Blogger: Janet Kobobel Grant
Interacting with writers at writing conferences provides me with insight into what conceptions–some accurate, some not–wannabe authors have about the industry. During the recent Mount Hermon Writers Conference, individuals who sat at my table for dinner engaged in a lively discussion about how an author finds his or her brand.
Here are some branding pointers we examined:
—Branding is more than finding the 
commonality in what you’ve written. A novelist at the table suggested her brand might be writing about teenage, female protagonists. Or maybe, she mused, kidnapping was her brand since that was an element in all of her stories.
But a certain type of character or using the same plot device does not form a brand. The teenage protagonist might suggest that part of your brand be that you write YA. Or kidnapping might mean you write suspense. However, these are only the inklings of what might become your brand, not a brand per se.
–Your brand is a promise to your reader that you will deliver a particular type of reading experience. Looking at authors whose books you enjoy reading can help you to understand on a deeper level what a writer’s brand looks like.
I, for example, appreciate Walter Mosley’s writing.What expectations does the reader have when picking up one of his novels?
His most popular writing is his Easy Rawlins mystery series, which I know will deliver:
- a complex murder case
- that takes place in LA in the 1950s
- with Easy Rawlins, an African American detective, trying to solve the mystery.
- Rawlins will encounter prejudice
- and the story will depict life in an uneasy era for anyone with black skin.
- The characters will be depicted with depth,
- and the plot will be taut and disturbing.
Or let’s look at a nonfiction writer, Philip Yancey. What do you expect from one of his books?
Certain elements of his writing immediately come to mind for me:
- in-depth examination of a tough theological issue;
- spiritual questions we all tend to ask but can’t figure out the answer to;
- powerful writing;
- authenticity regarding his own spiritual journey.
Both Mosley and Yancey have made–and kept–their promises about the type of reading experience they deliver with every one of their books. That experience is an expression of their brand.
–Sometimes we figure out our brand when we violate it. Remember the one novel John Grisham wrote that broke the boundaries of his brand?
That would be A Painted House, which was published in 2010. Here’s how Amazon’s review of the book begins: “Ever since he published The Firm in 1991, John Grisham has remained the undisputed champ of the legal thriller. With A Painted House, however, he strikes out in a new direction. As the author is quick to note, this novel includes ‘not a single lawyer, dead or alive,’ and readers will search in vain for the kind of lowlife machinations that have been his stock-in-trade. Instead, Grisham has delivered a quieter, more contemplative story, set in rural Arkansas in 1952.”
The book sold poorly (for a Grisham novel), and neither reviewer nor reader seemed able to muster any enthusiasm for it. A Painted House was fated to have a sickly existence from the moment Grisham put his fingers to the keyboard to create the novel.
And that outcome was predictable. Grisham violated the border he himself had created when he wrote legal thriller after legal thriller. (Note how the Amazon review so aptly describes what Grisham’s brand is? See? Readers know what to expect.)
Is that fair? you might ask. But I would argue that’s the wrong question to ask. Neither life nor art is “fair.” Grisham’s success was based on delivering what readers had come to expect. To disappoint his readers was to choose not to have a successful book. He made the choice to step outside of his brand just once. Fair or not, he realized he was meant to write legal thrillers.
We feel the same way about the brand of Facebook. And Facebook keeps us emotionally roiled by changing the rules about how we relate to it without warning. The rule changes disrupt how we’ve come to think about Facebook. Eventually we might grow weary enough of all this brand violation to seek out alternative ways to connect with each other. A brand that stays true to itself.
Our coffee machines, our top choice in chocolate, our favorite car make, and our #1 TV show all have inherently promised to deliver a type of experience. That is their brand.
–Sometimes we are branded by the consumer. While we’d like to believe we have the right to brand ourselves, sometimes our readers brand us. They tell us what they like about what we deliver by buying a certain reading experience over and over again. If you write both fiction and nonfiction, and your fiction always outsells the nonfiction, your readers are branding you as a novelist. That’s what they want from you. If you write suspense and historical novels, your readers will vote for which genre they want from you; they’re unlikely to like both categories but will choose one over the other.
What author or TV show has disappointed you by not remaining true to his/its brand?
