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Marketing ,
How to find your author brand (and make readers take notice!)
By Anna Caig
Marketing expert Anna Caig shares an introduction to the world of author branding.
What is an author brand?
‘Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.’ Oscar Wilde wasn’t talking about author branding when he said this – but he could’ve been!
An author brand is the foundation for effective book marketing. More than anything, it’s how you make potential readers feel – the impression you give of the world they’ll step into if they open your book.
I’ve worked in marketing for over 20 years and I’ve learnt that the key to a successful brand is embracing what makes you different – the unique set of motivations, inspirations and passions that inform your work. George Saunders calls this each writer’s ‘iconic space, the place from which they write stories only they could write.’
We have all sorts of preconceptions about what branding and marketing is supposed to look like – often shiny, polished and imitative. I’d encourage you to throw these ideas out of the window! One of the mantras I share to my clients is ‘If it sounds like marketing, rewrite it.’ You’re a human being connecting with other human beings.
How to develop your author brand
A big marketing mistake I see people make (not just writers, this is true across all sectors) is trying to appeal to too broad an audience. If you try to engage everyone, you’ll make yourself so boring and formulaic, nobody will see a reason to engage and they’ll just keep scrolling.
Ask yourself the following questions, and note down any words or phrases in your answers that feel significant. It can be helpful to speak out loud. Notice your tone of voice as much as the content of what you say.
- What themes do you find yourself returning to again and again in your writing?
- What impact would you like your books to have?
- What part of the creative process do you enjoy the most?
- What aspects of your work do you find yourself thinking about during your down time?
- What inspires you?
- Do you ever feel you’re ‘weird’? In what ways, when and why?
- Why do you write?
Your answers will provide useful raw material from which to craft your public-facing brand.
Your author brand story
A great first step in articulating your brand is to write a brand story. This is a creatively written bio which acts as an engaging invitation into your writing. You’ll use it on your website homepage, email introductions, social media bios, anywhere you have limited space to convey who you are to potential readers.
Look at the notes you made in response to the questions above and select any details you’d like to include. Consider how you’d introduce yourself if you were a character in one of your books – you wouldn’t talk about this person’s CV, you’d use an image or anecdote to make them vivid in the mind of the reader. Apply these same principles to describing yourself. Your storytelling skills are your secret weapon!
But how will I use my author brand? Let’s get practical.
When it comes to content, we know ‘Here’s my book, buy my book’ won’t cut it. We need to find topics, part of our author brand, to talk about consistently.
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By Anna Caig
About the author
Anna Caig trains creative people to do their own marketing, one-to-one and in small groups. She works with The Society of Authors, The Royal College of Art and The Literary Consultancy. Anna also writes historical and crime fiction. She was highly commended in the CWA Debut Dagger prize and her novel The Wise Witch of Orkney will be published in February 2026. She’s obsessed with the hidden voices of women in history. Web: annacaig.co.uk | Instagram: @AnnaCaig