What's a great tool to get your book into the hands of readers? A branded author platform!Come along with Anna (a brand strategist and designer) on Tuesdays as she teaches writers and aspiring writers about the power of building an author brand. Each episode covers intentional strategies to create a brand that elevates your author platform, cultivates authentic relationships with readers, and empowers you to promote your book.
How do I get an online follower from point A to point B? How do I turn an online follower into a reader of my books?
You’ve been working hard on your book, and you’re ready to launch it into the world. There’s only one problem: how do you sell it?
One amazing tool that helps you convert an online follower into a loyal reader is by working with a designer who does author website design.
So you put it online, and the online world will automatically find it!...Right?...
Right, guys?
Not really.
Just because you’ve now put your book into the world doesn’t mean that Google will start sending online users to your site. There’s a lot more that goes into it than that. So let’s jump in, learn about our guest-- Michelle Pontvert--a bit, and hear her awesome knowledge about websites that convert.
In today’s episode, we’ll be discussing:
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LET’S CONNECT!Instagram: @annamcveytyson
Blog: https://mcveytyson.com/blog
So I know that for many of us, friend, these past 18 months or so have been hard. Thanks to a little pandemic that’s affected the entire world.
And we’ve still had to carry on with everyday activities, like paying the bills, taking care of our families, working, and, hopefully, fitting in time to write.
So how do you make time for a brand strategy?
Well, sometimes you just can’t make time.
Instead, what you need is a break.
This week’s episode isn’t directly about brand strategy, but it is about resting and taking care of yourself. Which is going to allow you to create and implement a brand strategy more effectively than if you’re burnt out and feeling harried.
I’m interviewing my good friend, Ramon Chaparro, a licensed counselor based in Denver, CO. He’ll walk us through what he has generally observed as a mental health worker and provide some resources on how to care for yourself in the hardest times.
Keep listening to hear what he has to share.
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LET’S CONNECT!Instagram: @annamcveytyson
Blog: https://mcveytyson.com/blog
Did you know that the average person has about 6,200 thoughts a day?
How many of those thoughts are negative?
I’m just speculating here, but I’m going to estimate a good third are negative. (Sorry, I didn’t find a statistic for this during my research.)
So with that in mind, can we say that many of those negative thoughts are also limiting beliefs?
Let’s define a limiting belief. Alissa Finerman wrote for Wharton magazine, “Does the belief help us move forward or limit our potential?... Be honest. Is the belief or story we are telling actually true?”
If it’s a thought that holds you back from pursuing a goal, it’s a limiting belief.
We don’t want those limiting beliefs determining our actions, especially if it's a goal to be a successful author.
Maybe some negative core beliefs are holding you back from branding your author platform.
Today, we’ll be debunking the 3 common limiting beliefs that I’ve heard authors give for not creating a brand or a strategy.
In today’s episode, we’ll be discussing:
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Hey guys, Anna here with Art of the Brand: Author Edition. I am changing my publishing schedule to bi-weekly. So every other week, simply because I do these shows completely solo and I'm reworking the way that I make them just a little bit. But they take a long time. There's a lot of research that I get into and I still want to continue doing it, but to not get burned out, I'm going to be changing that.
So I apologize for not publishing for about two weeks, but I will be back next week with a full episode. And until then have a fantastic week. And yeah, I'll be back with you soon.
I really have to add that to my to-do list now?
I know that it might be hard to justify spending time on a brand strategy when there are other priorities you’re already worried about.
You’ve got the cover design, your book launch, gathering reviews, etc. to focus on.
Yes, this is one thing to add to your plate, but the return on investment for creating a brand strategy will have long-term benefits.
Impressions Are Made So Fast!It takes less than one second for someone to create an impression about you. Just one. At least that’s what Phil McAleer, from the University of Glasgow, Scotland, found in a 2014 study.
So the fact of the matter is that how you present yourself to someone matters more than you might want to accept.
So you say to yourself, “Okay, cool. I’ll get done.”
“Great!” I say.
But if you’ve been listening to my other episodes, you’ll know that having a defined “Why” is an important first step of any strategy.
So if you don’t know the “Why” behind your own brand strategy, then it’s really not worth doing it.
Because there’s no real reason to feel invested in getting it done if you don’t have a reason to care.
But, of course, I also want to help you find a reason to care about building the best strategy for yourself.
So in today’s episode of the Art of the Brand: Author Edition, I’ll list five reasons that a brand strategy is going to help you make the best first impression. You’ll be able to put your best face forward, impressing your ideal readers.
Tune in and find your “Why” from today’s episode.
In today’s episode, we’ll be discussing:
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For a full list of the sources used for this episode, please visit mcveytyson.com/brand-strategy.
LET’S CONNECT!
Instagram: @annamcveytyson Blog: https://mcveytyson.com/blog
A few months ago, I was speaking with authors to learn what questions and struggles they had about building a successful brand. But you know what question came up ALL the time: “What is a brand?”
And honestly, I forget that sometimes not everybody knows what a brand is or how it will help them get closer to their goals as authors.
Obviously, that’s a “Duh!” moment for me.
