I figure that must be true somehow because I’ve been looking hard for a few days now and I’m still no further to finding my brand. I figure it’ll come to me one of these days/weeks/months/hopefully-this-lifetime.

Thanks for your note about “interrupted.” It sparked an idea for me.

I speak as Reflected Light Ministries. So could my brand be Reflected Light: Rainbows and Mirror Shards?

Actually that relates to the non-fiction I’m writing about God’s promises and our brokennesses.

Hmmmm. Something to ponder

I think that may be effective. I’m going to mention Liz Curtis Higgs again. Her brand, as listed boldly on her site, is “Encourager.” That’s rather vague, but true. It talks more about Liz than her readers, though. I don’t think it’s her writing brand. That could be more specific.

Being Belgian could be part of that. Are there forests or castle ruins or Gothic architecture/history that would justify branding yourself as a writer from the Gothic Heartland, (or the Werewolf Heartland)? Belgium’s a bit West of Transylvania, but if you’re within a few days’ drive of the Black Forest I think you could get away with it.

The term Heartland really resonates with Americans. It would be an exotic twist on something they strongly relate to.

I am a Canadian who’s 1/4 Belgian (with DeSmets in the family tree) so I feel like I ought to be a little more knowledgeable than I am about the uniqueness of Belgium. But many of Grimm’s stories (early Gothic literature) came from France, and that’s certainly nearby.

All of this of course is assuming you WANT to continue writing Gothic-type novels. That’s the really hard part of branding that no one can really help with.

Hope this is any help at all,

~bonne

I went to the link for the teleseminar, read, scrolled, read some more, scrolled, then my eyes began to cross and I broke out in a cold sweat.

WHOA! I’ll just be honest now…I’m really freaked out!

Get some cheese, here comes the whine: I’m still trying to write the blasted novel that launched me into writing. Since that recent launch, I’ve learned there’s a dark, joyless business side to this. OK. But now, the Wizard has pulled the curtain back a little further, giving me a glimpse of more than I wanted to see.

I am unfortunately an obsessive type who wants to learn everything and do everything right, and do it all NOW. (prayer warriors: you might put me on your list now, thanks) I can see myself getting so wrapped up in branding, strategizing and organizing my writing “career” that I’ll lose sight of the writing, which needs my blessed “all-or-nothing” attention now, if I’m ever to learn to do it WELL.

(Which is dangerous enough in itself…I have 20 books on writing—all bookmarked in the middle because I’m reading them all at once—stacked around my computer. If I get to pounding the keys too hard, these stacks will topple over and kill me.)

I hear you Randy; this is what you would have done from the start if you could do it over. It’s smart—even critical—to think about branding and planning at any point in the career, even for those of us just starting out.

The branding discussion so far has really helped me look hard at why I write, what I have to offer, and who it’s for so I can better understand WHAT and HOW I should be writing. Thank you!

But (here, have a little more whine) beyond analyzing me and my audience, now I have to face lawyers, IRS, CPA’s, CIA, FBI…

To be quite honest, I’m just afraid I won’t have anything TO brand if I look behind that curtain now.

Can I take the info now but look at it later?

Bonne, your comments are right on the mark. I hadn’t even thought about how Europe is the heart of the original gothic stories out there. That indeed might be something I could base my brand on! Thanks a lot for pointing me in that direction

I think of myself as a toddler in this industry right now. I know how to to talk a little bit, but not enough to know who I really am in the book business.

It is hard to wait on God and His timing in this! I’m impatient and want to get it all wrapped up yesterday!

Still, I am going to get the seminar and use it when the time is right. It doesn’t hurt to go ahead and learn the techniques even if I’m not quite ready to use them.

Heck, I’m still trying to figure out the MRU!!

I think there’s a difference between those young ones of you who are just starting out on the adventure and can organize your route (calling it a career), and those of us who have great stories to tell (but perhaps too late to pursue with the intensity of a career).

I’ve been enjoying all the conversation about branding, resisting it for me personally. But this morning I listed my three major fiction WIPs and two more in the idea files, all different in style, time and place, and began to see a pattern that might qualify as a brand, or at least a tagline.

“Climbing the Depths” or “Climbing the Deeps” resonate with anyone?
Or “Scaling the Sideroads”? May be too vague, but I’m purposely not describing what that means just yet. I’ve registered for the teleconference Monday and will evaluate after that to see if I’m getting close.

Great to visit with you all.

I posted excerpts at writing.com and have had about 100 people request copies for review. Many I don’t hear back from, but perhaps 1/4 of the readers/reviewers do answer back to tell me they loved reading these novels.

I was in an online critique group for a while and got along well with the other writers. However, I didn’t seem to make any additional progress. I got minor edits to my novels, and that’s about it. I tried to help others but some folks are happy with their current state of skill so they don’t welcome comments. So, I’m not active there now.

In any case, I don’t feel badly about much except that I haven’t submitted my work to many publishers for consideration. So I guess I’m a sophomore (does that mean I can stay on the blog, Randy?). I guess I’m on the ten year track since I started these books in 1995. My work is about right for a Harlequin specialty line such as Steeple Hill, and I’m ok with that.

My question is, do I need marketing/branding for what are practically subscription novels? (That is, assuming my work would even be accepted.) Harlequin readers are shipped four new novels each month, without preview, like a set of magazines or some such.

I need either advice or a kick in the seat, or both. I do make a living as a writer—a technical writer, which I have done for 15 years.

Thanks everyone!

Randy: What about this tweak: Lifechanging (or life altering) truth from the inside out.

????

Camy, if you’re reading this, what do you think?