What’s My Brand?

By James M. Jackson

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I am interrupting this blog before it even starts. Today is election day in the U.S. The only polls that count are tabulated from ballots cast. If you are eligible to vote and have not yet, please do.

Back to our regularly scheduled program.

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I attended the Wisconsin Writers Association Fall Conference last month. One session I found particularly helpful was on branding. Alicia Boemi, who wears many hats, led the session. She’s an author, bookstore owner, and marketing consultant.

Everything you do creates your brand. Keeping that in mind, she suggested that we consider how each proposed communication relates to the three contact pillars (Educate, Entertain & Connect, or Promote (us or our books) with Purpose). For example, I am writing this blog to “educate” by providing what I hope is interesting information that can be helpful to other authors, and yet still interesting to readers.

It’s not an academic paper, so I’ll infuse it with a bit of self-deprecating humor and personal facts that I hope will entertain and build our connection.

And at the very end, I include contact links, a bit of promotion with the purpose of giving you a way to connect with me and my work.

Well, duh, Jim. That seems obvious. Where’s the beef?

My key takeaway was to decide on three characteristics that define the key strengths or interests I want to bring to the party. Not about my writing style or my books—about my areas of expertise and ways of dealing with the world. We had five minutes to cogitate and record our answers. Here’s what I decided:

• Nature observer and photographer, especially of birds.
• Facts matter to me.
• My superpower is describing complex topics in plain language, especially related to business and finance.

A problem with this exercise is that the author is only defining how they’d like people to see them. That’s great for someone just starting out, but anyone who has been around for a while has a current brand, which they may not recognize.

What I did in the workshop was like taking a Myers-Briggs personality test, in which I answered questions about what I prefer. (I’d rather stay home and read a book than attend a gala at the Met.) However, what counts with people you are marketing to is what they perceive as your behavior. If all I posted on social media were things I did at large public gatherings, you could reasonably conclude I build my life around a large dose of public events.

That difference is why one of my favorite ways to assess human behavior is the Social Styles Model with its four quadrants of Amiable, Analytic, Driver, and Expressive. The questionnaire goes to people who deal with us. They assess our behavior based on how they see us interact with them and with others. I thought I was equal Analytic and Driver. The feedback was clear. People see me as a Driver (with a strong analytical component).

Who knew? Well, everyone, really, except me.

So back to branding and the three key characteristics that support my brand. I frequently talk about and post pictures of nature. I point out inaccurate claims and add nuance to black and white thinking, regardless of the political view of the originator, because facts matter. And as with this blog, I think I do a good job summarizing complex topics.

But—and it’s the big one I’ve been leading toward—that’s my perception. I’ve been blogging and posting on social media, attending author events, and meeting readers for many years. In addition to my intentions, what I need to know is how others currently describe me.

If the responses are consistent with my vision, I can carry on. If not, I need to reflect on the differences and either reframe my perception to fit reality and carry on, or realize I have work ahead to change my brand to match my ideal. Or some combination of the two.

Just because we have a brand doesn’t mean we’re stuck with it forever. Apple was once a niche computer company, and it changed to become a major consumer brand. Old Spice used to be an old man’s aftershave and rebranded for a younger, modern market. However, we have to know where we are before we can start to change.

So where am I? Your perspective will help me out. Drop your thoughts in the comments or send me an email at jmj@jamesmjackson.com. Thanks.

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James M. Jackson writes justice-driven thrillers with brains and bite, including the Niki Undercover Thriller trilogy and the Seamus McCree series. To learn more information about Jim and his books, check out his website https://jamesmjackson.com. You can sign up for his newsletter (and get a novella and two free short stories featuring his protagonists).

AUTHOR BRANDING: WAS MINE A MISTAKE?

by Korina Moss 

Branding. It’s a word that I’m sure writers have heard after they’ve signed their first publishing contract or are writing their first novel. As an author, you want to stand out from the crowded field, which means you have to do more than market your book, you have to market yourself. This is where branding comes in. Branding helps readers identify you, helps them to feel a connection with you and your books, and lets them know what they might expect from your writing. 

Consistency is the key to branding. Ideally, you want to be easily identified. You should attempt to maintain a consistent look on all your social media, your website, and in your newsletter. You can do this by choosing a color palette (ideally similar to your books), color tone, fonts, and even creating your own logo. 

