Personal branding for authors: why your author brand matters more than ever
I am quite proud of the fact that I have managed to avoid writing much about AI on my blog thus far, but like everyone, I’ve been thinking more and more about the impact it is going to have on writers.
As we are seeing literally unfold before our eyes, AI is rapidly changing the importance of being identifiable as a human creator.
The scary truth is that people can no longer be sure that the words that they read in books or online came from a human being.
This year, many authors have been publicly accused of using AI to write. Of course, the most recent chatter has been about the huge $2.5m book deal that was pulled after the author’s agent decided they could no longer be sure that the author hadn’t used AI to write it.
But there have been many more cases too. Earlier this year, several winners of the Commonwealth Short Story Prize faced accusations from readers that they had used AI in their work.
The Society of Authors has launched a Human Authored scheme specifically to help readers distinguish human-created books from AI-generated ones, but as yet, I haven’t really seen much take-up of this and I wonder how they will police it effectively? It’s a nice idea in theory, but what we really need are proper guidelines from publishers. Let’s hope they are working on that as I type…
What does this mean for authors?
It means that having a strong, trusted personal brand is more important than ever.
Which is annoying, because I wanted to be an author precisely because I have no interest in people knowing who I am, or becoming ‘famous’.
But in a world where AI can imitate almost anything, your author brand can go a long way to help demonstrate that there is a real person behind your writing.
The current situation is - understandably - really freaking out many authors. We spend years working on a book, even more years trying to find an agent and then a publisher, and now, we face the risk of someone out there asking if we actually wrote the bloody thing.
I really believe that building a super strong, recognisably human author brand is one of the most effective ways in which we can mitigate the effect that AI is having on readers’ trust.
Being anonymous online is no longer an option (sorry, like I said - am also gutted).
But how do we do this?
Building your author brand
Many authors I know have never really given much thought to their author brand, and if they have done, it’s along the lines of something vaguely marketing-y, like:
having a professional headshot taken
posting from time to time on Instagram
writing a newsletter or setting up a Substack
relying on their publisher to do the rest for them (spoiler alert: they won’t)
Your author brand is all of those things, but it’s a lot more too.
It's the collection of signals that tells a reader who you are, what you write, what you care about and most importantly - why they should trust you.
It means allowing people to hear from the person behind the books, and not just in marketing or promotional ‘get my book for 99p this month’ kinda posts.
But in all the other stuff AROUND your writing that makes you who you are.
It doesn’t mean that you have to overshare your personal life. But it does mean you have to show your humanity.
What makes you recognisably you?
If there’s something that excites you or something that you love - talk about it online. It doesn’t have to be related to books!
Case in point, my most engaged-with Instagram post is about my daughter’s birth, that I posted last year just before she turned 10. Nothing to do with my books, but a little snapshot of how I became a mother. I was vulnerable and authentic in that post, and it resonated with people.
I also used to post about my dolls house, and I swear those posts got more engagement than any of the posts about my books!
Why? Because they showed me as a more rounded human being, someone people could get a better understanding of (also because dolls houses are cool and I will die on this hill).
The things you might once have thought were ‘too niche’ or ‘too weird’ may actually be the things that make you memorable.
Authors are really interesting people, but I think we have this tendency to feel as though all we need to talk about online are our books, because that’s all that people are interested in.
But if you think about any of the celebrities or people you admire, many of the most interesting things about them are more to do with who they are than what they do.
Here are some other ways to think about strengthening your personal brand:
Don’t be afraid to use your voice
It’s easy to believe that we have to be ‘professional’ when we’re marketing ourselves online. Which means perfect grammar, and job-application worthy copy. But in my opinion, this is a mistake.
Make sure your website copy and social media posts should sound like you, with your actual opinions, humour, observations, quirks and turns of phrase!
I have a bad habit of swearing in blog posts, and I did once wonder if I should go through and edit all the swear words out. But then I realised that those swear words are part of my authentic voice.
I do swear a lot in real life (sorry Mum!) because I worked as a journalist for a long time and every second word I heard at work began with an F or an S.
You don’t have to swear, but showing your true voice online is important.
Have a perspective and share it
What’s the one thing AI will never have?
An honest, fallible, human opinion.
When you’re writing stuff to share online, it’s so important to have an opinion! Pick a side! Bland is boring and bland feels like AI.
Don’t be afraid to be who you really are, and share some of your opinions on things that may interest your readers.
Ask yourself:
What annoys you?
What do you secretly love?
What fascinates you?
What frustrates you?
What are you willing to say that another author wouldn't?
A while ago, I posted about the fact that I’m a really slow reader and that it makes me feel a bit embarrassed. As I’m a professional author, I feel like it’s my duty to be reading 100 books a year.
I had a great response to that post.
From time to time, sharing something a little bit eyebrow-raising is a great way to prove that you are a well-rounded 3D individual - and will probably increase your engagement too.
Make the most of your unique story
My friend Lesley Kara has had great success doing just this on Instagram over the past year. She has leaned into the fact that she was first published post-50 and has used this to create enlightening and funny and trust-building posts around this topic on her Instagram page.
