Building a Brand as an Author

“A brand is the idea or image of a specific product or service that consumers connect with, by identifying the name, logo, slogan, or design of the company who owns the idea or image. Branding is when that idea or image is marketed so that it is recognizable by more and more people, and identified with a certain service or product when there are many other companies offering the same service or product. ” --Brick Marketing

For an author, the definition of a brand is largely the same, but is utilized a bit differently. The purpose of brand, for you, is to allow your readers to immediately recognize your work when it's on the sales shelf. It is also a way to build trust and loyalty with your readers. By giving them visual consistency, you build an expectation of quality and enjoyment for them. Here are some things you should keep in mind when building your brand:

• Consistent Fonts & Lettering
• Harmonious Visual Style
• Visually Distinctive
  

If you write series books, having a distinctive and recognizable 'look' to your covers is really important. This is also important if you publish a lot of work within a particular genre, too.

Eventually I'd like to write a book to help authors with design, marketing, etc, but for now feel free to take a peek at my full article with visual examples. I'm also more than happy to answer any questions or take a look at existing covers and give critique!