Building Your Brand: A Masterclass

Truth be told, there's a lot that goes into brand development—blood, sweat, tears, research, logo drafts, color palette swatches, hours of keyword and tagline research and testing. So, I'm going to break this down into its core moving parts so you can take the first step on your brand journey.

Branding is your identity—it's what makes you recognizable, relatable, and most importantly, marketable. It's the difference between being known for something or getting lost in the sauce. As an author, your branding isn't just about products or ad campaigns. It's about you as a person and the stories you write.

Branding can be broken down into three core categories: your Foundation (Mission/Vision, Values, and Unique Value Proposition), your Audience, and your Identity (Voice, Story, Tagline, and Visual Identity).

The aesthetics are only a small portion of it. It doesn't matter if you shell out nearly a grand for a graphic designer to make your branding flawless if you haven't laid the foundation and don't know your market.

Want the full breakdown—including how we built Hawthorn & Aster's brand from the ground up? This one's for Author Circle members.