To Brand or Not To Brand? It Isn't a Question...

Being a success overnight is simply an extremely rare occasion.  The invention of YouTube has created more opportunity to be discovered as such, but in reality most of those looking to make it in the music industry will have to do so the traditional way; growth.  That being said, one of the most important facets of growth that an artist needs to focus on is their individual brand identity.  Many musicians cannot stand the thought of building themselves as a brand because they feel it takes away the focus on the artistic value of the content they create and turns them into just another product.  Unfortunately though, without a strong brand, marketing yourself will be practically impossible and there will be little to no financial growth.  Instantly, many people think of a brand as simply a logo.  Although a logo is an important concept to branding, it is not the whole piece of the pie.  There are many important components to an artist’s brand identity that are vital to develop in order to have a better chance at success, and many of these components are overlooked.  Lets take a look at a couple.

Before even starting to create an identity for the artist, some reflection and research needs to be done.  The easiest way to do this is by answering some questions, such as:

Who is the artist’s intended audience?

What differentiates the artist from others in the same and/or competing genre/s?

How does the artist’s audience receive the content created?

Where can the audience go to connect with the artist?

Why is the artist’s content worth the purchase?

Obviously there are several more questions that need to be answered, but this gives a general idea.  Sit down, come up with some questions pertinent to the task at hand, and attempt to answer them.  If it’s a struggle to find answers, then it’s time to go back to the drawing board and reanalyze the motivation behind the created content and why the artist wants to share their creations with the world.

Now, as mentioned earlier, a logo is definitely a must.  In most cases, the logo is the first thing a customer or potential business partner sees.  When developing a logo, there are a couple important things to consider.  The most important is to make sure it speaks “you”.  What that means is that an artist’s logo should be consistent with their look, style, and feel.  Anyone should be able to look at the logo and have a general idea about what the artist is all about, especially if it’s an unknown.  A strong logo will also help tremendously with marketing.  An old, grungy logo that looks as if it’s been neglected for decades, or a bland, basic logo that seems as if it were thrown together in 5 seconds, will hurt growth opportunity more than one would think.  This is why it’s important to keep the “face” of the artist’s brand updated and consistent with the times.  Whatever logo is developed, keep in mind that it will be used for everything the artist’s name goes on, from websites to merchandise.  Just remember; a successful marketing strategy has a well developed logo at its core.

Speaking of websites, a regularly updated webpage is also important.  The average person that is browsing through the Internet will base their first impression on the look, design, and function of a website.  If the site being used by the artist looks like it was developed in Steve Jobs’ garage back in the 80s, it’s time to update.  Furthermore, if there is no website at all….well, let’s just say that’s equally bad.  You don’t have to be a whiz kid to develop a strong website.  Many companies offer website services, and virtually all of them have premade templates that their customers may use at their discretion when setting up their site.  The biggest mistake a lot of people make in terms of website creation is that it will cost an arm and a leg to develop.  This simply isn’t the case.  There are a ton of options out there, and a little research will help in that decision.  The second and equally important part of a website is updated content.  An artist that has an out-of-date website often times makes it look like they’re out of business or not worth doing business with.  Updated photos, videos, projects, and other content along with a well designed website will unquestionably give the artist a competitive advantage in the industry.

Keeping content the artist has current is also very important when it comes to branding.  Without fresh material, those shopping for content will make the perception that the artist is amateur and unmotivated.  Even if the artist hasn’t found that big break, independently creating content to display and help to promote will only help in the search for that next big project.  With the availability and ease of use in regards to technology, virtually anyone can create content to be shared on the web, and thus is one of the primary reasons why companies look for fresh material.  What’s the easy way to combat old content?  Always be working on SOMETHING.

All of the aspects above are very important to a brand strategy.  There is, however, one very important component to building an artist’s brand that often goes unmentioned.  That vital piece of the brand identity is confidence.  Not to be confused with cockiness, a lack of confidence is extremely noticeable, especially when dealing with people face-to-face.  It’s extremely significant that an artist 100% believes in the product they are creating.  After all, if the artist isn’t confident in his or her ability and content, why should anyone else?

All and all, it’s quite easy to see that there is a lot that goes into building a brand.  It isn’t just slapping together a logo and putting it on a t-shirt to wear on stage.  The more we move into this new digital era, the less money labels will be willing to spend and the more time the artist will have to spend to create, market, and promote themselves.  Although the work has become that much more difficult, the finish line seems that much more rewarding.  If an artist takes away anything from here, it’s this; what you put in is what you’ll get out.  The question is...

Embrace the Future or Stay Old School?

