When it comes to creating your author persona, some people call this creating your “Author
Brand,” keep in mind you aren’t branding your book – you are branding YOU!
Your “Author Brand” is just a fancy schmancy way of creating an extension of yourself to enable
people to emotionally connect with you. A brand may sound business-like but it’s really all
about being human. We all want to connect with other humans!
A brand is about finding a way to connect, human to human. Everyone’s brand is unique (just
like you!) and it’s your own personal story that you choose to convey that people will be drawn
to. This all leads back to the foundation of building an author life: community.
And your author persona is simply a promise to your audience. Promise them your unique self,
deliver on it, and they will come to expect it.
Remember it’s about getting out of your comfort zone to build community and getting into a
community comfort zone!
“There is no one alive who is Youer than You.” – Dr. Seuss.
Exercise
4 Ways to Create Your Author Persona
- Do soul searching. Ask yourself …
Who Am I? What do I have to say? What matters to me? Why do I write what I do?
How do I want to be perceived? Where am I going?
Look to your passions and purpose.
You are a storyteller and creating your author persona is a way to genuinely share
your story with the world and the story behind the story. We need stories to make
sense of the world around us and to feel a sense of belonging in our world. This is
why people read!
Ask yourself the following questions to create your unique story and message. In
turn, this will create a stronger emotional connection with your target readers and
in turn THAT will increase their loyalty and trust. Keep in mind, your message must
be unique to you. Remember the words of Dr. Seuss!
Go The Extra Mile!
- How are you unique? Ask yourself …
What are your unique strengths and qualities – and what are you hopelessly flawed at?
Base this on …
where your confidence shines (for me: sharing what I learn to
inspire others), what is important to you (for me: self-improvement, being in
nature), most passionate about (for me: my son, my writing), and fumble with
(for me: patience).
- Who is your target readership? Base this on …
Your book’s genre and the age range of your readers. For example, you write
fantasy for middle grade (8 to 12-year-olds). - What keywords and phrases do you want people to associate with you? Base this on …
Asking your friends and family how they describe you and why they are drawn to
you. Some of their words may resonate with you!
Search for your keywords and phrases online to find like-minded and similar authors.
Connect, follow, and engage with them. Search their name online (a little friendly
stalking!) and see where they hang out. Take the time to see how they are putting
themselves out there, connecting with their readers, and selling books. Some of their
personas may resonate with you that you can model your own unique persona from!
Write down your story, read it aloud, and record it on camera for your own practice.
Share it with your family, friends, and writing peers. Does it feel natural to you – to
them? Are you passionate about what you are saying? Polish it until it feels natural.
Now use your creativity and imagination (just like your writing!) to create that author
persona that best fits you.
About Donna
Donna Galanti is the author of the bestselling paranormal suspense Element Trilogy and the children’s fantasy adventure Joshua and The Lightning Road series. She is represented by Bill Contardi of Brandt & Hochman Literary Agents, Inc. Donna is a contributing editor for International Thriller Writers the Big Thrill magazine and regularly presents as a guest author at schools. She’s lived from England as a child, to Hawaii as a U.S. Navy photographer. Donna has long been a leader in the Mid-Atlantic writing scene as a workshop presenter. She’s taught on writing craft and marketing at writing conferences, retreats, regional writing organizations, and colleges and is also a writing contest judge at nycmidnight.com. Donna also loves teaching writers about building author brand and platform through her free training series at yourawesomeauthorlife.com. Visit her at donnagalanti.com.
See Donna’s special offer on her complete marketing course for new authors, Create Your Awesome Community for Debut Authors (CYAC), here: https://www.createyourawesomecommunity.com/special/
CYAC is a 10-module step-by-step digital course that walks you through exactly how to launch your author platform, connect with your ideal readers, and sell more books!
