Dress for Success: 5 Tips to Brand Yourself and Your Book

Dressing for success in book marketing is not about the clothes you put on, but putting your best foot forward in other areas of your presentation to help ensure success. Developing a professional, well-dressed brand will build your confidence and establish trust with your readers and other professionals you interact with as you market your books. You can take the following five steps to build your professional image and boost your marketing confidence.

1. Present a Professional Image

A professional image is about dressing sharply. As an author, your website, business card, letterhead, and social networking sites are where your audience receives their first impression of you. Make sure these look clean and professional. Use a professional author photo. Have consistency across all your platforms in image, color, and theme so that you present a branded image. Just as how you dress affects how you think and act, presenting a professional image to the world will boost your book and publisher confidence as well.

2. Stay in The Know

Nothing builds confidence like knowledge. The more you know, the more secure you are in stepping into that knowledge. As an author, stay up-to-date on publishing and marketing trends. Learn what others are doing successfully and then mimic these tactics with your target audience for successful exposure. You can join a local or national writers’ or publishers’ association to receive cutting-edge information and join with others in group marketing efforts. You can also turn to trusted resources in the industry, like IngramSpark, and follow along with their free publisher education like podcast, blog, and downloadable guides.

3. Speak Up

Get to know other authors, influencers, and important players in the book industry as well as in your target audience. Connect with these individuals and find ways to collaborate together. Having other people who believe in what you are doing is a great confidence booster.

4. Show Your Passion

As an author, you should be passionate about your book and the message it conveys. A passionate person displays confidence in the subject they are passionate about. Let your passion shine through as you communicate with people. Enthusiasm is catchy. As your fervour for your book shines, others will also catch your excitement and want to know more about your book and how their lives might benefit from your message.

5. Take Care of Yourself

Looking and feeling your best helps with confidence. Eating healthy, getting proper rest and exercising all boost your feelings about yourself, which in turn increases your confidence. In the process of writing, publishing, and marketing books, be sure to take care of your own physical and emotional needs so you can be your best.