An author name readers recognize at a glance
We help you decide what your name should promise readers, then express that consistently through typography, color, photography, your bio and the way you write about yourself and your books.
A brand is a promise about the reading experience, kept every time your name appears.
Your name is part of the cover
Readers who enjoyed one of your books look for the next by your name, and they recognize it by its look as much as its spelling. A brand is simply that recognition made deliberate: the same promise of tone and genre, expressed in typography, color and voice wherever your name appears, from spines to your newsletter header.
We begin with positioning: who you write for and what they can count on from you. From there we develop an author name treatment, a color palette and font pairing, art direction for your author photograph, a short and long bio, and simple tone guidelines. For series writers, we set rules that keep each new installment instantly part of the family.
A plan that starts before release day
Good marketing is steady rather than loud. A typical plan builds over several months, then keeps going after launch.
- 90 days out
Positioning
Audience, comparable titles, metadata and the core message for your book.
- 60 days out
Platform
Website, author profiles, newsletter sign-up and social presence in order.
- 30 days out
Momentum
Cover reveal, advance reader copies and early conversations with readers.
- Launch week
Release
Announcements, launch content and a simple checklist so nothing is missed.
- After launch
Longevity
Reviewing what worked, refreshing metadata and planning the next push.
What you gain with author branding
We help you decide what your name should promise readers, then express that consistently through typography, color, photography, your bio and the way you write about yourself and your books.
Positioning in a sentence
We distill what you write and who it is for into a short statement you can use to brief designers, write bios and answer the inevitable question about what you write.
A visual identity
An author name treatment, color palette and font pairing give covers, your website and social graphics a shared look, even when different designers work on them.
Photo and bio direction
We brief your photographer on setting, wardrobe, light and framing to suit your genre, and write bios in several lengths for book jackets, events and press.
Series consistency
Rules for title placement, typography, color shifts between installments and spine design mean book five still sits naturally beside book one on a shelf or screen.
Everything in the brief
The exact scope is confirmed in writing before work begins, so you always know what you are paying for.
- Authors launching a series who want it to look unified
- Writers moving into a new genre or pen name
- Nonfiction authors building authority around their expertise
- Author positioning statement
- Author name typography treatment
- Color palette and font pairing
- Author photo art direction brief
- Short, medium and long author bios
- Tone of voice guidelines with examples
- Series style rules for future covers
- One-page brand guide to share with designers
Four clear steps
- 1
Conversation
We talk through your books, readers, plans for future titles and authors whose presence you admire, then review your existing covers and profiles.
- 2
Positioning
We draft your positioning statement and tone of voice notes for you to react to, and refine them until they feel accurate.
- 3
Visual identity
You see two directions for name treatment, palette and fonts, shown on mock covers and social graphics, and choose one to develop.
- 4
Brand guide
We compile everything into a concise guide with bios, photo brief and series rules, ready for any designer or publicist you work with.
Not at all. It is easiest to set up before the first book, because the cover, website and social accounts can all be designed to match from the start. Authors with a backlist benefit too, especially when earlier covers were made by different designers and no longer look related.
We provide art direction rather than the photoshoot itself: a brief covering location, clothing, lighting, expression and crop, matched to your genre. You can hand it to a local photographer, and we are glad to review the results and help you choose the strongest image.
Yes. Many authors write different genres under different names, and each needs its own positioning and look so readers are not confused. We can create separate identities, or a linked family where a shared element signals that both names belong to the same writer.
Not unless you want it to. Sometimes the identity grows naturally out of covers you already have. In other cases, we may suggest a gradual refresh of the series so older titles match newer ones. Any cover redesign is quoted separately, and the choice is always yours.
Branding is priced per project, depending on whether you need a single identity or several pen names, and whether series rules are included. The quote and timeline arrive in writing after our first conversation, and nothing starts until you agree.
Let’s talk about your book
Share a few details and we will reply with practical next steps for author branding, and a written quote if you would like one.
- No obligation and no pressure
- We aim to reply to every enquiry within one business day.
- Your details stay private
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