Branding and Multi-Genre Writing

I have always imagined writing in multiple genres under one name. I have romance, erotica, supernatural, and action stories semi-mapped out in my mind. There is even a mystery and a fantasy story banging around in there. When I began to research writing in multiple genres, everything I read stated I needed to have multiple pen names to write in multiple genres. This was not what I wanted to read.

Having multiple pen names means two or three different websites, two or three different social media accounts, and two or three different newsletters. Managing two or three accounts seems like a daunting task with everything authors need to do; especially indie authors.

Then in an article by Mandy Eve-Barnett about how to promote in multiple genres, she mentioned having a brand/theme instead of being known for your genre of writing. I thought to myself, that is what I need to do. Create a brand.

I had no idea what a brand was or how to get one. I started to follow authors on social media and ask questions. I realized, a brand requires an understanding of who you are as a writer, finding the commonality in your work, and determining what you want to be known for. It will represent how your readers will recognize you. The question was, what do I want to be known for?

I didn’t have an answer for that question, but I did start to think about who I am as a writer and what I want my stories to convey. So, I started posting to Twitter everyday. Not for visibility (although that would be nice) but to see if I had a message; if I had anything to say. I also wanted to know if anyone would listen.

I post writing advice and writing topics, along with posts to empower women. Discussing my writing journey and my thoughts about women gave my followers a view into who I am. This is what I wanted to be known for. This is my brand.

The stories I want to write reflect exactly what I talk about. I want to tell stories about strong women who fight for themselves. When people think of me as an author, I don’t want them to think of a genre, I want them to think, ‘Oh that’s the author who writes stories about strong women, fighting for themselves and for others.’

Branding gives me the opportunity to write across genres while maintaining a known voice to my readers. Unless your genres are drastically different (i.e., horror and children) branding should allow you the flexibility to write in multiple genres under one name.