Three years ago if anyone in the writing world tried to talk with me about branding myself as a writer, I would have told them it was a worthless, pointless pursuit created from the neurotic social media craze. I was focused on more important things like craft, drafting, revising, and reading like a maniac. What was there to worry about? Wasn’t my writing enough of a selling-point?

The short answer to this is yes…and no.

One of the things I learned within my MFA program was the professional and creative importance of branding yourself as a writer. I got the idea when those in my cohort began talking about their expensive author websites, their glamorous author photo shoots, what went up on their social media, and handing me business cards I never really asked for.

Do writers really have a “brand” and how do I get one?

Why It Matters

The idea of marketing yourself partly goes back to what I discussed last week regarding your identity as a professional writer. well, this is the next part of the puzzle. Getting published means you need an author bio; an author bio means you probably need a platform where readers, editors, and the like can contact or discover you in the first place. Regardless of if you’ve been published, starting early with your online presence is a sound way to go. A website and being on social media means you can build your audience. It’s a necessary evil. Self promotion is honestly my least favorite part of being a writer. Some people are better at it than others, but I do it anyway.

Where Do I Start?

How are your going to present yourself to the world? Well, always start with your writing. As Jane Friedman in her book: The Business of Being a Writer states:“brand is about how you and your work are perceived… a good starting exercise is to inventory everything you’ve written or published. What topics or themes emerge in those pieces? What patterns can you identify” (5-6). It’s all about the niche. However, don’t force this investigation of yourself- be as genuine and honest as possible. Pretending to be someone you’re not is unhelpful.

Once you’ve pinpointed the most unique or noteworthy elements in your content- apply this to who you want to present yourself as online. Its all about the aesthetic. For example, all of us in our MFA program worked under the broad umbrella genres: “creative nonfiction” or “fiction,” but we all had their own style and identity. What made us stand out from one another? I knew the quirky science fiction long form writers. and the whimsical romantic small town-oriented writers, or the LGBTQIA+ advocate… everyone had their own thing. I myself was the vintage, experimental, narrative nonfiction writer who wrote in metaphors about childhood experiences, or family history. I also happened to be a multimedia artist working in black and white photography- (which happened to compliment my writing,) so there was my personal angle. That was what made me unique, building out an aesthetic that was mine all along. Identity is power.

Knowing how I stood out particularly helped me out at AWP when different people asked me two questions: 1. what kind of writing I did, and 2. where could they find or look me up? I personally used business cards as a way in, (yeah, I know, old school,) but they became an amazing first impression and were way better than saying “Google me!” Part of being a professional is being asked “what you do,” and having a business card, website, or social media account to back that up is a major plus.

Now What?

Now comes the less exciting part- using technology. Writers flock mostly to Instagram, Substack, and the like. Find other resources besides me for detailed advice on this one. Get on platforms that you will actually use, and don’t bite off more than you can chew. Keeping up a website and social media active with new content is cumbersome and is a lot more work than I thought.

I am honestly not the person to ask about the logistics of building a platform. I had major help creating a basic but elegant Word Press website and have a business Instagram. I make everything look eye-catching and use my own content and photography. It’s up to you to decide on the presentation.

Seriously? the Author Photoshoot?

Okay, so not everyone needs a professional author headshot right away, but it’s actually kinda fun to literally envision how you’d want to present yourself as a writer. The headshot can be as complex or simple as you want. I myself wanted a earthy, dark academia theme for years before Taylor Swift’s Folklore album came out. Now and forever more whenever someone sees my picture, the first thing they think of is “Folklore?” So you win some, you lose some!

Last Thoughts

Marketing yourself online or otherwise can be an overwhelming but fun process with endless possibilities! There is no one way to go about it, but make sure it works for you!

Until next time,

Lena N. Gemmer

P.S. Here is the link to my Instagram if you want to check it out- shameless plug!

P.P.S. Here is the link to The Business of Being a Writer