How Does Branding Help Authors Make More Money?
by Kae Wagner
In Part I, I examined what is branding. Now we get to the meat of the matter – how branding can help you make more money.
Four Key Outcomes of Author Branding
Building Trust – the Foundation of Author Branding: Imagine your readers feeling like they're chatting with an old friend every time they pick up one of your books. They trust you’re going to write another terrific book. Trust is built by creating an excellent product (your book) and by showing up for your readers with a consistent newsletter, frequent blog posts and social media engagement.
Build Community – Author Branding on Steroids: Who doesn't love having a squad of loyal fans cheering them on? Author branding helps you create a tight-knit community of readers who can't get enough of your stories or enough of what surrounds your stories. For example, did you do world building in your novel? Then create visuals or your world, maps, apps, and other interactive tools that expand your readers experience with you, the Author Brand, and your world.
A big, missed opportunity for many Author Brands is to be accessible in live Zoom Calls or FB or YT lives. Live interaction ranks the highest in building trust and satisfying a reader’s need to “know” you or “meet” you. Readers love knowing the authors of the books they love.
Build Sales – Author Branding Attracts Money: Let's be honest—we all want our books flying off the shelves. Author branding makes that happen by creating experiences, interactions, and connections that are far more magnetic and inclusive than your book can be. Smart Author Brands draw readers in, in multi-faceted ways, and keep them coming back for more.
Reach Your Author Business Goals – Are you an Authorpreneur?: Whether it's hitting the bestseller list or snagging that dream publishing deal, Author Branding is your roadmap to success. Traditional publishers are more likely to take you on if you already have an Author Brand with a list of loyal followers. (But, if that’s the case for you, then why do you need them?)
The big money, though, for many authors goes beyond book sales. The book is the ticket to consulting, coaching, speaking, providing professional services, and other opportunities that arise when you are the expert who’s written a book.
Business book authors find that previously closed doors open to them when they have a brand. Opportunities and collaborations present themselves in ways that were unimaginable before.
Business Author Brands find themselves positioned as thought leaders and authorities in their respective fields, attracting lucrative speaking engagements, consulting contracts, and media appearances.
Non-fiction authors who establish strong brands find themselves invited to speaking engagements at literary events, book clubs, conferences, and workshops. They may offer masterclasses or workshops on specific genres, writing techniques, or other aspects of the writing, publishing, and marketing cycle of book production.
Whether you are a non-fiction or fiction writer, developing a world-class Author Brand will open doors to opportunities you may have never imagined before.
Writing isn’t just about selling books—it's about establishing yourself as an authority, building a loyal community of readers, and creating a legacy that extends far beyond the written page.
By investing in your brand and embracing the power of storytelling, you can unlock the full potential of your writing career and make a lasting impact in the literary world.
For more information on Author Brand Building, register here for our five-part educational email course and learn the five mistakes authors make when trying to develop their brand. (and how to fix those mistakes…)
Click the link below:
or sign-up for an Author Branding Audit session here: