What’s Your Brand? – DFW Question For You
What are you passionate about? What gets you angry, excited or riled?
These are more my questions than what Kristen Lamb, the speaker at DFW asked, but they are pertinent to her talk on Understanding Your Brand. I have to confess, I wouldn’t have attended her talk if I’d understood better what it was about, but I’m glad I did. It will change how I blog from now on.
For this post, I wanted to share some quotes from Kristen: “Within five years, all authors will have to do some self-publishing.” That scares some of us, so get accustomed to the idea now.
On discussing how to reach people via social media: “The people you want to reach are those people who don’t believe they like to read. You convince them that you’re worth following, they’ll spread the word to 75% of the population that don’t read.
“Your name is your brand. Be you while your’e blogging. What is it you want people to feel?” Because of this comment/workshop, I’ll post more side topic posts that I’ve usually avoided. Know why? Because I thought those issues were things peculiar to my interest. Duh. They’re the things I’m passionate about. The things I feel about and can therefore get others passionate about. Or at least find those who are passionate about them. (One friend of mine who does this well is Janet Sumner Johnson and ironically enough, is posting on this topic today, too. She does a lot of posts about private license plates and their meanings. They’re hysterically funny. Do they have anything to do with her books? Not that I can see, but they’re all her and she’s got tons of people reading.)
So yes, I’ll do writing posts because writing is something I’m passionate about – but I’ll do less of them because I’m preaching to the choir. Many of you all already write.
I’ll be posting more about fantasy and what makes a work of fiction fantasy. I’ll probably talk some about adoption. What about you? What are your passions? I’ll share my issues if you share yours. 😀
I’m pretty passionate about writing, but I’m more passionate about helping people feel comfortable in their own skin. I like to share my experiences (and encourage others to share theirs) in the hope that someone will say, “I don’t feel so alone anymore.”
My main passion is music. I like the story telling part of my novels, but have less passion for writing. When I first came to your blog and learned about you adopting a girl from China, my first reaction was why you don’t write a fiction set in modern time based somehow on your story. But a novl where you add fiction stories to make it more exciting. It seems much easier than a novel set in the past that required a lot of research. And you have a much larger audience and also agents/publisher like your life experience with the subject. Two years ago I met at Amazon Abna a awoman who wrote afiction about adopting a girl from China and Ijust read the first pages, and it was interesting.
We are completely on the same wavelength today! You say it better than I do, though. It IS about writing what we’re passionate about. Otherwise it becomes a chore.
And I’m completely flattered that you thought of me! I do love those personalized plates (I have a whole list of them waiting to become blog posts). 🙂 The funny part is that after I did the first post, I figured I couldn’t do any more because the idea was used. But then I’d find more plates calling out to be shared.
I really look forward to reading more about your adoption experience . . . and about those things you’re passionate about. 🙂
Thanks, Janet! Looking forward to the plates. LOL I saw one the other day I couldn’t decipher and thought of you. Wish I hadn’t been driving. I would have written it down and sent it to you for your wisdom. ;D
This is why I can’t help blogging about books I love and tidbits I discover about mythical creatures. Oh I love fantasy too so get started with those fantasy posts!!! And more about adoption, because I love to hear the personal side of my blogging friends, too.
LOL Thanks and I’m trying, Margo. 😀 I’m also still trying to find a new job and sell my house, so sometimes one thing or another falls through the cracks. Sigh.