The background of my website has 
a huge cheeseboard

For instance, if you use bright jewel tones as your signature colors, readers will know to stop and look for you when those colors show up on their timeline. They’re more likely not to miss an event you’re attending or when you have a preorder sale. 

Is there’s something from your genre that readers can associate with you? If you write British cozy mysteries, perhaps you could make a quick “good morning” reel every Monday morning while drinking a cup of tea. If a dog or cat is featured in your mysteries, you’ll want to feature your own dog or cat on your platforms.

Is there something featured in your series that will make you stand out? Lucy Burdette (the pen name for Roberta Isleib) has a long-running Key West Food Critic Mystery series. She also happens to spend most of the year in Key West, so much of her social media features her life in Key West. We get to see the places she mentions in her books, and we get a little peek into her life too. It’s definitely a plus to set your series in the area where you live, even if it’s a fictional town. 

Lucy Burdette's IG post with a photo of the
Key West restaurant from a snippet from her book. 

When I was deciding how to brand myself before my Cheese Shop Mystery series came out, I had to consider what I wanted my identity to be. I’d hoped I would have a long and varied career, so although cheese was the obvious branding choice, going all in with it might not be a smart move in the long run. Ultimately, I decided to heed a variation of the advice editors give to new writers when starting a series: Don’t save anything for later. I was writing a Cheese Shop Mystery series, and I wanted to stand out and be noticed. I decided not to worry about later and go all in on cheese.

Wearing my cheese earrings
my publicist gave me

I named my newsletter subscribers Team Cheese and used the hashtag #teamcheese in most of my social media posts until eventually, most reviewers and bloggers who mentioned me on social media also used the hashtag. My first year at the Malice Domestic fan convention after my book had released the month before (and I’d already been branding myself for many months), I was regularly called “the cheese lady” by readers when they’d forgotten my name. It was ok—they knew my book! I've received wonderful cheese-related gifts from readers. I can’t tell you how many cheese memes, funny cheese reels, and cheese board posts I still get tagged in and messaged to me. And the message always says, “I saw this and thought of you.” It was exactly what I wanted—when cozy mystery readers see cheese, they think of me.

My St. Martin's editor and me in my cheese shirt
at Malice Domestic

I was shocked when my first book and I were well known enough in the mystery community to be nominated for an Agatha Award for Best First Novel, and two more books were nominated for Best Contemporary Novel the following two years. I’ve had a lot of great opportunities and decent sales. 

However, now that my Cheese Shop Mystery series has ended, do I still want to be known as the cheese lady? Probably not. Oops. I still go to events and sell my books, and I don’t have another series coming out imminently, so I’m backing away slowly from the cheese. I still post on National Cheese Day (and all the variations of it), but I’ve changed my newsletter sign-off from “Cheers to Cheese” to “Keep it Cozy.” I’ve left the Mystery Lovers’ Kitchen blogging group where recipes and cheese played a big role and focused on my author role in the Facebook group Cozy Mystery Crew. Every three weeks, I spend a day with our members, where we chat about what’s going on in my life and theirs. Cheese isn’t totally off the table (pun intended), but it takes a backseat now when I speak about my life and my books. 

In a way, I’m back to step one in deciding how to brand myself. It’s not exactly where I want to be, but on the other hand, I can’t deny that my strategy worked in the moment. 

You get to decide what’s right for you, but you can’t go wrong with these simple steps for starting your branding journey:

1. Take time to decide how you want to define yourself. Try to identify your point of difference, the thing that sets you apart from other authors in your genre. What kind of vibe do you want to give off?

2. Build your presence – Start with two platforms and decide how many you can handle. (They take more time than you think.) Create a website. Join online groups and organizations in your genre to interact with readers and writers in a personal way, not as a salesperson. Get to know your target audience, which will help you make decisions about your branding. 

3. Be consistent – Use the same profile photo across all author platforms. On social media, your website, and your newsletter, consider using the same color palette, fonts, type of music, illustration elements, and perhaps even a logo. Consistency will lead to recognition.

Readers: Think of your favorite author. What elements make up their brand? How does it match up with their book(s)?

KORINA MOSS is the author of the Cheese Shop Mystery series, which includes the winner of the Agatha Award for Best First Novel, as well as two novels short-listed for Best Contemporary Novel. Listed as one of USA Today’s “Best Cozy Mystery Series,” her books have also been featured in PARADE Magazine, Woman’s World, and Writer’s Digest. Korina is also a freelance developmental editor specializing in cozy mysteries. To learn more or subscribe to her free seasonal newsletter, visit her website korinamossauthor.com.

