I see a lot of posts these days about logos. Here a logo, there a logo. Everyone needs a logo. I’m not denying it. It’s all part of branding. But, as authors, what are we branding? Is it our books? Or is it us?
Colonel Sanders had his company named after him. What was his brand? I’m not talking tagline; that’s for another post later. I’m not talking about the red stripes on the chicken buckets or the funky tie. HE was the brand. Colonel Sanders was the brand. When you saw a commercial with him in it, you knew immediately it was a fried chicken commercial. In fact, he was so successful, it’s hard to think of commercial fried chicken without thinking of him. Not his restaurants. Him.
As public figures, you are your own brand. Your face should be your logo. Even if you write in one genre, one series. It should still be you. When you’re on Instagram or Facebook, your name should be YOU, not some quirky little handle.
Your logo (you) should be on EVERYTHING. On the back of your book. On your about page of your website. On your bookmarks. On your fliers, your signs, your business cards. Your face and name should be synonymous with the writing your reader likes.
Invest some money. Get some nice headshots done. Try to keep them fairly current, though that’s difficult in this Corona-19 world.
Good luck!
Wendy L. Koenig 