Creating an Author Brand without the Hustle…

I recently embarked on an identity quest for my author brand for the purpose of purging what wasn’t working, and amplifying what was working for me in my author life. The ‘Hustle Culture’ eventually wore me down, and the Covid-19 pandemic gave me a new perspective on what was important and what wasn’t in my personal life. Though globally devastating, the pandemic forced us to look in the mirror and ask those hard questions. Am I happy doing what I’m doing? What’s my purpose? How did I get here? And many other self-reflecting questions. Yes, masks took away our ‘physical’ identity, made us all the same. However, masks did serve to keep us safe enough to allow the possibility of self-transformation during the pandemic if we chose to do so. Slowing down and reevaluating our lives was probably the best thing to come out of this global crisis. 

An article about author branding and marketing made me stop and reassess how I approached my branding. I took a few notes that would help me and other authors out there who are ready to make some changes in the way we do business. The article’s author suggests that we identify five-six interests or topics we’re passionate or excited about, and make them our keywords or phrases. You know what I mean—your go-to subjects. What lights you up. So I went back to my social media bios and began tweaking them based on what floats my boat. The following are the words/phrases I came up with: writing, reading, recipes, anything arcane, ancient mysteries, and guilty pleasures (a.k.a. single malt scotch). That’s the kind of posts I share, like or comment on in my social media feed now. If you think like the reader you are, you’ll easily figure out your branding keywords. What do you search for when you’re looking for a book? Fantasy books? Time travel? Recipes? Spirituality? Supernatural? You do you. Everyone else is taken. By hitting on common bonds of interest you create bonds with others. This is how you build relationships and your authentic brand.

Other small actions I took to buff up my brand was to purge my Facebook friends and groups. I decided
to let go of people who haven’t posted in over a year, passed on, or have nothing in common with me. So I deleted away the dead wood, and opened up space for new growth. I also chose to take a break from posting my weekly #authorlife images on my social media accounts. I started doing those posts in September 2019 and continued on until June 1^st, 2022. The reason for letting this way of connection go? I was beginning to find this task had run its course, and frankly was a time-suck. So now, I’ll only share book events and the odd personal post using the #authorlife identity.

To help Authors identify and create their brand, here are 3 questions they should ask themselves, and my personal response to each question:

What am I good at? 

Me? Uplifting and helping others. Being generous with my tweets and shares. I give back more than I take. 

What do I love doing? 

I love writing for the young adult genre—especially anything arcane like psychic teens who use their powers to help save their small tourist town. Or ancient mysteries where my time-traveling teens are sent on their incredible missions to save earth’s past. Plus, I love researching all these subjects. Wink.

What solution can I bring to the world?

I want to reach readers (a.k.a. target audience) who will benefit and be inspired by my books in such a way as to find their own voice, not be afraid to use it, and shine their light in the best way they can. In essence, I’m passing on the baton to the next generations.

Now that we’re in a post-pandemic world, there really is no reason to hustle anymore. It’s a virtual world, and technology is changing by the day to make our lives easier. Many people have chosen to work from home and avoid the commute. Spending time with families has moved to the top of the list for many of us. New skills were developed, while old ones fell away. It’s good to do a reassessment and reevaluation of your author brand from time to time. After all, nothing is fixed, and change is a constant. Just remember to be consistent and be authentic.

Did you get tired of the Hustle Culture? Are you in the midst of branding or rebranding yourself? What are your keywords or phrases? I’d love for you to share your comments. Cheers, and thanks so much for taking the time to read my blog. I appreciate you!

My Meandering #Authorlife…

Bet y’all are glad to put 2020 to bed, and start 2021 with clean sheets. Actually, we were lucky and blessed in a way as our lives weren’t so disrupted. True, we had to hunker down when everything (except certain stores) closed for a few months due to Covid-19, but our health, safety, and much of our sanity remained intact. Thank God the liquor stores were deemed essential! LOL! Of course plans, celebrations, and milestones went out the window, and my mother had to adjust with no visitors in her nursing home until I was made her essential caregiver in September. Masks became in fashion, and social distancing a requirement. I’ve had so many Covid-19 tests now, I swear my nose wants a divorce!

A shining light in 2020 is that it gave us time to reflect and review our lives and lifestyles. What we liked, what we didn’t, what we needed to get rid of, and what was important to us. Board games became popular again amongst families, as did learning to cook from scratch. We really got back to basics, and slowed down from the hustle, hustle, hustle of the ‘real’ world. I for one was happy for the break. I believe, at least in my author life, I was trying too hard to be like other authors, and not being my authentic author self. Trust me, that’s so exhausting.

So, I continued to post my weekly #authorlife images on my social media platforms to show people how ‘mundane’ an author’s life can really be. It’s not all about meeting readers at book signings, having extravagant book launches, receiving eye-popping advances from publishers, and making movie deals with our books (though that would be nice). The idea is to be present, connect, and engage. That’s all. Writers know there’s a lot of sweat equity behind showing up to write, whether blog posts, articles, or full blown novels. Not to mention (but I will) the hours spent creating marketing plans, posting ads on all your social media accounts, and constantly promoting your back list of books. An author’s life is also a fine balance between being there for your family, friends, or pets, as well as doing important tasks like housework, cooking, laundry, and grocery shopping. Add dealing with an unexpected pandemic, and you’ve got to juggle a whole lot more! Or…you can choose to drop those balls and focus on what you really want.