Have you resolved the question of what your brand is? If not, why do you think you are struggling to find an answer?
TWEETABLES
Can an author successfully break out of being branded? Click to tweet.
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Interesting topic, Janet. It’s been on my mind–not about myself, but about our church. I asked, “What is unique about our church, and how can that be reflected in our website?” (I avoided “brand” — I thought folks would object to that as too commercial). I get blank looks. People sense it but can’t quite find the words–“I’ll know it when I see it.” Which leaves us with trial and error; put it on the website and see if people like it.
Maybe my personal brand will be developed the same way–try it and see if they like it. I know what I would like it to be, but what if no one likes it?
Shirlee, I’ve often found it helpful to ask, What’s unique about our church? What do we want to be known for?
The same goes for your writing brand.
I think it’s important to dig deep to find those answers because they can be instructive in how you move forward with your writing career as well as with your church’s sense of itself.
Janet, this post is so helpful.
Do you think that if an author writes both fiction and non-fiction (especially if it is for different audiences) that a pen name is appropriate?
I always assumed that if I wrote, it would be Christian non-fiction, but find myself writing MG speculative fiction. I don’t want to close the door to the either.
Sheila, it’s always a complicated decision to write in more than one category. A pen name probably is the best solution, but it isn’t an easy one. If you manage to get published in both categories (wouldn’t that be great!?), you’ll need two websites, one each author identity, and two of every social media identities (FB, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest). It’s a big time and money investment!
Brands are such slippery things. No matter how much you try to shape them, they’ve got an inborn bent you can’t quite fight. They just ARE what they ARE. Maybe…like kids?
I read a lot of narrative non-fiction, and in this genre I tend to think of a brand as the author at his or her best: well-slept, properly caffeinated, talking about something they know and love intimately…basically, all cylinders firing.
My favorite writers? They’re self-deprecating and candid. Vulnerable and mature and generous and unruffled. Smart but not showy. I get this feeling that I’ve nudged beneath the crust and got to know someone by heart. I might not always know WHAT we’ll talk about, but I can predict the cadence of HOW to conversation will go. She’ll either softy dance around her point…or show no mercy and go for the throat. Either way, I know what to expect. I know how I’ll feel after we say goodbye, and how soon I’ll want to call her up to meet up again.
You really can’t talk about brand without also talking about integrity and trust. A brand is so TOTAL. It all hangs together. Branding, I think, is all about confident consistency.
Wow.
My head is tilting from this.
Seriously.
WOW.
Your words gave me goose bumps, Becky Jones! 🙂 Every single word.
Becky, you gave me some great food for thought. Confident consistency. I like that.
You gals are sweet. 🙂 🙂 🙂
I worked in PR 8 years and we did a LOT of re-branding during that period. There is so much science to it…a whole lot of consultant dollars funneled into it…and yet, at the end of the day, you don’t actually get to pick how you’re perceived! Your staff live and breathe it…and that’s what your customers pay attention to…the character of the company, not so much the commercials! 🙂
Becky, yes, a company’s character shines through everything its staff do. While commercials can help to solidify that character in a consumer’s mind, the actual living out of that character is what has a long-term effect.
Becky, I appreciate your nuanced description of brand. I especially enjoyed theses thoughts, “I might not always know WHAT we’ll talk about, but I can predict the cadence of HOW to conversation will go. She’ll either softy dance around her point…or show no mercy and go for the throat.”
Yes, the topic might vary but conversation will unfold in a way that is true to that person’s brand.
So much about branding is about the feeling the author evokes in readers, the set of expectations the reader comes to the work with.
Thank you for bringing light to the shadowy and elusive discussion about brands.
Becky, you nailed it and I’m not surprised at all, friend. 🙂
So much of what you defined is about trust. There’s an assurance that what we come for can morph and be better than we ever expected. Even if the topic is personal and probes into areas of ourselves we’d rather leave hidden, we listen because we’ve come to rely on that consistency.
I’ve discovered an author who deftly addresses gritty, real life emotions in a way that I’m drawn to. I may not pick up a NF title about my particular concern, but when it’s wrapped in a fictional tale, I can learn from a different angle (if that makes sense).
