Think back to when you started your author career. When did you start to consider your brand, and how did you decide what it would be?
For me, the idea of settling on one selling point for my stories has always sounded nearly impossible. Even as I prepared to release my first book, I knew I would want to experiment with a variety of genres and writing styles in the future. Yet when I was building the foundation of my business and learning the ropes of social media marketing, newsletters, and managing my street team, doing all of that for a second pen name down the road sounded overwhelming.
This month’s featured author, Dale Mayer, follows a different approach. She writes in a variety of genres, from Military Romance to New Adult vampire fiction. When she finds the topics in her Thriller Suspense stories getting too heavy, she gives herself a mental break with lighthearted Cozy Mystery romps. But Mayer doesn’t feel the need to separate these stories across different pen names. Every story she publishes is under her own name, and her brand embraces the fact that her genre is always changing.
I’ve long admired the authors who are able to manage multiple pen names and brands, sometimes niching down even within specific subgenres so they can target exactly the readers who will be most interested in a particular series. In some genres, it’s almost required—ask the Romance author who likes to dabble in both Sweet stories and those that are spicier.
But Mayer’s approach deserves our applause too.
From its inception, IAM articles have reinforced that there is no right way to be an indie author. As you’ll read in this month’s cover feature, Mayer’s story, with all its successes, is proof. Whether your brand is a narrow, genre-specific funnel meant to draw in only the most ardent fans or an all-encompassing portrait of your author career for your readers to explore, there’s an audience for the stories you want to write and a way to connect with them.
Storytelling is an endlessly creative pursuit; in this issue and every other issue, we hope our articles prove that your business can be too.
Nicole Schroeder
Editor in Chief