With the increasing role of e-readers in the world of books, debates are happening around the world about whether or not to hold on to hard copy books or go completely digital.  Everyone has his or her own opinion, and each format has its own advantages and disadvantages.  Let’s take a look at the differences between the two formats.

E-Book Advantages

Considering the cost of printing, distribution, and retail sales, e-book pricing will continue to hold an advantage from an individual book outlook.  Unless some crazy new system comes out that has never been thought of before, it will forever be easier to distribute and sell books in a digital format because of the lack of cost behind duplicating a file as opposed to completely printing another book.

Marketing and promotional works will also be less expensive.  The downfall to this may be that the authors have to do most of the work themselves, but it has already been more than proven that writers can be more than successful running their own marketing strategies at a much lesser price than what traditional publishers will offer.

Distribution is also much easier in the e-book world.  With hard copy books, they have to be printed, packaged, shipped, received, displayed, and then sold.  With e-books, once the book has been formatted for digital use, it’s done.  All a customer has to do is click, pay, and download.

Royalties will be another huge advantage in regards to e-books.  Traditional book publishers will offer a royalty of anywhere between 10-20%, depending on the author’s previous history in writing.  With e-books, although the cost is less expensive in the store, writers can expect to receive anywhere from 40-70% in royalties for each book sold.

Storage ability is another big factor.  If you want to carry around a bunch of hard copy books, you will need a backpack, suitcase, or some really big and strong arms with nothing else to carry.  With the e-book format, you can literally carry millions of books all on one device.

Yet another key benefit of e-book publishing, which could be considered by many as the biggest perk, is that it gives authors who would otherwise be ignored by traditional publishers the opportunity to get their book to the market.  The big publishers will offer 90% of their time to their top 10%, leaving the rest of their attention to be spread across thousands of other authors.  This doesn’t leave a lot of attention for anyone.  With e-books, anyone can be published if they are willing to do the work.

Finally, a big perk of going with an e-book format is the ability to share media.  With your basic hard copy, photos are the only form of media you can share with the reader.  With the digital format, videos, photos, audio, links and more can all be shared without much if any additional cost to the publisher/distributor.

Hard Copy Book Advantages

Durability is a big advantage with hard copy books.  E-books have to be read on a computer, tablet, or smartphone.  If you aren’t familiar with any of these devices, they can break rather easily.  This isn’t the case with a hard copy book.  The worst that will probably happen to a paperback/hardcover book is some pages may get ripped and the cover will most likely get frayed.  Between the two, the hard copy book is much more durable.

Some people would also say that it’s also easier to read a hard copy book.  Continuously looking at a computer screen/tablet can be very strenuous on the eyes, and you don’t have that kind of strain when you are reading a paper book.  In this circumstance, a hard copy book has the lead.

Another key selling point for a hard copy book is that it is readily available.  When reading on an e-reader, you have to turn the e-reader on and wait for it to boot, which isn’t that big of a deal unless you’re in a hurry to find some quick information.  More importantly, however, is the fact that an electronic device has a battery life and a hard copy book does not.  A paper book is never going to die in the middle of a chapter…that is unless someone runs up and lights it on fire.

An additional benefit to a hard copy book is the overall cost.  This isn’t to be confused with the cost of one individual book, but the cost of what it takes to read a digital copy versus a hard copy.  In the end, in order to read a digital copy, the reader needs a device to read it on.  The cheapest e-reader someone can purchase will cost around $100.  That’s a pretty hefty investment for someone who just wants to read a book.

Although this may seem like a minute detail, hard copy books also have specific sensory effects that e-books cannot provide.  For one thing, you can actually see how far through you are in the book.  Not that you cannot see what page you are on with an e-reader, but being able to visually see how far you’ve gotten into a book can create a sense of accomplishment for a reader.  Additionally, many hardcore fans of hard copies particularly enjoy the look and smell of what paper books offer.  The feel of the book in a person’s hand and the smell of the paper bring reminiscent memories of childhood or maybe even a book that made an impact on the reader’s life.  All of these things cannot be achieved by using an electronic device.

Conclusion

All and all, it really comes down to the individual reader.  Each book format has its own perks and downfalls, and it’s up to the consumer to decide which they would like to take advantage of.  In my personal opinion, I think it depends on the content of the book.  If I wanted to sit down and just read a book, in almost all cases I would prefer a hard copy, mostly because of the sensory effect.  However, when it comes to textbooks used in classes and books filled with media-heavy content, I would prefer a digital copy.  Photographs are often more vibrant and available to zoom and save, and many textbooks can include videos and links that you otherwise would not be able to take advantage of with a hard copy book.  With all that said, which do you prefer?

