Branded

As I start writing my second novel I am being reminded often that I need to start branding myself.  It's time to get my name recognized and associated with my style of writing.  There are so many things I would rather do - like oral surgery.  

The problem with branding and marketing yourself is that you have to assume that there are people out there who are going to get excited enough about you (who you are) to visit a web page, or follow your twitter account.  You have to assume you are that interesting.  It feels very different than branding and marketing a product. 

I have never wished for fame.  As an introvert I am happiest spending most of my days alone with my imaginary friends (characters), creating stories to entertain others.  I am starting to see the benefit now of a pen name.  Maybe I should have become K G Stylo (French for pen) before I put my first book out there.  (Damn, why do I think of these things now!)  It would be so much easier to announce to the world all the (imaginary) interesting things that KG would be doing.  As it is, I went to Target this morning and got more all-purpose cleanser in a new scent.  As much as this excites me, I'm not so vain to assume it would excited much of anyone else.  

 I do write this blog, which is a form of branding myself.  I just love writing, communicating, opening up dialogs and tossing around ideas.  It was also easier to do because I have been able to remain semi-anonymous.  Here I am only Karen @joiedemidvivre.  It took me months to be OK with associating my last name with the blog or (god forbid) putting an actual picture out there of me.  

 One of my next steps is creating a web site for myself as an author.  From the time I started researching self-publishing I have read that having one is very important.  I've been avoiding it because in creating one I am making an assumption that someone one (actually more than one person) will be interested in it.  I will do it because it's all part of this process or creating, then getting really brave and putting that something (and now me) out there for the world to see (and comment on).  Jumping out of an airplane was so much easier than all this. 

My first branded item. Note my name is on the cute beach bag giveaway.

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