Writer or marketer? The importance of an author brand and online presence

Someone once told me that writers no longer get to just write. Today they have to be writer, editor, programmer, and marketer to bring their brainchild into the world. It's daunting, and it's understandable that creative minds want to focus on the craft. But publishers are in the business of making money, and authors who show up with a brand and a promotional plan are more likely to get picked up than those who don't. The quality of your writing still matters enormously — but an effective author brand gives you a head start.

So what is branding, anyway?

The textbook definition is "a marketing practice in which a company creates a name, symbol, or design that's easily identifiable as belonging to it." My definition is simpler: an author brand is how you make someone feel about you and your message. Here are three keys to building one and carrying it across social media.

1. Find your feeling

You already know to write with an audience in mind — the same goes for your brand. Three questions to work through:

What feeling do you want to convey? Try describing yourself in a few short phrases, then build a shortlist of "buzzwords" that evoke the perception you want. Consider a color palette, font, tone, and imagery that carry that same feeling — it all shapes your online presence.

What is your message? What should readers take away? Every blog, novel, or article needs a through-line, and it should show up in your public persona. If your message is empowering young women through body positivity, promoting weight-loss supplements would cheapen both the message and the brand.

Who is your audience? Think past your readership. What other authors or businesses are drawn to your message? Building an author brand isn't just growing a reader base — you're also introducing yourself to editors, businesses, and potential clients.

2. Deliver on promises

Consistency is everything. Apple became the first company in history worth more than a trillion dollars largely on the back of worldwide recognition — a standardized interface and a distinct, consistent style across products and stores. To build that kind of trust, you need a consistent message, tone, and voice; a consistent color palette, font, and imagery; and consistent posting of fresh content.

Consistent posting is the hard part for most authors. Daily social posting is ideal, which takes a lot of content — so start banking ideas now: images you can use, links related to your message, and thoughts worth sharing. If you're not glued to your phone, a scheduling tool like Loomly or Hootsuite lets you plan and queue posts in advance.

If you run a blog, you're building trust with readers and with Google. Search engines factor in whether a site is active, so post at least twice a month to register as such — though a newer blog may take a while to earn traffic. Cap it around three or four times a week; chasing quantity over quality erodes trust and hurts your brand.

3. Live and breathe your brand across platforms

Keep the same message everywhere. Your website, author bio, Facebook, Instagram, X, and LinkedIn should share one message, color scheme, tone, and imagery. Nothing loses trust faster than a website that doesn't match your social branding — you don't want people wondering whether they clicked the right link. It sounds trivial; it makes a real difference to your credibility.