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 ne of the best ways for an author to create their author brand (that’s fun) is to date your author brand, done simply by taking your author brand out on a coffee date.

I’m serious. Creating your author brand is an important aspect of building an effective author platform. So, if you’re trying to work out your author brand, or have had one for a while, then be daring and date your author brand! You’ll be surprised at what you’ll discover….

Come on, as authors this imaginative wordplay is going to be fun. Amirite?

So let’s set the scene of the first date with your author brand:

For this experiment, we’ll name your author brand ‘AB’, and you’ve agreed to meet AB at your local coffee shop. It’s your choice of time, place, setting, etc. It’s your date with your author brand, so it can be anywhere. If it’s at 2 am because AB parties all night in between slaying vampires, so be it.

So, you get to the coffee shop to discover…

AB is already waiting and halfway through their first cup with their stuff spread out everywhere. Or they’re seated and sipping water, tidying up the cutlery into perfect symmetrical order. Or they haven’t shown up yet?

AB’s signature style of clothing for your coffee date is:

The colours, the layers, the shoes, bag, perfume… is it a ballgown, suit, or a cricket uniform complete with grass stains?

AB’s coffee date order would be:

Include the food too, be it cake or a full breakfast.

AB puts their phone on the table, and you spot their phone’s wallpaper. It’s:

 Look at the phone, is it new? Does it have a cracked screen? What kind of case does AB have?

What are the top 5 Apps found on AB’s Home Screen?

Why are those Apps there? What value do they offer? Is it for fun or work? Or a long-forgotten habit or a new habit – like your Fitbit app?

Does AB prefer to phone, Dm, or text people?

Or they’re a morning email person or someone who lives on their phone…

Who was AB’s last phone call to?

Was it to a friend? Family? Partner? Or the school principal over your child setting off the school’s fire alarms in an attempt to skip their math test.

Can you tell from their previous text messages, what is AB’s most-used emoji?

Do they favour the eggplant? Or cake? Or cocktail glass?

Get AB to share their most played playlist:

What music genre is this, or is it an eclectic mix? Why and how are those songs chosen for that playlist? What is the playlist called, and why?

Where did AB come from to sit in front of you today… (What’s their story?)

Where and when did they decide to become an author and write their first book is a great start.

What does AB like to talk about?

Besides their books, are they passionate about weather, traffic (road rage), kids, shopping, gardening, politics, fashion, or loves giving you a rundown on their favourite reality shows like Queer Eye, or Hell’s Kitchen, The Real Housewives of…

What movies does AB like?

What’s their favourite one? Or is it a series on Amazon Prime that they love to binge (see above)?

Does AB have a book they’re read at least three times? Or a book they own multiple copies of?

What is it? And why?

Does AB support a certain charity? Why?

Does AB volunteer anywhere? Be sure to include all those times you help fetch milk and mail for your elderly neighbour, or how you feed their cat – that has since decided to move in with you.

Where does AB want to go in the future with their author career?

Does AB know their author goals? Dream big.

Ask AB what is their mission? Their war cry? That catch cry, and ugly cry—or what is AB’s most repeated ‘ism they use during the conversation:

Ask a friend or family member for this one, or do a word search in Pro-Writing Aid of your last 10 social media posts to find the most repeated words.

In two words, how did you feel after your date with your author brand?

These could be love & daring. Quiet and polite. Fun & funner. But only two words to describe an emotion that you felt while out on this date.

YOUR BRAND = EMOTIONS:

That last question is tough on how to feel. In two words!

Am I for real?

Yes, I am.

The purpose of this exercise is to narrow it down into those final two words from your date with your author brand.

It’s all about finding the emotions YOU want to create in your readers with your author brand, as discussed in this article: How to create an author brand to stand out in a crowded bookstore.

You have the power to project your author brand any way you want, so by asking the above questions should help you decide the sort of author brand you want.

So spoil yourself and make a date with your author brand. Make that time to visit your favourite coffee shop (take a friend if you want). Order your favourite things on the menu, then answer the above questions. You’ll soon discover it is one of the most fun and effective ways to create your author brand’s unique style. Because it’s you.

Have fun on your date…

PST: You can download the date kit here>>