Exploring how to brand myself and what I do.
I have been reading an interesting book by Shayla Raquel called The 10 Commandments of Author Branding. While a lot of this is information I have uncovered elsewhere, other aspects of it have been eye-opening.
What is my brand? MJ Blehart is my professional identity. But more than that, this is my business.
It goes beyond just doing the work of writing. There is a whole process of coming up with topics to write about. Then there is editing. Also, in order to sell my work, marketing.
Not to mention I write in two completely distinct and separate genres. On the one hand, fiction. On the other hand, non-fiction. What does that mean?
- Fiction: Fantasy, Science Fiction, Steampunk. A few more random, disconnected pieces that include Humor and Inspirational. This is fairly self-explanatory, really.
- Non-Fiction: Self-help, Inspiration, Motivation, Spiritual. This is a lot more challenging to define, however.
All of my non-fiction work is centered on my personal philosophy. Summed up, I call my philosophy Pathwalking. The art of Pathwalking is choosing to be mindful (aware of your thoughts, feelings, and actions) and from the place of mindfulness working with positivity and positive energy to consciously create reality.
Or, more simply, to choose the paths you desire to take for your own life to make it the most satisfying for you that it can be.
Does that make my non-fiction genre Philosophy? Maybe. Or maybe I am my own genre. The Philosophy of self-care?
Answers often lead to more questions
I have been contending with this idea of being two brands in one for some time now. At one point, I was blogging about bridging the gap between these notions weekly.
I made the decision to maintain one identity as a writer. MJ Blehart, author, has published several novels on Amazon, posts articles to the author website, podcasts weekly, and writes regular articles at Medium.com daily, too.
I have my website(s), and I have a nice, simple logo. But how do I define my brand? And then, more than that, how do I market my brand?
Yes, the book I am reading has been helpful with this, but I can’t deny that I am feeling a bit overwhelmed by it all. But that’s been my problem all along.
I am well aware that there is nobody but me who can do this for me. It’s up to me to take the necessary action to brand myself and then to market my brand along the way. I also know that this is the point where I tend to sabotage myself.
It’s easy to get caught up in all sorts of bullshit when it comes to self-worth and self-discipline. Yes, I know that I am worthy and deserving of creating a satisfying and exciting life. But there are days I have a really hard time feeling it.
Does anyone care about this? Is sharing my process whiny, endlessly dull? While the answers matter, what matters more is the continuance of my work.
It feels like what I develop, much of the time, are more and more questions. But the answers are there.
Maybe it’s time to shift my focus accordingly.
Separate the writer from the brand
When all is said and done my brand is not the end-all-be-all of who I am. It’s a separate identity. It’s the Batman to my Bruce Wayne.
Steven Pressfield, in his book The War of Art, talks about this in one of the chapters. He goes into a whole explanation about how a lot of Hollywood writers, in particular,r are their own LLC, a business they have created of themselves. That is their brand and their business model.
That’s how I need to approach this. I am MJ Blehart, but MJ Blehart, Inc, or LLC, or whatever, is the brand. That is the business I am an employee of.
As Mr. Pressfield explains, I can hire and fire myself. When I sit down at the keyboard and do my work I am at work, not just in my “home office” banging away at the keys like some sort of hobbyist. This is my business, my enterprise, and that’s how I need to examine, explore, and approach this.
This takes a lot of pressure off of the how and why of this. It’s kind of funny to me. I have listened to the audiobook recording of The War of Art three times now, and yet this never stuck before this examination of the model.
Side note – if you are an artist of any sort, I cannot recommend this book enough! You should read and/or listen to it.
Be strong and believe
With that resolved, I can focus more clearly on creating the MJ Blehart brand. What is the work that the business does? Writer, Editor, Voice Artist. That broadly covers the spectrum quite well, I think.
I need to, in the coming weeks, address and likely alter my website. It needs to be sharpened up. The same goes for my overall online presence. MJ Blehart, the brand, the business, is going to take the world on and do the awesome things I believe I am here to do.
This is my business. It is in this way I can do what I most desire to do and be who and what I would like to be. By seeing the business as a separate entity from me, I think I can better approach this in the way that I need to and make the most of it.
Do I believe in the brand? Yes, I do. Time to get focused and make some shit happen.
Thank you for taking part in my ongoing journey. Thank you for joining me, and for inspiring me and my words.
This is the forty-first entry of my personal writing blog. Please take a moment to check out the collection of my published works, which can be found here.
Feel free to explore the rest of the website, which I am working to evolve and change for the better…much like I am doing for myself. Also, visit Awareness for Everyoneto check out my weekly podcasts.
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