How to Build Your Author Brand Without Selling Your Soul.

An article, for the writing community, by authors of the community.

May 12, 2025

By CJ Aggett — Host of The Writing Community Chat Show.

Let’s be honest. When someone says “author brand,” you probably picture a smug guy in a turtleneck who writes self-help books about writing self-help books.

But branding isn’t just for the polished, the perfect, or the bestselling. In fact, if you’re an author of any kind (aspiring, published, or somewhere in that murky middle), you already have a brand.

The question is: are you steering it… or just clinging to the wheel while it veers into the nearest ditch?

As the founder of The Writing Community Chat Show, where I’ve interviewed hundreds of authors and occasionally spilled beers live on air, I’ve seen every type of author brand you can imagine. And I’ve made enough branding mistakes of my own to fill a trilogy.

So let’s talk about how to build your author brand the right way, without losing your personality, your readers, or your mind.

✏️ 1. You Are Your Brand. Seriously.

Not your book covers. Not your fonts. Not that expensive website you forgot to update since 2021.

Your author brand is you.
Your tone. Your vibe. The emotional aftermath your book leaves on someone at 2am. The way you sign off your emails with “Stay weird” or “Keep writing” or “Sorry for the delay, I was deep in a plot hole.”

Start by asking:

What kind of stories do I love to tell?
What do I want readers to feel when they hear my name?
What parts of me are worth sharing (and what parts are for the group chat only)?

Because readers don’t just follow books. They follow people. Be the person they want to stick with between launches.

🔁 2. Be Consistently You.

If your Twitter sounds like a dark, moody noir but your Instagram is a pastel rainbow of cupcakes… we might have an identity crisis on our hands.

You don’t have to be boring, but you do have to be recognisable. Think tone, visuals, values. A little consistency goes a long way. Readers should be able to spot your content, even without your name on it, and go, “Oh yeah, that’s them.”

Pro tip: Pick three words that describe your vibe and stick to them like your writing depends on it. (Because… it kinda does.)

🗣️ 3. Don’t Shout - Converse.

Some authors treat their socials like a bad open mic night: all performance, no connection.

Here’s the real magic: brand-building is community-building.

Instead of shouting about your book 24/7, try:

Sharing your writing process (yes, even the messy bits)
Asking your audience questions they want to answer
Showing up in the comments like a real human

Every reply, every like, every “omg SAME” that’s a little thread weaving someone into your brand.

📚 4. Make the Journey Public

People love a transformation story. And guess what? You’re living one.

Post about the first draft blues. The rejection that hit harder than it should have. The day you wrote a line so good you scared yourself.

Don’t just promote the book. Share the becoming. Because no one sticks around for a highlight reel, but they will binge your behind-the-scenes.

🐢 5. Play the Long Game (Like, Real Long)

Branding is not a sprint. It’s more like a really long, slightly chaotic road trip with frequent snack breaks and existential detours.

Don’t panic if you don’t go viral. Don’t rebrand every time someone else lands a book deal. Just keep showing up.

That means:

Posting even when no one’s clapping
Staying true to your voice
Writing better books (because yes, that still matters most)

Your brand will evolve, but its core should always be rooted in something true: you.

💬 Final Thoughts (The “Ted Talk” Bit)

I know “branding” can sound fake or salesy or like something your uncle Gary does with his crypto YouTube channel. But building an author brand the right way isn’t about pretending to be someone you’re not.

It’s about leaning into who you are, on the page and off.

Let people in. Let them care. Let them follow the journey.

Because when your brand is built on connection, honesty, and great storytelling… readers don’t just buy your books. They believe in them.

And honestly? That’s the kind of brand worth building.

Catch you on the next episode, The WCCS - Together As One We Get It Done.

CJ Aggett.