I know this sounds awful, but my very first thought upon reading the blog title was “on the back, by Turner, just after the slave auction”.
Yup, I went there.
And I have to say, even writing about the kind of branding we are supposed to be discussing makes my brain ache, because that word, “branding” will always conjur up a potentially lethal act through which flesh is permanantly scored with molten metal.
But? Lets look at that shall we? Branding is two things: permanance, and identification.
I want my work to be identified as MINE. I fully intend my work to be what people think of when they want historical fiction packed with emotionally intense and culturally accurate portrayals of Anglos and Native Americans caught in the cross-fire of Westward Expansion.
Therefore, I will work as hard as I can to make sure my brand stays loyal and true to my long-term career plans, and my intention to bring Jesus to a world that thinks very little of Him. As much as I’d love to write a comtemporary rom/com, I’m not driven to do so. That, and it would disrupt the flow of building my audience.
“Act justly, love mercy, walk humbly, with your God”
Oops!
I left out the part that said “Yup, I went there…in my second book”.
Sorry.
Jennifer, you bring up an interesting point, in thinking long term about your career. Not just what the first/next few books will deliver. Love all your thoughts here!
Jennifer, I did, for one awful second, think of having a branding iron as a visual. *Discard idea immediately!*
I actually branded one of my characters. It was awful.
Yes, I know he’s fake, but still!
The TV show (brand) I enjoyed, and eventually stopped watching was, Two and a Half Men. When Charlie Sheen left it just wasn’t the same. His voice, usual bantering with his co-star, and style of humor made the show. Another important brand for me is music. Growing up, Journey was my favorite band. But when Steve Perry left as lead singer it was over for me, I just couldn’t see their music in the same way. His voice branded, and sold their unique sound.
You talked about John Grisham and his attempt at leaving his brand. He’s one of my favorite authors and I read, A Painted House. Flipping the pages, I kept waiting for a trial to start or lawyer to make a back-alley deal. It never came and made me realize that Grisham’s voice just doesn’t work in another genre. That the legal thriller is his area of expertise. It’s what he’s great at and what he knows from being a lawyer himself.
For myself, aside from penning novels, I’ve been writing blogs several years. I’ve written political, writing, lifestyle, and inspirational topics. However, none comes close to the readership numbers I have when discussing relationship issues. And this became more evident when websites starting asking me for guest blogs. Then my numbers really increased. Perhaps it’s because that’s what I enjoy blogging about the most and it shows on the page. I’ve also come to believe I can make differences in people’s lives by offering honest opinions and advice and enjoy reading their feedback.
I think writers are at their best when crafting something from their heart. The words flow much easier, and a reader can sense the truth and purpose in their meaning. And like anything else related to branding, it comes down to what a reader, coffee lover, or car buyer connects with emotionally.
Thanks for sharing another great article.
Randy, thanks for broadening the discussion to music, where branding also is apt. A big fuss was made over Taylor Swift moving from country, but she has such a unique style, that fans trotted right along behind her. She remained true to who she is, which was the important point.
Thanks, too, for sharing how your blog became focused based on what readers responded to. That’s a great example of readers helping you to find your brand!
You’re very welcome. I always enjoy reading your blog!
Yes, Taylor Swift has a unique style and fan base and is one of those rare musicians who can crossover to other areas and be successful.
Also, you are so correct in saying that a writer’s readers will help us find our brand. When something is written from the heart, and connects well with others, the numbers always seem to follow.
All Best.
My lawyer-father had read every Grisham novel when A Painted House released in 2001. I remember that he read that one as well but admitted that he was a bit disappointed. It’s a perfect illustration of an author deviating from his brand.
Thank you, Janet, for such powerful points. Still thinking and praying about mine, but you’ve provided some clarification.
Your father and a million or so other readers kept searching A Painted House for a lawyer, for a murder, for some of that Grisham flavor.
While I haven’t figured out my “brand” yet, and the whole concept still feels somewhat foreign to me, this post makes boiling it down easier.
Question: is it helpful to have written quite a lot in order to go back and see what marks, or defines, one’s writing over a period of time? Or does a writer do better to decide how she’d like to be branded at the beginning of her career and then write in keeping with that? I think I know what I need to do, but I’m interested in your (or others’) ideas on the subject.
