Thanks for joining in. I think I might’ve screwed up because of the time difference here. LOL I was sleeping when you guys were posting. The jet lag has nearly killed me. Continental screwed up and made me miss my connecting flight in Newark, so they had to reroute me through Manchester, England. It took me over 24 hours to get to Frankfurt.

I’m almost afraid to try and head home at the end of this…. LOL

Brenda

Branding is basically shorthand, you know? It’s getting to a point where folks recognize and trust your name without having to give them any extra information.

The whole self-promotion thing is a topic we could talk about forever. What works, what doesn’t. I’ve put a lot of effort into promotion (well, what I can do considering I have such a big family and such tight deadlines). Sometimes I see results and am glad I did. Other times I wonder if it’s all a waste of time. I really believe it’s a partnership and most effective when the publisher is doing its part, too. There are a few exceptions, of course, but I don’t think an author can make a huge impact all on her own. She definitely needs all the visibility she can get via her publisher (and that coveted co-op space in front of bookstores).

Brenda

There is no word an author loves more than the word “autobuy.” LOL That means you have come to trust an author’s name–what a great compliment.

I’m having a bit of trouble posting here (I’m in Germany on vacation right now) so I hope this Internet connection holds up….

Brenda

That’s the toughest question of all: deciding what you want your brand to be. Once you establish that, it’s not so hard to think of ways to promote it (but you’re not giving yourself enough credit–you’re doing a great job already).

Brenda

I’m so happy to be here. Thanks for inviting me.

And Jolene–You’re one of my favorite auction shoppers. Thanks so much for all your participation. We’re coming up on $160,000 today. Amazing, isn’t it?

Brenda

Thanks so much for having me. What a nice intro you gave me. :-)

Cher, great to see you here, too. You’ve always been such a great support for the auction and my work.

Your question about branding…. Actually, writing two different kinds of stories creates a real challenge. Because I think it’s less effective to send out more than one signal at a time, I’ve focused on the romantic suspense. I’m hoping that my readers will love these books enough to go back and see what else I’ve written, which will lead them to the Supers. This has allowed me to build my web site with only one “feel” instead of watering it down by trying to mix the two. I basically asked myself where I thought my promotion efforts could make the most difference and decided to put all my effort and energy toward that.

Great question–and I’m not sure I’ve made the right decision, but I have felt as if my efforts have made more of a difference in this arena.

Brenda

Peace and love,
Paula R.