Leave a Comment:
(31) comments
Oh, thank you, sweet Kristin! It is important and I think people think it’s a harder, more difficult concept than it is. Thanks for commenting!
Reply
Yeah, branding is still hard LOL. I GET it, I just struggle to make the connection between me and my writing. I think perhaps that’s easier when you write non-fiction about yourself – you write about the things you are. My lack of tolerance for idiocy, however, seems less relateable to dragons and magic.
I also think you might shoot me if I ask who Chelsea Handler is…
Reply Love your comment, Ciara. I do hear the ‘it’s easier cause you’re nonfiction’ quite a bit. But the same concepts still apply: what interests you? what do you write about? People know you as a fantasy writer and someone who blogs (winningly) about writing, an Aussie, an attorney, a strong female voice (positive traits I might add).
All those elements help identify who you are and we know what to expect when we visit you in various places.
Chelsea Handler is a female comedian turned successful cable talk show host (Chelsea Lately) but with a twist: she’s very bitchy and sarcastic. You know her, I’m sure: http://chelseahandler.com/
(She’s also now acting).
Reply Haha, yes, the strong female voice bit is easy 😉 thanks for the tips Rachel.
Reply
Finally something I’m doing right! Kinda. One of these days all this stuff is going to go *click* and it’ll all make sense to me. Either that or I’ll end up in a straight jacket. Anyway, thanks again for your help!
Reply Sweet! You get it more than you think you do. I think. Much of branding is our natural tendency anyway.
Okay, now I’m just confused. haha. #kidding
Reply
Rachel – I read just about everything you tweet. Even though you write with authors in mind, I am learning a lot from your posts. BTW, I do RT you a lot. Thanks for sharing.
Reply Thanks so much, Nancy. I appreciate your comments and RTs! I do work with many different types of clients — not strictly writers — so much of the basics apply to anyone.
Reply
I love the idea of branding, but have trouble thinking outside of the brand: Writer. Or Author . . . You’ve given me a lot to think about. Kipling and Zippy need to jump on my brandwagon.
Reply
Love this. So many authors (sadly) think it’s all about the art and craft of writing, that if I’m just a “great writer,” the books will sell. Guess what? The dollar bin at the back of Walmart is full of books that were supposedly good enough for a traditional publishing deal. And those books are even really good. They just didn’t sell because there was no marketing drive behind them.
Thank you for keeping all writers grounded and telling it like it is!
Reply Thank you, Lorca! I appreciate your insightful comments about books — the best book in the world will just sit there lonely until someone ‘builds it.’ xo
Reply
Hi Rachel,
Just wanted to say the advice in the book you co-wrote (Dollars & Sense) was the best I’ve read so far on branding. It will probably take a while to have an effect on book sales etc as I am not great at self-promotion but it really clarified things for me and helped me re-design my website and approach. And the most positive thing is that I’m much happier about my brand as it feels authentic to me.
So, thanks! You make a difference.
R J Samuel
Reply Thanks, RJ! You know, for whatever reason, the book is no longer available. I was cofounder of the IBC and now that I left (in December 11), I’ve no idea why it’s been pulled. I now recommend a terrific book by @LoriCulwell titled HOW TO MARKET A BOOK — great, practical info. Glad you’re here though — welcome!
Reply You’re welcome, Rachel. That’s strange, I bought it quite recently (trying to remember when..think it was only two months ago..). Pity if it was pulled, really helpful book.
I’ll get Lori Culwell’s book, thanks for the recommendation, need all the help I can get now 🙂
Thanks
RJ
Great fresh title for this blog entry. ‘Fresh’ is another keyword for your Brand.
Fresh, fast & focused. I feel like I’ve been through a mini-motivational expo the way you present each piece of branding concept puzzle so it sizzles and pops.
I’ve heard a lot of this before but I Totally GET it when you bring it into focus by relating it to yourself because every word you write is validated right there before my eyes.
Branding has kinda been like something on my To Do List as a writer. Reading this I am reminded it should be part of my writer DNA.
Thanks!
Reply
[…] Webinars « BRANDING ISN’T YOUR BEST FRIEND: IT’S YOUR NEW LOVER […]
Reply […] Branding Isn’t Your Best Friend: It’s Your New Lover(badredheadmedia.com) function resizeCrossDomainIframe(id, other_domain) { var iframe = document.getElementById(id); window.addEventListener('message', function(event) { if (event.origin !== other_domain) return; // only accept messages from the specified domain if (isNaN(event.data)) return; // only accept something which can be parsed as a number var height = parseInt(event.data) + 32; // add some extra height to avoid scrollbar iframe.height = height + "px"; }, false); } RachelintheOCRachel Thompson aka RachelintheOC is a published author and social media consultant. Her two books, A Walk In The Snark and The Mancode: Exposed are both #1 Kindle bestsellers! When not writing, she helps authors and other professionals with branding and social media for her company, BadRedhead Media. She hates walks in the rain, running out of coffee, and coconut. Buy Now : A Walk in the Snark * Mancode: ExposedMore Posts – Website Follow Me: […]
Reply […] Branding Isn’t Your Best Friend: It’s Your New Lover […]
Reply […] Branding Isn’t Your Best Friend: It’s Your New Lover […]
Reply […] Branding Isn’t Your Best Friend: It’s Your New Lover […]
Reply
Thank you so much for this and all your articles, Rachel. Like so many others have said, I now read everything you write. I was so happy to see your article in the SF Review of Books yesterday. I didn’t even know about the Portland Review of Books until I saw that. Shameful! I immediately ordered a sponsored review because I’m just a few days past the 120 cutoff for free reviews. But now I know the deadline for my next book. I’m learning so much about marketing. I’m happy to be in that 20% that sells more than 100 books. I had a great month last month, and am planning for even better sales in the future, as I learn more about who I am (brand) and who my readers are. Thanks again!
Reply Wow, Sandra, that’s amazing! Good for you.
I’m so flattered by your sweet comments. I too was happy to see the SF Review pick up my article — I didn’t query them but one of their editors found me and I’m thrilled they loved my stuff. I’m writing another one now for them!
Keep rocking it, and visit anytime! xo
Reply
Branding Isn’t Your Best Friend; It’s Your New Lover by @BadRedheadMedia http://t.co/bzSIRX4Q #branding #amwriting
Reply
Branding Isn’t Your Best Friend; It’s Your New Lover by @BadRedheadMedia http://t.co/bwLCvfXe #branding #amwriting
Reply […] Keywords: I often feel like a broken record about branding and keywords, but it truly is the foundation of your entire platform. This confuses people who are […]
Reply […] Keywords: Yes, again. Even if you don’t get how AdWords works, at least you can use their Keyword Tool to […]
Reply […] Keywords: Yes, again. Even if you don’t get how AdWords works, at least you can use their Keyword Tool to […]
Reply […] something to schedule in tweets/shares, etc (I prefer Hootsuite) helps me address a number of my keywords and topics and spread them out also. Sure, I’ll go on a Nutella riff, but that’s not […]
Reply
Thanks for finally writing about >BRANDING
ISN’T YOUR BEST FRIEND: IT’S YOUR NEW LOVER by @BadRedheadMedia <Loved it!