It sounds painful, I know, but It's not like cattle branding. It's like your brand name as an author. Making your name mean something so people recognize it and seek it out. In all essence, I'm still very much a newbie when it comes to this authorship stuff. I've been writing since 2002, trying to get published since 2007, and I'm just now hearing about this branding stuff.If you've never heard of it, for a great article that explains it in detail click here.
What is my brand? Should I even have a brand pre-publication? Or should I wait and let my audience brand me? My answer, I think I should be creating a brand. Maybe it's why I've been doing what I've been doing for the last three years, book reviews, videos, basically plastering myself all over the internet.
Right now, I am the angsty YA writer that makes the videos and wears the knit hats and knee socks. The one that writes the gut wrenching novels that encapsulates the fears of today's youth.
Of course, this means nothing right now to anyone but my loyal fans. (fan? ;) It will mean something later. When my novels are published. When people go to the book store, not looking for any edgy YA book, or even Mending Fences, or Cheesy, but when they go and ask for the latest book by Megan Bostic.
So, tell me, what's your author brand?
I'll tell you hat. When we're both rich and famous, I'll race my yacht against yours in through the Strait of Juan de Fuca.
ReplyDeleteAre you an artist? I think you mentioned you do your own cover art. Check out the alien my nephew painted. It's on the first page of my website. I think he has talent.
My alien is drinking a coffee, lighting a cigarette, carrying an AK-47, and wearing a NIKE swoosh.
He has issues.
Megan, I think you are definitely doing well at branding. I think the cap and knee socks are well suited to the youth thing--you are showing a youthful attitude, which seems appropriate, even though I am not sure how much youth read the types of things you've got out there at the moment (book reviews and such). THAT probably requires a website with YA content... I've got two things on MY branding list right now... some pictures of me that are newer than 5 years old, and getting STARTED on a website...
ReplyDeleteyeah, Hart, I'm starting on the website thing, only to find out meganbostic.com is taken. >:( I may have to use a middle initial, then I should use it when published, right?
ReplyDeleteI did ask the owner to release it to me nicely, but haven't heard back. I suppose I could use angstywriter.com, but if I get published and garner a following, I think the name is better. ugh.
authormeganbostic would be an option, too. (or meganbosticauthor) I think there is a big giant asshole who buys up webdomains on names that... for instance enter ABNA so they can sell your freaking name back to you. Sounds paranoid, but I think that is the deal.
ReplyDeleteIs AngstyMegan taken? You could do that or AngstyMeganB. Just a thought.
ReplyDeletei do have options, just wanted my name. the guy who has it, his last name is bostic, so he didn't do it on purpose i'm sure. i wrote him, hopefully he'll give me the name.
ReplyDeleteYou don't need no stinking branding! Try this sample query letter:
ReplyDeleteDear Editor from Hell:
The iguana says your breath stinks, but I dont like the iguana and so I thought it'd be a good idea to query you with my 300,000 word autobiography about Aunt Marges's alien abduction.
I think the iguana is really an alien, but I don't know for sure. It's really a good liar. We always thought Aunt Marge was the liar, always cracking these jokes about a talking lizard in her backyard and a spaceship in her barn. It turns out she kept a straight face because she wasn't joking.
When she disappeared, I flew out to Puyallap to see if I could find anything. I've always been good about finding things, but finding Aunt Marge has been real hard. I haven't found her yet, but I figured I'd write all this down. Better if I did it all right away. I keep a note pad by my bed. So, there'll be a sequal once I find her.
It could really be aliens who got her, becuase of the spaceship in the barn and the oil stains on the grass. I asked the Sheriff's Office to test for radiation, but they were too busy. But the iguana says it wasn't aliens. I think either the aliens left in the spacehip, or the iguana ate her.
So, when you call me up with an offer, I'd like some advice: if I eat the iguana, is it cannibalism?
Sincerely,
Wally
I got hung up on Stephen King books as an adult and Isaac Asimov as a young adult (I guess branding works). Then for a while I mostly went by the best seller lists for ideas.
ReplyDeleteNow, I just grab what intrigues me - the cover has to grab your attention first, and the flap or back has to sound interesting.
I guess that's how I would up with a copies of "Hyperspace" and "The Math Book". Oops.
Will you write anything for adults?
lol.
ReplyDeleteYes, I have an adult book I'm working on right now. And those that have read what I have so far like it a lot. It's dystopic about the life of a mom and her two daughters after a virus wipes most the population out or leaves them crazed or a walking vegetable. :)