Give the readers what they want.    

As an unpublished hopeful, be the most appealing asset to publishers as you can possibly be.    

1.  Be an expert.  

2.  Be consistent.

3.  Know how to promote yourself.  Whether in person, through a query letter or through social media, you should know what makes you and your story special and how to communicate that.  

4.  Educate yourself on publishing so that you come across as a confident, educated author that can just dive right in. 

5.  Be ready to pitch at all times.  You never know who you'll meet or when.  Preparation is what most people mistake as "luck."

6.  Consider taking some public speaking classes and get good at being off the cuff in front of a lot of people or cameras.  With some practice, this shouldn't be too difficult- and this also helps further differentiate yourself from the competition because many people have a debilitating fear of speaking in public. 

"So mister publisher, you could actually put me on a book tour or a talk 

show and I won't freeze.  I can personally promote my book."  

Extra brownie points.       

7.  This is all on top of having a great story to tell that is well-written.  Because we all know that a brand is nothing if the product isn't good.  

A callous way of looking at it?  Or realistic?  Let me know what you think.  

Please vote on my book poll if you get a chance. 

Thanks for reading, 

L

  

 

Social Networking Tools

Things are changing so quickly with technology and communication, it's difficult to keep up; but I fear that if we do not make an effort to adapt, we'll all be left in the dust.  

I've been trying to encourage fellow authors who want to promote their books to get a handle on social networking tools like blogging, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.  There are many other sources out there, of course, but these are the ones that I seem to be able to manage at the moment with everything else going on.  

I am still learning about all of the features and possibilities these things have to offer, but what I do know is that these tools give us the ability to communicate quickly and effectively to those we're connected to.  

I'm sure you've noticed that I have Twitter updates on my blog and that I always tweet that I have a new blog post.  This is a way for me to let people I know on Facebook and Twitter that I've written something I'd like them to read.  It's a way to drive traffic to the blog.  (Yes, you can link your Twitter to your blog and to your Facebook profile status.)   

I think the biggest thing that holds people back from using these tools is that they don't understand what they're for or how to use them.  What I'm discovering in adults around their 40s and above, is that there is a huge apprehension to these changes and advances in technology.  And, as I said before, if you don't jump on it now, it's only going to get more confusing because people take the technology that's out there currently and build on it for future advancements.

This is a huge portion of what Internet Marketing is becoming today.  So those of you with businesses need to know how to apply social networking to building your business and communicating with your consumers.  I know for many, it seems complicated and intimidating, but once you play around with it a bit, it's really useful and yes, can even be fun. 

I'm sure that most of the people who read blogs already know all about this stuff, but there are some regular readers of mine who really are hyperventilating right now.  (You know who you are.)  And that's okay.  Take a deep breath.  Just know that you're not going to push the wrong button on your computer and set off a bomb.  It's okay to try things and play with these applications until you really understand how to use them.  And no one thinks you're stupid for no knowing how to use this stuff or what it's for - just ask someone (like me!).  

I had to ask questions at first too.  We all did.  

Some of you may not even be interested in social networking.  I remember when I was in college, I heard about Facebook and I wondered "what do I need that for?  My friends already know what I'm up to."  But it's fore more than just the small circle you talk to on a regular basis.  It's a way to stay in touch with your family and friends who you may not see or speak to much at all - and in that way, it increases the flow of communication exponentially.

My Grandmother is on Facebook.  She doesn't go on there very often, but it's a way to communicate with her nine grandchildren and find out what we're up to.  Even though users may not share everything with the Facebook community, we give enough to where there's a pretty accurate picture of who we are and what we're up to.  

Now I can know moment to moment what's happening across the country with my cousins or on different continents with other family members and friends; and that's pretty awesome.

So - anyone with questions?  I'm happy to help.  

I can think of several of you who may not even know what questions to ask.  And at that point, just say, "where do I start?"