So here is the short and sweet definition: A brand is a gut feeling a reader gets when they think of you.
Awesome! You now know what a brand is!
But that doesn’t quite answer the questions: “What is a brand going to do for me? And how do you put together a successful brand?”
So, I found a simple way to define a brand and explain its benefits.
In today’s podcast episode, I’ve laid out the simple recipe to build a successful brand
It’s short and sweet because you just need to know how it’s going to help you and the basics that make up a successful brand.
Give me a few minutes today and I'll give you the 4 simple ingredients that will answer what a brand is and how it will help you get one step closer to your writing career goals.
In today’s episode, we’ll be discussing:
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LET’S CONNECT!Instagram: @annamcveytyson
Blog: https://mcveytyson.com/blog
How To Make A Successful Brand Strategy Like The Pumpkin Spice Latte
It’s time to create a brand strategy that positions you as a genre-defining author, so you can feel confident putting yourself out there.
‘Cause one day you’d like to be the image that comes to a reader’s mind when they think about your genre.
And, maybe, you're starting to see that a brand strategy is a good way to become that author. But you can't figure out how to make a strategy that does that ... and the nuts-and-bolts of branding!? It's beyond you.
Honestly, there are all kinds of tutorials on Youtube that can help you create a strategy like that.
But you’d still be wasting your time sifting through all the content there to find a great guide.
And this is where the strange connection between the pumpkin spice latte and a successful brand strategy comes into play.
I started loving the pumpkin spice latte (aka PSL) back in 2005, my very first semester at university.
For the past few weeks, I’d been wondering, “How has the pumpkin spice latte become THE defining drink of fall? And how has it stood the test of time?
And so since I am a brand strategist and designer, the more research and thinking that I did, I began to make connections of how these strategies might work for authors.
In today’s episode, you’ll learn how you can create a brand that will last the test of time and position you as THE defining author for your genre and area of expertise. So let’s have a little fun today.
Grab a cup of PSL, or your preferred Fall drink, and let’s get into it.
In today’s episode, we’ll be discussing:
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When is the right time to focus on author branding?
Do you think that you need to be published before you start?
You’re ready to be taken seriously as the author you’ve always wanted to be.
You’ve been sending out your books to publishers and literary agents, and you’re just waiting to hear back.
What every aspiring writer needs to know -
If you’re trying to get published traditionally, publishers want to ensure that you have some sort of following before taking a chance on you. So it really does need to be a priority beforehand.
As Leona Brits, from the Writing Cooperative writes, “A new author is a high-risk one for publishers. However, if you have evidence that you already have fans (meaning: potential buyers), your chance of being published by a traditional publisher will be enhanced.” (Source)
An author brand will help you expand your author platform, it makes you instantly recognizable to your audience and helps you build your authority as a writer. And when you do publish your book, you’ll already have a loyal audience that’s looking forward to buying from you.
And your book, it matters! So expanding your author platform before you publish is the perfect time to brand yourself.
In short, an author brand is important for the unpublished author.
“So, cool,” you think. “I’ll just get started on that right now!”
But slow your roll, friend!
Have you wondered how you’ll do it?
You could totally get started on that ASAP, BUT...big BUT here--have you thought through the steps to get started?
Just because you’re aware that it’s important doesn’t mean you know how to do it.
Swipe my 2 brand hacks to start branding yourself.
And why waste precious hours learning how to get to it, when you could just learn why it’s important. And can't stop won't stop—how about I throw in two brand hacks to start your own author brand in today’s episode?
In today's episode, we'll be discussing:
Resources mentioned:The 3-Step Framework to Jumpstart Your Author Brand: https://mcveytyson.com/free-course
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What is the best platform to build your author website?
How are you supposed to choose?
There are so many different options to choose from: Wix, Wordpress, Squarespace, Showit, and so many more that seem to be popping up all the time.
So it can be overwhelming to know which one to choose.
Well, I think I can help you out with that.
In today’s podcast episode, I cover the best platform--in my opinion--which one to choose and which one not to choose.
Because, yes, there is one that I’m not such a huge fan of after using it for years.
And you’ll learn the top three reasons why I switched to my new favorite website platform.
Want to learn more about the best place to build your website?
Check out the newest episode now.
In this episode, we’ll be discussing:
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Thank you so much for joining me today. If you enjoyed this episode, go ahead and subscribe to the podcast here. And if you're feeling extra inspired, leave a review here. I will be forever grateful to you.
Hey guys, this is Anna. I decided to take a little bit of a break this week from the podcast, so that I could spend more time with my kids. If you're not in the US, you wouldn't know…But yesterday on Monday the sixth, that was Labor Day, a national holiday. And I just wanted to be able to spend time with my kids without worrying about publishing the next podcast. But don't worry; I will be back next week with another episode.
So until then, bye.
You want to appear as a confident writer, but maybe you suffer a bit from imposter syndrome.
Yeah, it’s a real stinker.
And that’s holding you back from sharing your amazing book with the world. When you started writing your book, you dreamed of impacting the lives of your readers.
But you never thought about how difficult it would be to find a publisher and get your work into the hands of readers.
Maybe, building your author platform never crossed your mind.