Fighting the Good Fight

In a brave new world where online book publishing is slowly taking over traditional methods, it is important for an author to do thorough research before selecting a third wave company they will use to distribute their product.  Different publishing companies can offer different packages, but in the end there are certain aspects a writer needs to look for in every company when deciding which route to go.  These advantages will be much different than that of a traditional publisher, so one has to do their research.  Instead of analyzing the different businesses on an individual level, let’s take a look at the perks and/or benefits that every penman should ensure is included in their overall deal.

Manufacturing & Distribution

The publishing package as a whole is obviously what we are analyzing here, but it’s important not to overlook some important key points.  In a traditional book publishing company, the top 10% will get 90% of the attention.  These are the bestsellers and/or have already been extremely saturated in the marketplace and built their own brand and following.  They receive virtually all of the marketing, promotion, copyedit, and overall general assistance from the publishers.  That being said, a third wave publishing company does things a little differently.

With a print-on-demand company, an author will usually have two different strategies.  Some third wave companies will offer an exclusive publishing deal.  This means that whatever company the author signs with will have the sole right to sell and distribute the book.  This may not be such a good thing.  Say the POD company decides to offer an author an exclusive deal.  Said author agrees to the package offered, and the book explodes on the market.  Considering up to 25% of an author’s income can come from selling internationally, he/she decides they want to start selling the book overseas in Europe.  They go to your publisher to come up with a plan, only to discover that their international reach stops at Canada.  However, since they signed an exclusive deal, they’re stuck.  With that in mind, it’s vital as an author to make sure to ask as many questions as possible so there are no limitations made by the chosen company’s abilities to distribute.  On the flip side, many third wave businesses, especially start-ups, will offer a non-exclusive deal.  This gives the writer freedom to sign with multiple distributors at their own discretion.  This scenario is best, as it gives more flexibility to grow along with the book.  In the end, manufacturing and distribution can be the most lackluster topic to discuss but the most important, so be careful and ask a ton of questions when choosing which POD to go with.

Customer Reach

This topic really encompasses a little bit of each topic that’s up for discussion.  The better the distribution, perks, design, marketing/promotional strategies, and general support there is, the more customers a book will ultimately reach.  With that in mind, there are a couple specific distribution channels that will best reach the most customers.  The primary outlet will most definitely be e-books for any author looking to utilize third-wave publishing.  Check to make sure the POD isn’t just selling on Amazon or iBooks, but either utilizes multiple online outlets or allows you the flexibility to sign with multiple distributors.  Some online publishing companies will have connections to traditional book stores as well, so that is important to note and ask about.  Furthermore, it is important to know what, if any, wholesale distribution channels they are connected with.  Baker & Taylor and Ingram are the two major wholesalers, so make sure they are included in your publishing deal.

Optional Paid Perks

Obviously not everyone will be interested in paying additional money on top of their basic fees for additional perks.  However, some authors will be less experienced than others and paying for the additional services could make or break the book.  Perks like press releases, website design, copyediting, marketing/promotional resources, and even copyright registration may all be additional services that an online book publisher could offer for additional fees.  Keep these in mind as the search for the best publisher continues.

Design

Let’s face it; most authors aren’t artists.  They do their creative work through pen and paper.  So what happens when it’s time to design the layout and cover of the book?  That’s where some online publishers can help.  Many have their own creative department that works with the authors to work up a design that best fits the needs of both parties.  These are almost always paid services that are additional to the basic publishing deal, but often times they are worth their weight in gold.  The layout of the book can affect the novel’s literary flow, and the cover can be what makes one book stick out over another of the same niche.

Marketing & Promotion

This is often the most surprising aspect of online book publishers.  In comparison to traditional methods, you see a lot of difference between the second and third wave publishing.  One thing they have in common, however, is the lack of marketing and promotional work that the publishers handle themselves.  In the DIY world that we live in, it’s almost always up to the author to market and promote the book.  That being said, social media will be the best tool an author can use in order to get their book out on the streets and in the general public’s mind.  Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Blogger, a website specifically set up to promote the book; all of these strategies are low to no cost and can have a tremendous impact on the book’s overall success.

General Support

All and all, every one of these topics that has been covered today all really falls under general support.  We all have to face the fact that, as new writers, most if not all of the legwork in order to get the book off the ground will have to be done by the authors themselves.  Maybe that isn’t such a bad thing, though.  As we are constantly preached as we grow up, hard work pays off and people appreciate things more when they are the owner.  In the third wave world of publishing, this is most definitely the case.  The question is, do you have the drive to succeed in the fast-paced, cutthroat world of book publishing?