Okay, so, I have to admit: one of my problems as an indie author is that words phrases like “personal branding” sound smarmy and insincere to me. But I suppose “how you present yourself in the world and how you make people feel” is too long, so you have to call it something, right? 😉

The thing is, this is one of those situations where you can’t opt out. Even if you have never thought of your personal brand or hate the idea of it, you still have one. Because you are in the world, and when people notice you, you do communicate some kind of feeling–even by the words you choose not to use. As far as I can tell, “personal brand” is just the modern marketing term for “theme” or “purpose” or “what makes you ‘you’.” For authors, figuring this out is just as important as finding the niche your books fit into (some even say more important, because it’s the foundation of the relationship you’ll have with readers).

And since it’s a personal thing that comes from how you act in the world, you can change it. So why not make it something you like?

A recent podcast from NPR’s Life Kit is what reminded me to take another look at my own personal brand. You can listen to it here–or, for those less podcast-addicted than me, here are the main points I took away from it:

  1. Come up with three qualities to describe yourself. This is a two-part exercise: first, figure out what qualities already describe you, either by soul-searching or asking friends (they might say things like “you’re always honest” or “you’re the most caring person I know,” etc). Second, think about whether these are the main qualities you want to portray to the world. If they aren’t, adjust them! Maybe people say you’re “fun” but you’d rather be known as “creative:” that’s a small shift in priorities. You can make your qualities aspirational, but keep in mind that you are working with yourself: it’s not like you’re going to become a completely new person overnight. 😉 Altogether, these qualities are the goal of how you want others to see you.
  2. Own those qualities. Incorporate them into your tag lines, your bios, even the knickknacks and slogans around your office, if you like. Write blogs based on them, even. 😉 For example, one of my qualities is “curious,” and that fits well with my Friday “Fun Fact” blogs where I share interesting tidbits from my story research.
  3. Think of the opportunities that you want. Do you wish you were asked to give more book talks? Do you dream of traveling for conferences? Would you like to be a respected reviewer, or a collaborator on cool new projects, or nominated for awards? Don’t be afraid to be specific.
  4. Position yourself to actually carry out said opportunities. Share pictures of yourself at one book talk, and that can inspire others to think of you when they’re looking for a speaker in the future. This is putting your “brand” into action–allowing yourself to act out those qualities, and making sure that you share your actions so that you’re visible to the rest of the world. I sometimes have trouble with this one, and have to remind myself that life is not a game of hide-and-seek!
  5. Make sure you have support. 🙂 Even though the qualities you chose are probably very important to you, it can still feel intimidating to actually be that person in the world. Having friends to talk you up or role models to look up to is always a good thing!

Naturally, it’s all said more eloquently in the podcast, so definitely check that out if you want more. 😉 I had done something like this a year or two ago when I was first starting out with my public “writer image,” but I had a lot of fun revising my original thoughts to match where I am now. I tend to be very purposeful about my blogs, graphics, social media, and, yes, my books–because there isn’t time to not be purposeful, right?–and so those three guiding qualities give me a good focus for my work (and inspiration also!). I hope this exercise is helpful for you, too! 🙂