As a result, she’s gained thousands of followers and readers now have a really clear idea of who she is and what she stands for (her positive message: it’s not too late to follow your dreams!).
So ask yourself:
What’s different about you?
What unique history and experience (aka your life!) led you to write the books you write?
Where did a specific idea come from?
What did you find most difficult about writing a book?
What’s something interesting that you learnt while writing your book?
Nicola Washington at Too Much Social also has some great tips on making sure that you incorporate your own story into your social media posts about your books.
Your brand can become a trust shortcut
Readers don't just buy books because of the premise. They buy because of their relationships with authors.
So many of my author mates are sceptical about this, but I have seen time and time again how the successful authors I have worked with have built genuine, direct relationships with their readers and fostered an incredible sense of loyalty from them.
And you know what guys? It’s actually really heartwarming!
I think because we are authors we don’t see how fascinating and amazing authors seem to the average person.
In fact, one of my author friends recently said to me: ‘I’m not going to sign up to someone’s newsletter just because I liked their book.’ And I explained that that’s because, to her, books and authors are her ‘everyday’. She knows a ton of authors and talks to them every day. She knows the secret (sssh!) - that we are just dumb humans like everyone else.
But I remember how I used to feel about the authors of my favourite books when I was a kid. In awe doesn’t even touch it. I thought these people were geniuses, and I would hang on their every word.
Trust me, readers want to hear from you. And the more they do so, the more they will trust you.
If someone has followed you for years, read your newsletter, listened to you on a podcast and knows your sense of humour, they're much more likely to think:
‘Oh cool, Charlotte has a new book coming out! I’ll pre-order it.’
Because your book isn’t just some anonymous product. It’s something from someone they recognise.
Why do you think celebrities have no problem getting book deals? Cough cough. 😏
This is going to become increasingly important as the marketplace becomes even more flooded with content.
A July 2026 study of more than 14,000 self-published genre books found a huge increase in books with substantial AI-generated content, with AI-heavy books gaining market share despite the overall market growing more slowly.
The problem isn't just that AI churns out shitty books. It's that it can churn out an enormous number of shitty books.
And when the supply of something explodes, distinctiveness becomes more valuable.
This doesn't mean you have to prove you're ‘not AI’
Screw that.
As we all know, AI detection itself is imperfect.
IMHO, the answer isn't to try to prove your work is made by a human.
It's to make your humanity as visible as possible.
How to strengthen your author brand
OK, let’s talk about the five ways you can help strengthen your personal brand as an author:
1. Make your voice unmistakable
You’re a writer, so this should be the easy part! Write your website copy like an actual human being. Write your Instagram captions like you’re talking to a friend. Use colloquialisms that you use in everyday life. Don’t put on a persona - let your authentic self shine.
2. Have something to say
Don't just talk about your book or your writing process repeatedly on social media. It’s boring. Talk about other stuff, too. Who you are and why you wrote it. Don’t be afraid to be a little bit controversial or outspoken. Be honest about the struggles. When people know who you are and what you stand for, they form a deeper connection with everything you write and produce. Above all: be original.
3. Show the person behind the books
I know this is a tricky one. Lots of authors don’t want to overshare their personal life, and that’s fine. But there will definitely be things outside of your writing life that you can talk about to help you stand out from the crowd.
My friend Lizzy Barber likes to travel, and she often gets people recognising her from her gorgeous Instagram posts of all the cool places she’s been.
Another author, CL Taylor, is amazing at arts and crafts and talks about that on her social media.
Perhaps you like to work out? Or hike? Or play competitive chess? Whatever it is that you enjoy doing, share your experiences with your audience in an entertaining way.
I write this blog to promote my web design, but I know for a fact that some of my readers read it too!
4. Build a home you control
I’ve wanged on about this one for years so I won’t repeat myself at length. Social media is great, of course, but please don't rely entirely on social media to establish your identity. Your website and mailing list are the only assets you truly own and they are going to become more critical than ever.
Why AI means your author website is more important than ever →
5. Be consistent, not constant
Last but not least, if this all sounds exhausting, I hear you. But you don't need to be everywhere, all the time. I promise.
I have stopped blogging weekly for various reasons, and now pour my energy into writing two really good posts every fortnight.
It’s not about pumping out endless crap content. Quality over quantity at a pace that is sustainable to you is key.
On a budget but need an author website?
The DIY Author Website Course is just for you! →
Conclusion
So many authors I know haven’t given much thought to their personal brands, and I get it. We already have enough on our plates writing the bloody books.
But as the world becomes increasingly full of things that were generated by machines, there’s enormous value in being able to say:
I made this.
I believe this.
This is my voice.
This is why I wrote this.
This is what it means to me.
I am living in hope that as the AI things shakes down, a new tier of books (and other art forms) will emerge. A higher tier of ‘human-made’ things, that hopefully, will warrant a higher price tag, so that humans can be paid properly for their creativity.
But perhaps that’s a little philosophical for today. Still, it’s my hope and comfort.
One thing I’m 100% sure of though, is that in the age of AI, being recognisably human is one of the most powerful things an author can be.
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