What does author branding actually mean when you’re an indie author who writes under multiple pen names, juggles a dozen projects, and has never been particularly good at fitting neatly into one box?
In this episode of The Raccoon Author’s Self-Publishing Diary, I’m talking about author branding, creative identity, my organized raccoon chaos, and why I’m finally embracing the Raccoon Author brand.
This is an article based on my latest podcast episode, which you can listen to on your favorite podcast player or watch via the video below.
Weekly Hopefully Helpful Tidbits
- Over on the newsletter, I shared some “bloopers” from my draft. Typos that could have made the story very different. I typed shit instead of shift, for example. And Priest instead of Pastry. So…
- Over on my Patreon, I shared an excerpt of my dictation for my Sweet and Sometimes Scary Pickles, and I’ll do the same for my Spicy Pickles soon. (I get into character. It’s fun.)
- I shared my first Instagram Trial Reel. It got 145 views. No likes. No comments. I’ll be back.
- I’m bringing a little more movement back into my day — back to jogging and working out.
- I dictated 10 chapters in one weekend. I’ll talk about that more in another post/episode.
- I backed Claire Taylor’s Writing Iconic Relationships Kickstarter. I love using her books to deepen my characters and their conflicts…
Embracing the Raccoon Author Brand
Yes, I’m embracing being a raccoon.
Which, if you know me, isn’t entirely brand-new information.
Ha.
See what I did there?
This rather charming nickname came from my husband, combined with me thinking raccoons are cute.
Also, I do leave a little bit of cute chaos behind me.
I do twelve things at the same time.
Or I have ten projects going on.
And also, I get hangry.
My thoughts (and feelings) on Author Brand…
For the past couple of months, I’ve been introducing the raccoon to more and more places — including the cover of Cancer Is Not My Brand (and yet). Cover design by Qamber Designs.
It’s also on my logo for both of my main pen names.
Pre-order Cancer Is Not My Brand
And as I was revising Cancer Is Not My Brand (and yet), I started thinking more and more about branding and why I’m choosing the raccoon.
To give you a little bit of a feeling for how I sometimes react to branding, let me introduce you to a few excerpts from Chapter One.
As authors, we’re often told that we are the brand.
The brand.
Whenever I hear that word, my brain goes all, “This is marketing. I’m not a brand. You’re a brand.” Or, more rationally, I seem to rebel against the idea of me — the person — being a brand.
Of reaching out to others as a “brand.”
The American Marketing Association defines “brand” as any distinctive feature like a name, term, design, or symbol that identifies goods or services.
And brand marketing is about promoting and establishing a brand by creating “a unique identity, values and perceptions that differentiate it from competitors.”
And maybe when I hear that I, as the author, am the brand, I think: “I’m not a Snickers.”
Now, when I Google branding for authors, I read about “identity,” about how we are what the world sees as the brand. Not only our books or our words. But our stories.
How we present ourselves.
Many authors I know and love are great at branding, at showing themselves — or part of themselves — to the world. Some days, maybe I am too. Others, I dread it.
Being a brand isn’t a bad thing. But my brain has hiccups about it.
When I was browsing the internets, as one does when needing to draft or revise, I came across an article on Jane Friedman’s website written by Karen A. Chase: “How Author Platform Connects to Author Brand.”
She defines an author brand this way:
“An author brand is the experience readers have when they hear your message and interact with your particular platform tools.”
She then adds that every effective brand has three characteristics:
“Unique. Consistent. Authentic.”
And when I look at branding that way? It makes sense to me.
I want my books and my interactions with readers to feel like me. Authentic.
Funny or meaningful enough to be unique to them.
And consistent in a way that readers understand what kind of experience they’re stepping into, while still leaving me room to change and grow.
Yet many times my brain still gets stuck on: yes to all of this, but I want to be more than a brand.
Especially when it comes to cancer.
I didn’t want cancer to be my brand.
Yes, hi again. Welcome to the inside of my brain.
What is a Raccoon Author?
So, what is a Raccoon Author?
In addition to being very cute, with sometimes very chaotic energy?
Well, my top Gallup Strengths are Achiever, Intellection, Empathy, Input, and Learner, and I have Arranger at #9.
If you know your top Gallup Strengths, I WOULD LOVE TO KNOW.
Which means I like doing things.
Lots of things.
Thinking about things. Learning things. Gathering things. Turning those things into, well… more things.
And I enjoy juggling all of them, seeing how they fit, and figuring out how I can rearrange them to be even more efficient and, apparently, do even more things.
I call that my organized raccoon chaos.
At the moment, I’m revising two books while plotting two others in my head.
I write under four pen names — two active, two not-so-active.
I have romance, nonfiction, backlist projects, translations, audiobooks, podcast episodes, marketing ideas, and so much more.
I am not consistent about all the things.
But I am consistent about some.
I reorganize depending on the day.
And yes, sometimes it looks like I’ve put my paws into a project and rummaged around in it.
Metaphorically.
Usually.
That’s the raccoon.
I’m not sure if you feel seen or if you feel like you should give me a snack 🙂
But if you’d like to know more about the chaos, make sure you subscribe.
And if you want the extra-behind-the-scenes version of all the author things, I have a Raccoon Author tier over on Patreon too.
🦝
Elodie
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- Numbers Episode – 87 Books Sold, Less Than $100 in Royalties (and I'm Not Panicking)
- Dear Raccoon Author Diary: Some Publishing Days Are Harder Than Others
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