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This is the first in a series of posts to provide perspective on the business of writing, leveraging a marketing professional’s experience. In this installment, we’ll explore the concept and importance of branding. Writers often complain that branding is a mysterious concept. It doesn’t need to be. A brand is a...

This is the second in a series of posts to provide perspective on the business of writing, leveraging a marketing professional’s experience. In this installment, learn about book cover design. In my last article, we defined brand as an author’s promise to readers. Design is the visual manifestation of that promise. In the...

This is the third in a series of posts to provide perspective on the business of writing, leveraging a marketing professional’s experience. In this installment, learn how to assess the work of a book cover designer. The prior article points out that, in a cluttered environment, your book only has seconds to interest...

This is the fourth in a series of posts to provide perspective on the business of writing, leveraging a marketing professional’s experience. In this installment, learn about hiring a freelance editor! Along my writing journey, I recognize that there’s much to learn. It’s a new industry, with unfamiliar terminology, new...

This is the fifth in a series of posts to provide perspective on the business of writing, leveraging a marketing professional’s experience. In this installment, make the most out of attending a writers’ conference! In the last twelve months, I’ve attended BookCon, RWA, Put Your Heart in a Book and...

Simon Sinek explains why the strongest brands start with the "why" they exist, before the what or how: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5Tw0PGcyN0 If you'd like to take a personal brand archetype quiz, CAPT offers this one for $19 (there are also others available online for free): https://www.capt.org/pmai-assessment/archetype-assessment-personality.htm?bhcp=1 How to Apply “Design Thinking” to...

Hello writer friends, In case you missed Writers’ Digest annual conference, I’m thrilled to share a summary of one of my talks. On day two of the conference, we discussed best practices in book cover design. First, we defined brand as a concept that encapsulates the UNIQUE positioning, differentiation, relevance,...

Hello writer friends, I just returned from Writers’ Digest annual conference. It’s one of my favorite events, and holds a special place in my writing life as the conference where I met my agent. In case you missed it, I was thrilled to speak at the conference. I shared that...

As a professional marketer, I'm immune to most gimmicky marketing campaigns. So, how did Shutterfly's email (below) pause my normal "delete" reaction? They even caused me to consider a service that I'd only used once. Oh you wickedly smart people at Shutterfly, you tapped two strong emotions: nostalgia and personalization....