J.K Rowling, Stephenie Meyer - they have big names for selling their most imaginative stories through books. If you say imaginative, there has to be a unique slant to their stories that would make them want personally by massive people.
Branding, the art of putting a meaning and life to an already given name, is something that most professionals should always take note of. If you are a writer, you might consider branding yourself through a book.
Here are few pointers to make yourself pop out of your book:
1. Know what you want
There's a big difference between knowing what you want to write and knowing what you want. Take time to get to know yourself by reading books. You can categorize what you are from what you are not through your choice of books. Do not copy the books, just take ideas and be aware how these books introduce their writer. From that, it will be easy to visualize the impression and the name you want to project on your own book.
2. Always be concrete about your target audience
Be clear and precise on who or what kind of people you want to reach out your message or story. Consistency on knowing your audience is the foundation and direction for the content of your book.
3. Put yourself into the shoes of your audience
You'll never really have a clear idea on what your audience and readers expect unless you imagine yourself as the one reading your own story. If you want to capture interest of a child, think of what a child wants to see into your book: colors and pictures. If you want to sell something, think that the costumer not only wants quality but promos and freebees as well. Enhancing your writing is compromising between what you want to convey and what your audience want.
4. Work your way to balance your book with entertainment and connection
An effective book entertains, but a book with brand connects. Entertaining is short term. People can get entertained and then forget about it after but when you connect with people, you produce a long term impact. You may never know out of the thousands of people reading your book, there is a large probability of people connecting and remembering you.
5. Build a connection by narrating experiences, relevant issues and inspiration
A lively connection between the reader and the author relies on reality. Life is all about the reality and every person experience it. A touch of reality on some aspects of your pages won't harm your identity. Take a look at the myths and fables, the story is fiction but the thing that keeps them remembered is that they portray values and messages that people can get inspiration. Take a look also at the hard news, people read news because it is the most relevant. They rarely read past news. They rarely read news that happened too far from their place because they have no connection from the things that had happened.
6. Have your book proofread by people who are close to you
Closer people are the ones who know you better that anyone. It will help if you ask them to take time to read your work not only to check for grammar but to criticize and judge whether or not you have shown your own character in your book.
7. Be open to suggestions
Suggestions on improvement, on entertainment, and on purpose of the book are the ones we are talking about. Be open for a suggestion that would encourage you to become more different and to stand out.
8. Don't forget to write your name - on the cover and on the back!
It's your book! Go ahead and mark it all down with your name. Try the Stephen King technique where you can see his name on top of almost every book he wrote. Along with your name, create a trademark that would always recognize you as the author. Whether it is the theme, color scheme or background should spell you. You can use it in the future for your next edition. The back cover is the next thing readers will look at when a book is sealed. Putting a little information about yourself at the back helps you become branded.
Branding, the art of putting a meaning and life to an already given name, is something that most professionals should always take note of. If you are a writer, you might consider branding yourself through a book.
Here are few pointers to make yourself pop out of your book:
1. Know what you want
There's a big difference between knowing what you want to write and knowing what you want. Take time to get to know yourself by reading books. You can categorize what you are from what you are not through your choice of books. Do not copy the books, just take ideas and be aware how these books introduce their writer. From that, it will be easy to visualize the impression and the name you want to project on your own book.
2. Always be concrete about your target audience
Be clear and precise on who or what kind of people you want to reach out your message or story. Consistency on knowing your audience is the foundation and direction for the content of your book.
3. Put yourself into the shoes of your audience
You'll never really have a clear idea on what your audience and readers expect unless you imagine yourself as the one reading your own story. If you want to capture interest of a child, think of what a child wants to see into your book: colors and pictures. If you want to sell something, think that the costumer not only wants quality but promos and freebees as well. Enhancing your writing is compromising between what you want to convey and what your audience want.
4. Work your way to balance your book with entertainment and connection
An effective book entertains, but a book with brand connects. Entertaining is short term. People can get entertained and then forget about it after but when you connect with people, you produce a long term impact. You may never know out of the thousands of people reading your book, there is a large probability of people connecting and remembering you.
5. Build a connection by narrating experiences, relevant issues and inspiration
A lively connection between the reader and the author relies on reality. Life is all about the reality and every person experience it. A touch of reality on some aspects of your pages won't harm your identity. Take a look at the myths and fables, the story is fiction but the thing that keeps them remembered is that they portray values and messages that people can get inspiration. Take a look also at the hard news, people read news because it is the most relevant. They rarely read past news. They rarely read news that happened too far from their place because they have no connection from the things that had happened.
6. Have your book proofread by people who are close to you
Closer people are the ones who know you better that anyone. It will help if you ask them to take time to read your work not only to check for grammar but to criticize and judge whether or not you have shown your own character in your book.
7. Be open to suggestions
Suggestions on improvement, on entertainment, and on purpose of the book are the ones we are talking about. Be open for a suggestion that would encourage you to become more different and to stand out.
8. Don't forget to write your name - on the cover and on the back!
It's your book! Go ahead and mark it all down with your name. Try the Stephen King technique where you can see his name on top of almost every book he wrote. Along with your name, create a trademark that would always recognize you as the author. Whether it is the theme, color scheme or background should spell you. You can use it in the future for your next edition. The back cover is the next thing readers will look at when a book is sealed. Putting a little information about yourself at the back helps you become branded.
Roderick Martin is the founder of Authors In Motion. He's a story teller at heart and a small business veteran with over 19 years of in-the-trenches sales, marketing and entrepreneurial experience (he mistakenly thinks he may soon have it all figured out). He blogs about internet marketing for self-publishers and other how to methods that are helping people achieve the dreams and goals that they have always wanted. To learn more about him and how he can help you, please visit http://www.roderickmartin.com or visit http://www.authorsinmotion.com
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