Author Branding Advice: What Is Your Story?

Going to festivals can give you ideas about how best to market, brand, and sell your books.

Think about it: There are a hundred storefronts vying for your attention and your money. How do they present themselves?

I could see this last weekend at the Hershey Culturefest. There were probably a dozen vendors selling jewelry. These were beautiful pieces, made by talented women who put a lot of effort into learning their skills, selecting their materials, and crafted their designs.

But there was a wide range in how they presented themselves. There was one vendor who had a very simple display: a couple tables, the pieces laid flat on white cloth, and that’s it. No signs. No array of products hung at different heights to catch the eye.

Nothing.

I want to be generous and think that she was just starting out. Perhaps she hadn’t learned yet how to do it. The result was she didn’t make many sales that day.

Whether she knew it or not, she was telling potential customers a story.

I thought about her when I was wandering the stores and came across this display and stopped dead. I wasn’t looking for CIA material, but this inspired me to come inside and learn more.

As soon as I saw this, I knew the story Sea Glass Jewelry by Nora was telling me. Sea glass is the term for glass that had been polished by the action of waves and sand on pieces of glass.

Everything about this book reminded me of the ocean, the beach, and the beautiful things you find there. The color scheme reflects the sand and Caribbean waters. The table and stands show off the jewelry at various eye levels. There’s pretty cards available for purchase in case you don’t want jewelry. There’s even a poster that explains what sea glass is.

One table positions the jewelry in a way that’s easy to see. There’s even a pretty book that represents an impulse purchase.

Nora knows how her booth’s design impresses customers. One little girl walked in, looked around, and said, “It feels just like the beach!”

Now, I know that books are not the same as jewelry, but when we sit down next month to consider our next round of books, and the changes we’ll make in our displays, I’ll think about Nora and imagine what story we’re telling.