Hannah, that’s an excellent question. Most writers figure out their brand as they explore different writing categories. The industry puts a lot of emphasis on not writing all over the map, but how are you supposed to discover which land you want to live in if you don’t do some exploring?
I’d recommend exploration of everything that even faintly interests you. Some genres will be abandoned readily, others will be okay to write in, and still others will make your heart beat faster. Yea, those are the ones to intensely discover.
Sometimes an author will manage to get published in more than one category, but at that point, I’d recommend the writer quickly make a choice between the two or decide to follow both paths, recognizing that’s the hardest way to go of all. It will most likely mean using a pen name and have a social media presence for of your writing names and brands.
We’ve been talking branding on my local RWA chapter loop, so this is pertinent. Thank you for the post, Janet.
When the television show Nashville premiered, I watched and enjoyed it as a behind-the-scenes look at the music industry. By the end is season 2, it had devolved into a soap opera I quit watching.
I want my own brand to be fun relationship stories.
Carrie, it’s odd how many television shows devolve into soap opera. If we wanted soap opera, we would have tuned into that type of show from the get-go.
I personally think Downton Abbey went the way of the soap opera round about the second season. That’s not how it started out.
I like the way your thinking about your own brand. That’s exactly what you write well.
I read a book for adults written by an author my 3 boys love. I just didn’t like it. I wanted boys going on adventures, not hardened detectives solving mysteries and sleeping together. Very disappointing. But his YA boys books, I absolutely love them!
Kristen, that sounds like an author who broke his brand in several ways, including audience and tone.
He seems to have decided he wanted to reach adults and kicked some strong elements of his brand to the curb.
It’s always dangerous to strive for a new reading audience.
I’ve read and heard so much about branding that I’m a little dizzy by the thought of trying to figure mine out. 🙂 You bring up some great points. I hadn’t really considered how my someday-readers may brand my writing by what they do/don’t purchase.
I’m not sure what exactly my brand is. I know the recurring themes in my stories, and I suspect those will play a role in my branding. I’ve also heard that we are our brand, not our books. In part, honestly, I don’t think I’ve taken the time and invested enough energy to determine my brand. (hangs her head here). I know it’s something I need to—and will—do within the next few months though.
Thanks for this thought-provoking post.
Jeane, it might help you to think about your brand by asking, “What do I want my readers to feel when they read my books?” Branding often operates on the emotional level rather than the intellectual level.
I don’t know how an author like Becky Wade would answer that question, but I feel as if I’ve read a satisfying, layered romantic story. Karen Kingsbury is a three-Kleenex writer.
Thinking about your answer to that question with other authors might open up a pathway for you to figure out the answer for yourself.
Asking Beta readers and writing down the words they use to describe their reading experience is another good method to use.
Janet, these suggestions are gold for me. Thank you!
This is so timely for me. As you know, in trying to keep within my brand, I stayed too close to the premise of my first book 🙂
I am still figuring it all out. I kind of understand Grisham branching out, because I have a few different styles and brands that I could potentially write in and it must be frustrating to be stuck in one brand for 20 years.
(I read Playing for Pizza and liked it, but never read The Painted House.)
Ohmygosh, Angela, I had no idea Grisham wrote more than one off-brand novel! Thanks for bringing this one to my attention. Unless there are some other odd-man-out Grisham novels, you’ll note that this one also was released in 2010, along with A Painted House.
Grisham must have been totally bored with his legal thrillers that year.
I thought Publishers Weekly review of Playing for Pizza aptly described the response most readers would be likely to have. Here’s a portion of the review: “Rick is first baffled and then enchanted by all things Italian-tiny cars! opera! benign corruption!-and through him Grisham (The Firm) instructs his readership in the art of gracious living, featuring sumptuous four-hour, umpteen-course meals. The writing sometimes lapses into travel-guide (‘most Italian cities are sort of configured around a central square, called a piazza’) and food porn (‘[the veal cutlets are beaten with a small bat, then dipped in eggs, fried in a skillet, and then baked in the oven with a mix of parmigiano cheese and stock until the cheese melts’), but it’s invigorated by appealing characters and lively play-by-play. The result is a charming fish-out-of-water story. “
Janet,
John Grisham wrote Skipping Christmas, which was another novel outside of his legal thrillers. I don’t remember what year it was published; I do remember people were surprised that it was so different from what they’d come to expect from John Grisham. If I remember correctly the movie “Christmas With the Kranks” was based on that novel.
