Brand Strategy for Authors: How to Truly Stand Out From the Crowd

August 23, 2019 by Kimberley Grabas

Why does your work matter?

What experiences do you have to share with others and what value do you offer that only you can provide?

Because, if you can’t easily and clearly articulate your vision or the purpose behind your work, you will never be able to convey its importance to others. [CLICK TO TWEET]

It’s not enough just to be good at what you write. You need to be able to create an emotional connection with your reader – often before they’ve had a chance to read your book.

How you position your work, how you distinguish yourself from others in your field or genre, as well as how all your efforts are perceived or interpreted by your readers, can be the difference between a brand that’s fab, or one that fizzles.

When your brand is cohesive and well-articulated, your marketing initiatives will be too. Branding encompasses the foundational elements of marketing: visual identity, key messaging, brand personality, and competitive advantage.

– Brian Lischer

Effective branding is foundational to the development of your writer platform and audience-building efforts. The author who can tap into what their readers yearn for – and construct an entire experience around what they crave – is the author that earns the devoted fan base.

[Read more…]

Build Your Writer Platform: Create a Strategic Plan to Grow Your Writing Career

October 29, 2018 by Kimberley Grabas

If you’ve been trying to build your writer platform, grow your author biz AND still find time to write (and failing miserably), make sure to read this entire post because I may have the answer…

I’ve spent over two years developing and testing Believe, Plan, Act: A Platform + Productivity Planner for Writers, spurred on by the frustration and overwhelm of writers just like you, struggling to gain traction and build a career around their work.

I knew there had to be a way to streamline the process, improve focus and efficiency and empower writers to take an active role in both the creative and business aspects of their writing career.

So I created a complete author business planning system, designed to specifically address the needs of writers, and to help you build the FOUNDATIONAL elements of your platform and author business – everything from clarifying your creative and career goals, to strategic marketing, launch planning, and developing your author brand. [Read more…]

Are You Building Your Writer Platform at Gunpoint?

July 25, 2014 by Kimberley Grabas

The pressure is constant.

Everywhere you turn these days, you hear the word.

Platform.

It’s a must have, a deal breaker.

And you’re told that if you expect any success at all as a writer, you should have started building yours three years ago.

You hope for an out, but it appears that nobody can escape its reach.

Whether an Indie or traditional author, a writer of fiction or nonfiction, published or still grinding through your debut novel – the robustness of your platform is continually questioned.

So you’ve tried.

You’ve tinkered with a free blog, only to have it succumb to a quiet and anonymous death.

You’ve dipped your toe into the social media whirlpool and found yourself repeatedly dragged under.

Branding, guest posting, speaking engagements, blogging, media kits, email marketing, blog tours, networking, interviews, conferences, webinars… seriously?!

Oh, and don’t forget that you also have to write a book worth reading. Even the sturdiest of platforms won’t support a book that’s garbage. [Read more…]

39 Things to Remember While Struggling to Build Your Writing Career

June 6, 2014 by Kimberley Grabas

When you’re knee-deep in the tangle of learning something new, it’s easy to get lost in trivialities.

What’s important and what’s not?

What deserves your attention, and what can you let go of?

Overwhelm stalls your forward progress, frustration rises (maybe even a little panic?) and the wave of “I’ll never figure this out”, washes over.

And since the rules are rapidly changing, there is a constant struggle to pull yourself from the quagmire of the “unimportant”, and focus on what’s truly relevant to crafting a long and successful writing career.

Take a deep breath.

Building your career as a writer is no small task.

But it’s too important not to figure out.

To ease the tension and guide you along your path, the following is a list of gentle reminders of what really matters. Things you probably already know, but have forgotten or abandoned while striving to build your author empire.

1. Failure is the best teacher.

Don’t waste any opportunities to fail–that’s where you’ll learn the biggest lessons. Learn what you need to and move forward, or expect to repeat these same lessons again (and again).

2. Let opportunity sneak up on you.

Be open to the possibility that the path for your work and your writing career may unfold in an entirely different way than you envision. You can’t anticipate a sharp turn, a serendipitous moment or a lucky chance, so have a plan, but allow room for happenstance. [Read more…]

Writers, Is Your Prehistoric Brain Holding You Back?

April 2, 2014 by Kimberley Grabas

Are fear and anxiety keeping you from reaching your full potential as a writer? I have received many emails from writers that share a common theme of self-doubt, so I asked my good friend Bobbi Emel–a psychotherapist–to share her insights on how we can identify the source of our angst, as well as some tips on managing the doubt and trepidation that often come as you begin your writing career. It’s a bit of a departure from what I usually do here on YWP, but I believe overcoming your fear is as important a topic when building your platform as marketing, social media or finding your ideal audience.

You’re a writer.

You have great ideas and want to get your stories and your message out into the world.

To create your own platform; to build buzz, capture attention, and increase your reach.

As the writer you are in this moment, finish this sentence: “The prospect of accomplishing any, some, or all of the above is ____________.”

If you’re like many writers, some words that come to mind are daunting, overwhelming, or… terrifying.

(Were any of the words you considered exciting, freeing or empowering?)

Our Inner Voice

We all have an inner voice.

For some people, their inner voice is often critical:

“You should write better than this.”

“You can’t be a writer.”

“You have nothing special to say.”

“You can’t create a writer’s platform. Who would be interested?”

For others, their inner voice is often anxious: [Read more…]

So you’ve tried.

1. Failure is the best teacher.

2. Let opportunity sneak up on you.

Our Inner Voice

Authors with Platforms Sell Books.