Brey Willows

I read an article this morning that reminded authors to consider their identity in relation to their books when doing marketing. What do you need to tell people to get them to connect your work to you? When they think of you, do they think of your books? Or when they think of a certain genre, are you the person they consider?

Cue the navel-gazing.

There’s a lot of me in my books. In my tone, my voice, as an author. My characters tend toward sarcasm and snark, as well as genuine conversation. That’s me as a human. I like those types of conversations and so I write them. There’s also trauma, lots of things to do with chosen family, themes around trying to find yourself, and the difficulty with wanting things you feel you can’t have or don’t deserve.

Therapy in fiction. I’m a fan.

But what do YOU think of when you think of me or my books? Do you correlate the two? If someone asked you for a fantasy rec with Greek gods, do you think of me? If someone wanted a book with chosen family themes, am I your go-to?

Word of mouth is the most effective way to sell books. When people like what you’ve done, and what you continue to do, they’re more likely to tell other folks about it. It’s a trust thing. And I really, really hope that at some point the person I am in relation to the books I write sticks with you, and that you tell other folks that I’m someone they might like too.

Here’s a random photo of a moment that made me happy. Three old guys playing with remote control boats on a beautiful day.