Be Consistent!

If people ask you what you do, I guess as a writer you tell them you are an author and if your books are published, you add, a published author. But as well as being a published author, you are also a brand and you need to promote that too. Below are some basic ideas to help new authors who have not yet created their social platform.

Of course you may well argue that you are a writer and that once your book(s) are on Amazon they will sell. Of course they will initially, family and friends will purchase copies, but what about the people you don’t know and don't know you? If you are an indie author it is down to you to market and promote you and your books so you can reach out to a wider audience of readers.

There are many ways to promote your books, but first you need to engage on social media. If you have not already built a platform, then now is a good time to start. What I would recommend is that which ever social area you become involved with you are consistent with your name. In other words, keep the same name for your web site, Blog, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, email etc.

Your name is you! My author name, Pauline Barclay is the name I use on all my media so that if anyone wants to Google me all my connections should appear with links. I also try and keep the same theme and photo of me on all my connections. This hopefully identifies me and my books as visitors check out my Blog, Web, Facebook etc.

If I appear on other Blogs and web sites, I always provide all my links and the same pictures that appear everywhere else to do with me. I also have leaflets printed to hand out to potential readers and again, the same picture of me and my books appear on these. I also had a bag designed with my 'brand' pictures on. Of course this is all small compared to multi-national companies, but it is a step to creating my own brand and being consistent with name, image and messages so that all readers, new and old can identify with. Pauline Barclay is a published writer and is in a way a brand!

These are just some very basic ideas to help you set up your social platform and help you build you - your brand!

As always, thank you for stopping by, have a sunny week and let's meet up again soon.