Trying an Import Again: f5304fcb062e17e4fe64525c228b670f

[alanajoli]

No, it doesn't make sense. It's a string of random numbers that, if my RSS feed works correctly, will mean I have a blog live on Tokyopop. I've got an e-mail in to the folks at Amazon Connect to see if I can get my blog imported there as well. My words, goofy and serious, will be everywhere! (This terrifies me a little bit, but I remind myself that "I Am the Brand" and therefore any place people see me means that I have a better chance for people to read my books.)

Out of curiosity, to the other writers who pop by and read this: how do you feel about the "I Am the Brand" philosophy. Is that true in your market? Do you cultivate the brand concept, or reject it?

Comments

[mastyrwerk.livejournal.com]

It goes hand in hand. You have to be a good writer so your books will sell.
You have to sell yourself if people are going to be aware that you are a writer.
Just doing the work isn't enough, but you still gotta be a writer.

Once you get your name out there and people finally read your stuff, then the quality of the writing takes hold. You still need to get them to read it in the first place. Hit the streets. Tell everyone you know about it. Send copies to people in the position to boost your recognition.

Or you can get an agent to do it for you.

[alanajoli.livejournal.com]

Hee, or a marketing department at a mid-sized publisher. (Publishers that are too small won't have one, and publishers that are too large are busy promoting James Patterson.)

There's definitely a mix: create the content to promote, then promote the content. Whether that's online, at conventions, or in my local community... well, it's important.

melissa_writing just posted on her blog today about how she's not the product, and I agree with that. (This was in a response to someone who asked for a signed autograph--which is really more your neck of the woods.) I think actors actually may also be their own product, which requires even more work and face-the-public than author promotion. The same might be true of the music industry. Authors and artists at least can send their work out there into the world and hope that it's good enough to catch hold on its own. (But first, people have to know it exists. So here we are, full circle.)