It feels so overwhelming. You already have to edit and revise your book. You have to send your manuscript to editors, agents, and publishers. You've got to launch your book. And you're trying to get reviews for your new book.
Imposter syndrome is real. And it can be difficult to overcome.
But you don’t have to remain stuck.
Overcome the imposter syndrome holding you back.
In today’s Art of the Brand: Author Edition episode with guest Jessi Beyer, you’ll hear about her imperfect journey to self-publishing, crafting a unique brand message and strategy, so she could own her expertise, expand her platform, and impact many as she became a bestselling author.
All while struggling with imposter syndrome.
And Jessi Beyer can show you how to kick it to the curb.
The real point of this week’s episode is to remind you how you can do the same: overcome imposter syndrome and use brand strategy to reach your goals.
So come join me to learn how you can overcome imposter syndrome like Jessi.
So what it’ll be, friend?
In today’s episode, we’ll be discussing:
Resources mentioned:
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If you enjoyed this episode, go ahead and subscribe to the podcast here. And if you're feeling extra inspired, leave a review here. I will be forever grateful to you.
I have heard from authors time and again that connecting and interacting with their readers online is super important. But there’s some confusion about how to foster those relationships, especially when interacting online can feel so impersonal.
That’s where a brand strategy steps in to save the day.
But, ugh! Isn’t that just going to take so much time?
Yeah, it will. But before you go clicking away, just hear me out.
Imagine...
Imagine what building fantastic relationships with your readers can do for you.
Okay. Got that in mind?
Cool!
Now imagine staying exactly where you are in this moment without all those fantastic relationships with your readers.
The truth can hurt
Not as pretty of a picture, is it?
No, it’s really not.
That might be a problem...
So you can stay exactly where you are now.
Or you can invest the time to create a brand strategy that expands your author platform and can sell your books.
So what’s it gonna be?
The Solution
Well thankfully, you don’t really have to wonder whether it’ll be worth your time.
I cover this exact topic in today’s video, but more in-depth.
We’ll cover why a brand strategy can help you as an author and how you can start building connections with your readers.
The 3-Step Framework to Jumpstart Your Author Brand: https://mcveytyson.com/ddrq
Website: mcveytyson.com
LET’S CONNECT!Instagram:@annamcveytysonBlog:https://mcveytyson.com/blog
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*This is not an affiliate link.**
Branding can seem like such a nebulous concept.
Like, what even is branding?
The easiest way to define it is “a brand is the perceived image of the product you sell, and branding is the strategy to create that image.” (Source)
In short, your brand helps people know who you are, what you’re about, and why people should care.
Okay so now that that’s out of the way, what can a beginner do to catch people’s attention and stand out?
Where you can start
So you can start with the way your brand looks (i.e., your logo), but that’s not going to set up your brand for success!
But why you shouldn’t
Your brand could look pretty, but you won’t have that brag-worthy brand. You’ll blend in with the crowd and possibly miss out on attracting your ideal readers, literary agents, publishers, etc.
And what you really want is a brand that makes you stand out. Not something that’s so-so.
Caution: Truth Bomb ahead
The truth is that it’s too easy to DIY your way to a branded author platform that blends in with the crowd and lacks personality.
But don’t worry.
I’ve got your back!
In today’s video, I give you a super simple trick to help you differentiate yourself from the sea of authors out there, even if you’re a beginner to this whole branding thing.
The 3-Step Framework to Jumpstart Your Author Brand: https://mcveytyson.com/ddrq
Website: mcveytyson.com
LET’S CONNECT!
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The website is the home base for your author platform. Rather than Instagram where your audience can go view so many other accounts, your website is all about you.
You have the opportunity to really show off who you are without any distractions from other social media accounts. It’s a definite must for every author--aspiring or published--both categories of authors can benefit.
However, if you don’t have a website yet, it can be tempting to go down the DIY route. It seems more affordable than hiring a web designer, but doing it yourself can lead to some...well...issues.
In this episode, we’ll be discussing:
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Thank you so much for joining me today. If you enjoyed this episode, go ahead and subscribe to the podcast here. And if you're feeling extra inspired, leave a review
Let's revisit who can use branding and brand strategy. Do you think that only small business owners can use those tools? If you said yes, I'd beg to differ.
How about authors, writers and visual storytellers? Can they use branding to their advantage? Well, I think that the answer is a big old yes. In fact, I'd say that branding your author platform is essential to your success.
Today, we'll talk with published author Sierra Barela. She'll discuss her own brand strategy, messaging, and important brand visuals. She's even going to offer some free advice about how an aspiring writer can start to brand her own author platform.
Stay tuned.
In this episode, we’ll be discussing:
Resources Mentioned:
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Introduction Music: Water Wood & Stone Creative Commons Music by Jason Shaw on Audionautix.com
Transition Music: Music https://www.purple-planet.com https://www.purple-planet.com
Outro Music: No More by HaTom_music from Pixabay
Thank you so much for joining me today. If you enjoyed this episode, go ahead and subscribe to the podcast here. And if you're feeling extra inspired, leave a review here. I will be forever grateful to you.