Your Author Brand is Your Library

curate stacks worth getting lost in

Join the Open Book subscriber chat to get simple, actionable tips inspired by my philosophy that less is more when it comes to brand and book marketing.

I’ve been thinking about a new metaphor for author branding, and this feels like the perfect place to share it:

Your author brand is a library — a collection of stories, ideas, and experiences that invite readers in. It’s not a newspaper, broadcasting updates to the masses with little interaction.

A great brand isn’t built on announcements alone; it’s built on connection and community…just like your neighborhood library.

A strong author brand is developed over time. It requires consistency and strategy. At a minimum, these four elements should be in place:

Good Product: Your books should be well-written, well-packaged, and positioned to attract the right readers.

Good Story: Beyond your books, what’s your bigger narrative? What themes, values, and experiences shape your brand?

Experience: How do people engage with you and your work? This includes your social presence, newsletter, events, and overall reader interaction.

Consistency: Show up. For your backlist. For your unfinished manuscript. For your fellow authors. For the readers who are just now discovering you.

Instagram’s New and Simplified Direction

If your brand is a library, Instagram is your stacks—a place where readers can browse, discover, and connect with your work in a more dynamic, real-time way.

Many of us feel overwhelmed by constant notifications and content demands (myself included). But maintaining an active and intentional digital presence is still important.

Substack is excellent for connecting with writers and industry professionals. TikTok — whatever its future holds — has undeniably driven book sales and reinvigorated bookstores.

And then there’s Instagram, which remains the best platform for authors to build lasting relationships with readers.

Diversify Your Brand Portfolio

I’ve been spending more time on Substack, and whenever I come across a new publication, my first instinct is to follow a trail: I read a post, check the author’s profile, and then look them up on Instagram. Even if their account isn’t frequently updated (no judgment—I rarely post these days), it still feels like the best way to get a real glimpse into their world.

Instagram has been rolling out a series of updates, shifting toward a more streamlined, website-like experience:

• Portrait grids with adjustable previews

• Reordering posts to curate your feed and revise your narrative

• Posting directly to your grid while skipping the main feed

• Highlights moving to a new tab, alongside Reels and tagged photos

PS — I’ll put together an updated version of this post soon!

The reviews on these changes are mixed, but I like the direction. Instagram is becoming less about the algorithm and more about curation—a space where authors can maintain a secondary website that evolves in real time.

Is a Secondary Website Necessary?

Your official website is important, but it likely doesn’t change often. Your Instagram, however, can offer a dynamic, in-the-moment look at your author brand, books, and creative process.

So, what do you think? Is your brand a collection of scattered updates and asks, or are you building a library worth getting lost in?

xx

Jessica Sorentino specializes in branding and marketing for authors, helping them connect with readers and position their work for agents and publishers. With over a decade in publishing, she transforms stories into lasting brands through strategy, connection, and visibility.