Branding Yourself

Ouch!

I watch The Cooking Channel from time to time when I get hoarse from screaming at the TV when One Life To Live is on.  (Go more wrong, folks, see how that works for ya.)  There's a show on I keep missing called Bitchin' Kitchen.  At first I thought she was using Rachel Ray's orange stove and maybe she is.  She's dressed like a crazy biker chick from the 50s.  I didn't get it.  So I googled her.  From Montreal, apparently she references pin-up girl Betty Page

and rockabilly.  Now the rockabilly I get 100 % because that's an integral part of Bad Apple 3.  And actually the character of Babes is quite a bit like Nadia.

I went a little farther and this was a web based show that got picked up by mainstream television.  In the article I read, Nadia Giosia talks about branding yourself.  She comes from a design mindset and how you present yourself on the web/to the world is crucial.

Nadia created a strong character or persona that's instantly identifiable.  We may not like her but she flies out at you and you recognize what it is.   Bold colors, bold attitude.

I realized as I was reading, there was much to be learned from this.  When presenting your blog or your book to the world, simpler is better visually.  Bold colors and bold attitude garner attention.

What if you don't have a bold attitude?  Be bold in your reticence.  

The point is to have a point.  Let people know what they will be getting from you.  We all know what we're going to get from John Locke (who came from a marketing background and sells 1 digital book every 10 seconds so he claims and I don't doubt him), Joe Konrath, Amanda Hocking or someone who writes erotica.  Be the go-to guy or girl (I want to say gal but even girl isn't PC, can I say doll?)  Be the go to guy or doll (yea!) for what you do.

I'd be the last one to tell you you should only write one thing although I'm sure it helps.  The agent Michael Larson said I was a victim of my own talent because I did too many things well.  Concentrate on one thing, brand yourself.  It could be genre, or your target audience like the Christian readers or middle readers or Baby Boomers. 

Well how about you brand yourself as offering a really good story, really good writing, and a sensibility the audience identifies with.  Let that be your brand.

Find something for yourself and after you identify it, do it.  Readers will find you.