Author Branding: Developing a Logo for a Book Series…

As many of you know, I recently signed a contract with Mirror World Publishing to do another book series called Mysterious Tales from Fairy Falls. The first book in this teen psychic mystery series, Lost and Found, is slated for release July 17^th, 2017, and I’m so excited! But…there was a lot of work and preparation ahead of me to get this new series off the ground, including wanting to create a new logo for branding purposes. Enter Mikey Brooks—illustrator extraordinaire!

I knew exactly (in my mind) what I wanted for a logo for this new series, so when I emailed Mikey, I told him to visualize those colorful signs you’d see driving northward for a visit to ‘cottage country’ while on vacation. I wanted a nostalgic, good old days, happy memories sort of feeling. Then, hanging underneath this welcoming sign, have a small sinister-type sign to give a foreboding, eerie presence. Cue the scary music…

So, here’s the first concept:

Not bad. My illustrator was on the right track. Next, I told Mikey to add bright, primary colors. Here’s the second concept:

I pursed my lips and shook my head. Not exactly what I was looking for. I wanted the sign to have a brown background, not gray, with a welcoming feel. I needed this logo to literally POP! Here’s the third concept:

Getting so close I could feel my feet wading in a cool, spring-fed lake, smell the fresh country air, and taste those gooey campfire marshmallows. Next, I wanted the hanging sign to have a burnt wood look to it, to give it more of an ominous tone. This is the fourth, and final concept:

I did the happy dance. Mikey knocked it out of the park. When creating a logo to pull a book series together and make it part of your author brand, you need to have a set idea in your mind—a premise of the series so you, as the author can make your audience (readers) feel how you want them to feel. In my case, Fairy Falls is an inviting small, nostalgic northern tourist town, but there’s something about this place that has an air of mystery, of something secretive and uncanny. A place, I hope, that will have readers wanting to visit again and again.

Have you ever designed or hired an illustrator to create a logo for your book series or author brand? If so, what was your experience? What do you think of my new logo? Would love to read your comments. Cheers and thank you for reading this post!