As an indie author with a unique name, I felt it was important to build on that and 'get my name out there' so to speak. A recent post on KB reaffirmed my gut feeling that using your name whenever possible is a huge plus for authors.
When I sign up on forums or social networks, I always use Victorine or Victorine Lieske. My handle on Twitter is @VictorineLieske. My website is VictorineLieske.com. It's the same on Goodreads.com, the Nook boards, and even on this blog. I like the continuity of using my name on everything, and it's easy for people to find me if they want to. (Remember, Google is your friend!)
You're not only trying to sell books, you're trying to make a name for yourself. So use your name! Let people know who you are. And if you're worried about posting your name on the Internet, use a pseudonym, but don't sign up for a forum and use BookWriter as your moniker. (Not unless your name actually is Book Writer. Then you can.)
I'm not a huge fan of using your initials. Sure, it worked for J.K. Rowling, but more often than not I find myself forgetting names that are just two letters. But I see a lot of authors doing it, so it must have some appeal. To me it gives off an impersonal feeling, so I'd shy away from that. However, if you do use your initials, make sure you use them everywhere. Whatever you do, be consistent.
Another thing I do is use my book cover whenever possible. My avatar on KB is my book cover. That's what it is on the Nook Boards as well. I have it as my Facebook photo. If your book cover is well done, it will definitely help your name recognition to have it on everything you're doing.
Vicki
P.S. You might be wondering why I sign my name "Vicki" instead of "Victorine." Well, all of my friends call me "Vicki" so I do it to be more casual, and give an approachable feeling to my posts. Hopefully it's not confusing my brand.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
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Trust me - your brand stands out beautifully! When I see it out there on the web, I know exactly who it is. In fact, I recently changed my handle on KB to my name as well. Glad you think it's a good idea. Ii could use some of your good karma!
ReplyDeleteThere is a simple appeal to using your initials, Vicki. People assume that you're male. In many genre's that is still an advantage, I am sad to say. Unfortunately, my google account shows my first name rather than my initials and it's attached to my blog so changing is a bit of a problem.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely funny how you finished your post with a nickname haha. But a good post none the less. It is definitely the best way to get your name out there, just using your name everywhere you possibly can.
ReplyDeleteI have already taken on your advice, I have registered on the Kindleboards. Here is to hoping :). Cheers!
Since I first read about using your name everywhere I have been thinking about if I should or not. It looks like on twitter and kindle boards it is easy to change. I was looking just now to see if it was easy to change my blog name or not. I am leaning toward changing to using my name instead of the moniker ZionsRodeVos
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely fantastic post, Vicky. Thanks for sharing so many tips with us. Regards, Jayde
ReplyDeleteThis was an interesting blog, V. As you know my wife and I write together, so we don't know how appealing seeing "Matthew & Stefanie Verish" everywhere would be. Our brand is our fantasy world: Secramore. Glad we joined up your blog! :)
ReplyDeleteI've ended up using my blog title for most things, because it makes people chuckle and therefore (i hope..) remember me :) My name otherwise is surprisingly common but my blog title is all mine *grin*
ReplyDeleteThe Arrival, Book 1 of the BirthRight trilogy available now
Thanks, Victorine, for the useful tips! Smart and makes sense. Btw, I actually saw your post on another blog with a picture of your face and not your book cover. Your face caught my attention and led me to your blog. Had I seen just the book cover, I probably wouldn't have clicked on it. That's just me, but maybe you want to experiment with that.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on making the NY Times Bestsellers list!
ReplyDelete#26 for Ebook Fiction! Yay!!