Keeping the Brand Alive by Debra H. Goldstein

Quiz:

1) What does an author do before any words are ever published? 

2) When a writer’s book debuts, what is one of the most important things to work at while the book is launching?

3) If an author is between works, what should the writer concentrate on (besides writing something new)?

Answers: 1), 2), and 3) = Branding

There are millions of books being published in all different types of genres, so a writer must distinguish his work or her name from all the others. At any stage of the author’s career, branding is crucial. By definition, branding fixates the type of book, the writer’s name, or the genre the author writes in the public/reader’s brain. 

Some say that people need to see or hear something at least seven times for a brand to resonate in one’s braincells. Does that mean to post or advertise everywhere with a picture of the current book? Most books fade into backlists after six months. So, what means can authors use to advertise themselves – to keep their name in someone’s mind?

At one point, blogs were hot. Giveaways helped. Cute pictures or posts of animals or flowers on Facebook or then, Twitter (X), always reach an audience, but do you remember the cat, dog, flower, or the name of the posting author? Reels, as part of one’s story on Instagram, Facebook, and Tik Tok, are hot now, but do they work better for certain genres? Newsletters are considered successful if 50% of readers open them, but what happens if it is constantly the same loyal readers? 

I blog here, at Writers Who Kill, as well as on The Stiletto Gang, Booklovers Bench (where readers are winners), and my own It’s Not Always a Mystery (which usually features well known or upcoming authors). Do you follow any of them besides this one? 

I also have a monthly newsletter that is easy to sign up for. Go to my website (another means of branding) https://www.debrahgoldstein.com and you’ll find a way to sign up for the newsletter and/or blog, as well as my BookBub site on every page. But, if you scroll down on the right of my website’s Homepage, there’s a bonus for signing up for the newsletter. You can download a free copy of Simple Recipes for the Sometimes Sleuth, a cookbook that Kensington put together of the recipes featured in the Sarah Blair mystery series. Who wouldn’t want a cookbook that includes Jell-O in a Can?

These are all ways that I try to keep my brand alive. Whether you are an author or a reader, what do you think works best?

Not Our Parents’ Oreo Cookies

 by Paula Gail Benson

When I was growing up, a great snack to have with milk was Oreos, the chocolate wafers with cream filling. Originally produced by Hydrox in 1902, the Nabisco Brand (from East Hanover, N.J.. a division of Kraft Foods) has been the number one cookie sold in America since being introduced in 1912. (See Wikipedia and FoodProcessing.com)

Now, in the grocery stores and online, you can not only get the original version, but also quite a few variations. The varieties have become so expansive that the list has its own Wikipedia entry. You can opt for mini, extra stuffing, thins, gluten free, 100 calorie packs, and a long list of flavors.

I first began my flavor exploration with mint (with the green filling—but I have since discovered that it’s available in peppermint, peppermint bark, mint chocolate chip, mint fudge, gluten free, and mint Oreo ice cream). I moved on to toffee and then found java chip, which lets the coffee drinker combine cookie and beverage in one bite. Other coffee inspired flavors include mocha caramel latte, thins latte, and tiramisu.

Chocolate confetti cake, issued in April of 2022, in honor of Oreo’s 110^th birthday, was a limited edition with rainbow sprinkles on the cookies and in the filling. Oreo Wafer Rolls feature a pirouette style cookie. Post has an Oreo O’s cereal. For Halloween, an orange cream edition is available. Variety packs include several flavors in lunch or travel size containers.

Some flavors are found only in specific locations, like Green Tea Oreos in China and Japan or Blueberry Ice Cream and Orange Ice Cream Oreo Cookies that are available in Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand. The Dollar General Stores carried Mississippi Mud Pie Oreos, and Target had Candy Corn, Caramel Apple, Cotton Candy, and Blueberry Pie Oreos.

Perhaps most intriguing are the customized Oreos being offered now through https://www.oreo.com/. You begin by selecting a cream (white, orange, or birthday cake), then white or chocolate fudge for the outer coat dip, up to four different colors of rainbow sprinkles, a design or photo, and finally the packaging. Adaptable for personal as well as business gifting.

Have you been exploring the wonderful new world of Oreos? If not, why?