I was blessed to be quoted on author Colleen Story’s Writing and Wellness annual quote round-up post, which I’ll share with you here:

“Trust that inner voice of yours….Write what’s important to you, what you want to say, in whatever genre you’re compelled to write in….Know that you’ll be in it for the long haul if you want to make it as a career writer, so don’t give up on your dreams.”
~Sharon Ledwith

I never did give up. Recently I submitted the third installment of The Last Timekeepers young adult time travel adventure series, The Last Timekeepers and the Noble Slave to my publisher, Mirror World Publishing. I got the nod that this book will be published in the late summer or early fall of 2021. This will be my sixth published book to date, and I truly know that I’m in for the long haul. Or as I’ve dubbed it, ‘my meandering #authorlife’.

As I wait to begin edits on the next Last Timekeepers saga, I’ll be working on a side project to help and inspire writers with tips and tricks from my past blog posts. Plus, I’ll be getting back to writing the third installment of Mysterious Tales from Fairy Falls entitled Sticks and Stones. So, bring on 2021! I’ll be ready. I’m betting you are too.

If you’re an author, what does your #authorlife look like? Did 2020 give you a chance to reflect on what kind of writer you want to be? Or were you a writing machine, churning out your best work? Would love to read your comments! Wishing all my followers a very Happy New Year in 2021! Cheers, be well, and thank you for reading my blog.

My #authorlife Experiment: Making the Unfamiliar, Familiar…

Last Photo of my Buddy and Me

I’m sure you’ve heard that getting out of your comfort zone can be a painful, often scary experience, but the end results usually end in transformation and growth. Right? Well, I recently watched a YouTube video done by Canadian entrepreneur Evan Carmichael about trying to share an image of yourself on your social media accounts for 30 days straight, and then seeing what happens after the month has ended. The thought of doing that made me squirm inside. You see, I’m an introvert at heart, and like to keep my personal life…well, personal. Sharing an image of myself—with all my winkles and flaws—a day for an entire month seemed downright weird and just a little egostical. Besides, what kind of image would I post, and what would I talk about? Then, I approached my publisher, Justine with this idea, and she suggested that I share an image of a day in the life of an author, and call it #authorlife. My eyes widened, and I resonated with her suggestion immediately.

So, choosing the month of September 2019 for my #authorlife experiment, I decided to take a shot and put myself out there for 30 days sharing what it’s like to live in my ‘author’ shoes. And yes, it was scary, and yes it was painful, but I managed to complete this task, not missing a day, but one—September 10^th, the day after we put our 12-year-old Labrador down. I dedicated that #authorlife spot to my yellow fellow, who went peacefully in my arms the day before. I was a mess and grieving for weeks after that, but plodded on, taking selfies and sharing what I was up to each day. It was awkward and hard, but I managed to make the unfamiliar, familiar, and I found it got easier to find things to share and talk about.

I'll miss you, Lorri Carpenter

Using my Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram accounts, I shared book marketing ideas, books I’m reading, a dedication to my dear author friend, Lorri Carpenter who passed away the same week as my dog, my morning exercise regime, took you grocery shopping, for a walk, paying bills, researching for my work-in-progress, flashed shameless plugs, and the list went on. After all, life if full of mundane routines too. And a writer’s life is no exception. I’m sure Stephen King still takes out the trash or puts away the dishes. Makes us human, and more relatable.

One of the most cherished #authorlife images was taken on Labor Day with my dog just before I took him for his walk. It was the last photo I have of him before he passed on a week later. You can’t get moments like that back. Ever. So I would like to think that this little experiment was a success. Personally and professionally. I managed to get way out of my comfort zone, build up my social media platforms, engaged with people who seemed quite interested in my journey, had fun, got creative, and shared a piece of myself that I would have never shared before. Did this result in more book sales? Not sure, but I really don’t care. This was about growing as a person, getting more self-confident, and seeing how much I changed throughout the month. Especially when I wasn’t wearing any makeup! LOL! How brave was that? Wink.

One of the most commented-on posts!

Would I do it again? Not for 30 days straight, but I’ve decided to keep posting my #authorlife images at least once or twice a week. It’s an investment in my self-worth, and hopefully will help other writers by giving them ideas or letting them know that they’re not alone in this crazy publishing business. Plus, you put yourself out there, and connect with people on a different level where you’re not pandering to them, but giving them a smile or helping hand instead. And that’s what I call success in any vocation. I want to thank all those who traveled this #authorlife journey with me, and commented on, liked, or shared what I’d been doing that day. Your kindness and support are so appreciated.

Is this month-long social media experiment something that you would tackle? Please let me know in the comments, I’d love to read your thoughts. Cheers, and thank you for spending time with me by reading my blog!