Peggy, I just looked up the title on Amazon, and the release date is March 2010. That must have been the year of Grisham’s discontent. Wow, three novels outside his brand in one year! And March is such an odd time to release a Christmas novella. Color me confused. But how fun to know “Christmas with the Kranks” was based on the novella!
I just took a closer look on Amazon, and I see the novella initially released in 2001 and then was re-released with a new cover.
Janet, I’m taking this off-topic for just a moment—> Congratulations to our wonderful Books & Such agents (Janet Grant, Wendy Lawton, Mary G. Keeley, Rachelle Gardner, and Rachel Kent), named “Best of the Best” by Writer’s Digest (May/June issue–page 41). Books and Such “Between the Lines” was recognized as WD’s 101 Best Websites for Writers. Go, team!!!
WAAAHOOOO!!!
What!? I had no idea. Thanks so much for the delightful announcement. Wow.
Woo-hoo! Congratulations, Books and Such ladies! 🙂
I’m so not surprised to read this.
Thanks for sharing Cyndi!!
Hooray!
One thing I credit ACFW for is helping me figure out and define my brand. What I learned in those early days of my writing career, from Ane Mulligan and Randy Ingermanson, was invaluable.
No matter what genre I write in, readers will always find this one thing: It’s the hero’s story. Always. That’s a very unique angle in the romance world, and it’s where I’ve staked my brand. Everything I do is themed around romance heroes.
I write romance for the hero lover. I have favorite themes that always show up too, but the core of my identity as a romance writer is my focus on the hero.
Rachel, that does set you apart from most romance writers, and is a straightforward answer to the question, What makes your writing unique? Congrats!
This is a good topic for me and can be confusing as I think about my writing long term. I have a passion for stepfamilies because of the road I’ve walked as a stepmom and have written a lot of articles geared toward stepfamily living, including a monthly column I write for Lifeway’s Parenting Teens. However, because I have three biological children in addition to two stepchildren, I’ve also had more than 100 general parenting articles published. While working on a book proposal for stepfamilies, I began to consider if that brands me so strongly with stepfamily writing that I close the door in the future to additional writing on general parenting topics. I don’t want to be branded as someone who only writes stepfamily-related material. However, as I read the comments, I began to understand that branding is more than just what I write ABOUT. Interesting thoughts to ponder!
I enjoyed sitting at your table at Mount Hermon Janet and learning more about your agency. Thank you for your commitment to helping writers succeed in a turbulent industry! Gayla
Gayla, you’re exactly right: Your brand isn’t so much what you write ABOUT but HOW your writing affects the reader. The purest of all brands matches up the writing topic as well as the reader’s experience, but that isn’t necessarily the way you need to go. Plus I’d say it’s a short jaunt from creating material for step-parents and for parents in general; I’d say most of your readers would make that jaunt with you.
Janet,
You have outlined the simple concept of branding. I wish I could have been at your table at the conference! But I was unable to make it this year. For my brand–since I plan to write both contemporary and historical fiction–I have focused more on the journey my female protagonist will take combined with my writing style. I guess I will have to see how things go after my first novel is published in May, but I hope to have created a strong character arc with unique, yet challenging circumstances, vivid descriptions and a gamut of emotions that eventually lead the reader to an satisfying and uplifting conclusion. Do you think this is too general, or something readers can come to expect?
Roanne, I think the answer to your question about whether that brand is specific enough depends on whether you intend for your female protagonist to be on an actual, physical journey or on an internal journey. Pretty much every well-drawn protagonist will go on an internal journey, which is what the character arc is all about. But if all of your heroines are on physical journeys–both in your historical and contemporary stories–eventually readers will come to see that as a hallmark of your writing. It would be a slow build for that recognition to set in, especially since you’re writing in two genres, but it should eventually occur to readers that each heroine is a “rolling stone.”
