There's
a great deal of talk in the book biz today about having a 'platform'
and, along with that, a recognizable 'brand.' Writers, who prefer to see
themselves as artists and not as commodities, may bristle at such
advertising jargon. But it's all about getting your art noticed and
read.
A 'platform' is pretty much what the word suggests, a kind of stage with
an audience already present. Celebrities, radio and TV talk show hosts,
athletes, politicians, some executives and a few prominent clergy 'got
platform,' having a pre-existing audience that will recognize the
person's name, attach credibility to it, and probably buy the person's
book.
"Branding" is related, in that the audience already knows what to expect
from a given person. The very name prompts a pleasurable expectation in
the consumer and a level of trust. Think of how products are branded.
When you go into a McDonald's restaurant or a Burger King or a Subway
sandwich shop, the very name is associated with a set of expectations.
You know exactly what you are going to get when you walk in and you look
forward to it.
It's the same with writers. When a buyer picks up a mystery by James
Patterson or Sue Grafton or Janet Evanovich, she knows what to expect
and anticipates a particular pleasure from the choice (media theorists
call this the Uses and Gratification Theory). Such a built-in
expectation is built over time and across a body of work. Writers can
diversify, of course, but some use a pen name if they cross into another
genre to avoid confusing their brand name. "Ed McBain" used this
pseudonym famously for his 87th Precinct police procedurals but used his
real name, Evan Hunter, for his plays and literary fiction.
Some writers trademark their name or a slogan that appears on their
books and promotional materials. Brandilyn Collins, for example, uses
the registered trademarks "seatbelt suspense" and "Don't hold your
breath." Wish I'd thought of those. But the real 'brand' is her name.
When a reader picks up a Collins novel, they anticipate certain rewards.
The idea behind branding, then, is to have your name clearly identified
with a literary expectation. When someone picks up a mystery by John
Desjarlais, I want the reader to expect a stylish page-turner that also
explores the 'higher mysteries' of the human condition with a spiritual
coloring that is never preachy .
I considered writing my mysteries using a pseudonym, since I'd already
published two historical novels and I wondered if my 'brand' - my name -
was synonymous with 'Christian historical novelist.' As (bad) luck would
have it, I had a publishing drought of nearly fifteen years between my
last historical novel and my first mystery, BLEEDER. That meant that my
name wasn't in the market anymore, and no one would 'recognize' me as an
historical novelist. I could re-position myself in the market as a
'mystery writer with a spiritual angle.' Then, when my last publisher
decided to re-issue my medieval novel "Relics," I promoted it as a
medieval crime thriller (which it is) in order to build my 'brand' - my
name - as a crime/mystery author.
The 'brand' shows up in the author's bio, that short blurb about
yourself that ends up on book jackets, web sites, and media releases.
When your bio lists your professional associations, such as Mystery
Writers of America or Sisters in Crime, it's part of your branding. You
may belong to other fine groups, like the National Council of Teachers
of English, but that doesn't highlight your brand.
In short, YOU are the brand. When you manage your public image as being
a pro, an expert in your field and a standout in your genre, you build
identity recognition, even notoriety. If you focus on who you are and
what you stand for across all your media outlets - web site, blog,
social spaces and so forth - and do so in a consistent manner, then you
are 'branding yourself.' Eventually, people will seek you out
intentionally because they will identify with the brand, which is YOU.
Who knows? Maybe someday your name will be as big (or bigger) than your
book's title on the cover. Then you'll be a 'brand name' for sure.
