I don't agree with Jane Friedman... 🤫

On Saturday, Salon published a piece entitled "Eat, pray, brand yourself accurately" which explores Elizabeth Gilbert's decision to pull her latest novel from publication and the drama that ensued.

Early in the article, the marketing maven of the publishing world, Jane Friedman is quoted:

"An author brand is the expectation that people have of the author's work," said Jane Friedman, author and publishing industry expert.

I disagree. Not entirely of course, but this definition is only a part of the parcel. Here's the definition I gave (which didn't make it into my quote in the article):

An author brand, as I see it, is a personal brand based on the values, strengths, and creative output of that author, curated to represent them in a way that is authentic to who they are and what they put out into the world. It’s a way of packaging one’s public self in a conscious way so as to connect with the people they want to connect with in a way that fosters mutual benefit. As a result, the author can position themselves for greater financial success, cultural impact, and security.

Clearly, my definition is much wordier. It's a problem, I AM aware. LOL.

The more "eye of the beholder" focused view of a brand has been a bone I've been picking at since my early days working in business branding. I think it's dangerous to put the entire weight of a brand solely on the work itself. That approach actually undermines and limits an author's ability to evolve.

An author brand is about SO much more than just the expectation of the work an author puts out.

Let's use Elizabeth Gilbert as an example here too. If folks only ever wanted memoirs from her, she would not have the successful brand she has. She's built a following on a amalgam of work, genres, personality, values, and other factors. And just like that amalgam your dentist uses for your metal fillings, her brand is stronger precisely because of the blend of traits.

But here's another funny thing about quotes in articles like this...

It's possible that Jane Friedman may actually agree with what I'm saying as well, but given the limitations of the piece--word count, spin, editorial choices, whatever--perhaps her more detailed definition just didn't make it into the piece. (P.S. I don't know her, but I'd love to! Anyone want to introduce us so we can discuss?)

After all, of the 735 word count of answers I provided to the questions for this article, the only line that made it into the final Salon.com piece was*:

Author Brand Expert, Andrea Guevara thinks differently. "I can say that this move does appear to align with a foundational aspect of her brand which is to prioritize the display of approachability, truth-telling and thoughtfulness," Guevara said.

And heck, I'm not mad at it--as a friend said "you're quoted in Salon!" :)

But here's where I'd like to get a little meta with you.

This was a thoughtful piece discussing the issue of Elizabeth Gilbert's controversial move and how it's affected her brand. It even included a nice variety of publishing industry expert opinions. Yet, we still don't have the full picture, right? We don't actually know the full scope of the experts' opinions, nor the writer's, nor the behind-the-curtain details of the circumstances and factors Elizabeth Gilbert herself juggled before making the decision.

It's a conversation, not THE definitive work on the subject.

And that, in a sense is how I'd like more people to look at author branding as well. It's nuanced because it's a human being AND their work. But in this volatile cancel culture-influenced online we live in, there's a compulsion to judge and/or pull together hot takes on the fly.

Some people are actually really good at that. I'm always impressed with folks, like my friend Leigh Stein who can pump out an opinion piece two hours post event and it's actually excellent.

I've never been one of those people. I often joke that I have a slow processor; like my brain is still operating on Windows 95 or something. But by gosh, I've learned to embrace that, because what happens after all the processing is that I see the details, nuance, near-conspiracy-level connections (haha), and strategies that are harder for others to see.

If you'd like to know my (closer to full) take on the EB conundrum, here's my wordy-as-hell answer from which the Salon quote was plucked:

Without all of the facts, it’s hard to say from the outside whether or not her move aligns with her brand. However, as someone who has followed her career since Eat, Pray, Love, I can say that this move does appear to align with a foundational aspect of her brand which is to prioritize the display of approachability, truth-telling, and thoughtfulness.

It would seem that she felt that this choice was very much in alignment with that goal, and therefore her brand. She clearly seems to care about her readers and fosters a personal connection—for example, how she calls them “Dear ones” in many of her communications—despite being criticized by some for that very language.

The tricky part about branding of course is the perception piece. Authors have a lot more influence over how they are perceived than they think, however, despite the often volatile opinion culture we live in. Like it or not there are certain hot button issues and perceptions that can sometimes escalate social action in directions we didn’t anticipate. But one of the best protections I see is having a consciously created brand that helps an author find their true north in times of challenge like this.

On one hand, it’s easy to see this cancellation as a public figure kowtowing to internet cancel culture. However, it can also be seen as a successful author choosing to listen to and connect with her readers despite economic and public fallout. She has the financial and social currency to make a call like this. It will not be a death knell for her career precisely because of the brand she has consciously worked to build.

Let’s not forget that she had the power to make this decision because she has a successful author brand, something many authors don’t have, and therefore are more vulnerable to publishing industry whims.

To what degree she has a responsibility to set an industry precedent versus taking action to honor her readers’ wishes is up for debate. In the end, despite the hubbub her decision has caused, I doubt Gilbert

will lose out with her loyal readers and in that way she remains in a position of strength.

So let's watch, listen, and read the hot takes--but also maybe we could all benefit from some slow processing too when comes to how we perceive issues and people online, whether that's an author's brand, or **gasp** even a political issue.

Alrighty, that's two thousand cents. For now, anyway. ;) If you'd like to see Leigh Stein and me discuss our different takes on the EB dilemma, check out our Tiny Masterclass recording on the subject.

In other news....

Carly Watters is our special guest expert in the Hybrid Program this month!

She'll be with us LIVE on July 11th to talk about The Business of How Authors Make Money. This is exclusive to members of my Hybrid Author Branding Program.

To learn more about the program and see if it's right for you, visit my website.

About Carly:

Carly Watters is a SVP and Senior Literary Agent at P.S. Literary and the sitting VP of PACLA, the Professional Association of Canadian Literary Agents.

Carly joined Toronto-based P.S. Literary Agency in 2010 and has sold over 100 books during her career. She represents award-winning and bestselling authors in the adult fiction and non-fiction categories, and select children’s books.

She is known for her long-term vision for her authors and being an excellent collaborator with a nose for commercial success. She has close ties to publishers in the major markets, is a member of the AALA, and works directly with film agents to option film and TV rights to leading networks and production companies. Her clients’ books have been translated into 40 languages, optioned for TV and film, adapted into podcasts, and have been on every bestseller list from coast to coast, including the New York Times, USA Today, the LA Times, the Washington Post, the Toronto Star, and the Globe and Mail. Carly is also an annual judge for the Women’s Fiction Writing Association Rising Star Award.

The popular writing podcast The Shit No One Tells You About Writing, for which Carly is the co-host, has over 1.5 million downloads. She can be found at www.carlywatters.com and @carlywatters on Twitter and Instagram.

Learn More About the Hybrid Author Branding Program.

Wishing you all the best,

Andrea

*Special thanks to Laura Guidry for including me in the Salon piece. :)

Book your summer 1-on-1 Mini Brand Consultation: Limited availability now through August.

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