Thank you, Janet. If what you mean by physical journey, my characters do face change both internally and externally–in relationships, setting, and in learning their true purpose while facing obstacles they cannot avoid. I see my brand in the deep themes as well–such as losing loved ones, rejection of family, infidelity, abuse, etc.
I finally understood author brands when I was in a Barnes & Noble, saw the newest Dick Francis book, and picked it up to buy without even reading the back cover. I knew what Dick Francis would deliver, and I loved his work.
He never once broke faith with that brand, and it served him well for many years.
As to brands that disappointed…the TV Show Chuck comes to mind. I loved the early seasons when Chuck was an ordinary guy thrown into extreme circumstances using his skills as a computer nerd to get himself out of scrapes. As the series went on, he became more of a real spy, and the show lost its charm. He was no longer saving the world for 11 bucks an hour.
Erica, thanks for mentioning Dick Francis; he’s clearly a branded author. Imagine reading about anything but race horses from Francis. A quick glance at his covers tells the same story.
I never viewed Chuck, but I can see your point. If you come to love a character because of certain consistent characteristics, those need to be sustained in the series.
I’m beginning to wonder why I’m watching The Good Wife, which I initially liked in part because of the really great courtroom scenes and legal machinations. But the main character ran for political office last season, and I’m not nearly as invested in the series. Political maneuvering isn’t proving to be as interesting to me as courtroom drama.
I write nonfiction for adults and fiction for kids. But the concept of accepting people who are different, especially because of Special Needs seems to pop into most of my writing, even if I don’t plan it, so I guess that’s my brand. My tagline, Opening Eyes, Opening Hearts, goes with that, too.
I, too, find myself including people with special needs in my stories. I think diversity is extremely important in fiction. As a mom with twins with autism, your post here made me smile.
I have struggled because I love so many different genres and types of literature and I have a broad range of interests and things I am capable of doing. It’s not always a blessing when it comes to narrowing down a brand to have more than one skill set (for me, music, teaching, writing, history, disabilities, pastor’s wifery, riding motorcycles, treasure hunting, and on and on it goes). But I think I’m getting closer to an idea of what my brand needs to be. It’s taken years, but I’m starting to come out of the fog a bit. I hope.
Having lots of interests isn’t always a blessing, is it? It certainly complicates the whole branding thing.
Janet, it not only complicates it, but it distracts one from focusing on one thing. And it makes writing for one genre more tedious. But with God’s grace, I’m determined to figure it out! 🙂
I’ve published contemporary, historical, and Amish stories. When one Amazon reviewer said something like, “Whatever she writes, there’s always a historical twist that enriches the story,” I smiled BIG. Right now I’m combining two of these genres in historical Amish, but I know that whatever I write, I’ll be looking to the past to see what got my characters to the present.
Olivia, love the way you describe this and how you make it happen in each of your books!
In fact, I just finished writing an Amish cozy mystery with a contemporary setting, but the mystery dates back 30 years. Just can’t let go of that urge to look back in time. I would be delighted of that’s what my readers came to expect from me.
Thanks for this helpful post on a topic which produces much foggy thinking.
You asked about TV shows that veered from their brands. Three that lost me as a loyal viewer were
Downtown Abbey, when they introduced sexual violence against a beloved character
Six Feet Under when they turned from drama with comic undertones to horror, luring a lead character into being nearly fatally assaulted
And there was an old BBC show about a blue collar wounded vet teaching in an upper crust school (“To Serve Them All Our Days”?). He finds a tender love, marries her, has twins, and is doing well in his calling. Then without it making sense to the previous trajectory of the story, they have her hit by a truck with the twins in the car–rather foreshadowed Downton.
If shows like Downton have an actor resign, they would do better to follow the example of the old sitcom ( “I dream of Jeannie”?) and stick a new actor in the role.
Gary, Downton Abbey lost my support when it descended into soap opera-ish storylines. I agree that Six Feet Under lost its way as well.
I’ve never had to sustain a popular TV series, but it seems as if once you establish certain elements that MUST be in the show (the ones that made it a success) and the ones that must NEVER be in the show, you could stay within the prescribed boundaries.