There is no shortage of advice for authors about branding and marketing. Post more. Build a platform. Create a content calendar. Be visible. Be consistent. Be everywhere. Much of this advice is well intentioned, and in some contexts, useful.

However, it only tells part of the story.

Author brand, in practice, is about reputation.

When “author brand” is discussed, the focus often shifts quickly to visuals — book covers, colour palettes, taglines, curated feeds — or to social media activity. These elements can play a role, but they are not what ultimately determines whether an author builds long-term momentum.

Reputation is not something you control directly. It is formed through how others experience working with you, seeing you present, or hearing about you from colleagues. It is what people expect when your name comes up in a school staffroom, a library planning meeting, a bookshop conversation or a festival programming discussion.

In those settings, the questions are rarely about marketing. Instead, they are practical and experience-based. Has this author worked with students effectively? Were they well prepared? Did they engage the audience? Were they professional and easy to work with? Would we book them again?

In practice, this often gets reduced to shorthand. The people making these decisions are busy, and they rely on quick, clear ways to describe authors to one another. When your name comes up, it is rarely followed by a long explanation. It is more likely to be a short phrase. Great with upper primary. Strong with reluctant readers. Very engaging speaker. Calm and reliable with large groups. Brilliant for Book Week.

That shorthand travels. It is repeated in conversations, emails and recommendations. Over time, it becomes how you are understood. If people can describe you quickly and confidently, you are far easier to recommend. If they hesitate or have to explain too much, even a very good author can be overlooked.

In sectors like children’s publishing, this becomes particularly visible, but the principle applies more broadly. Decisions are not made based on a single moment. A well-performing social post or a successful launch may create visibility, but organisations tend to rely on patterns over time. Someone has encountered you before, or someone they trust has, and that accumulated experience becomes the basis for recommendation.

This is often where authors experience frustration. A book is released, there is a period of concentrated activity, and then attention drops away. It can feel as though each new project requires starting again.

From the perspective of schools, libraries, festivals and event organisers, however, the focus is not on individual campaigns. These organisations are managing schedules, budgets, programming requirements and audience expectations. When they engage an author, they are making a decision that carries a degree of risk.

They are not simply booking a book. They are booking an experience.

Reputation reduces that risk. An author who is known to deliver — not just visible, but reliable and consistent — becomes easier to recommend. Over time, their name begins to circulate within professional networks, often without any direct promotion from the author themselves.

What does this look like in practice? It is rarely dramatic. It is responding clearly and professionally to enquiries. It is delivering well-prepared, thoughtful events that suit the audience in the room. It is following up, staying engaged with the sector, and making it easy for others to understand what you offer. Over time, those behaviours build the consistency that reputation relies on.

This does not require you to be louder, more extroverted or more active across every platform. Instead, it requires an awareness that each professional interaction contributes to how you are perceived — a timely and clear email response, a well-structured event, a thoughtful panel appearance, a website that makes information easy to find.

Each of these moments may seem minor in isolation, but together they create a consistent impression.

If your name came up in a programming meeting tomorrow, what would the immediate association be? Would it be clear? Would it be consistent? Would someone feel confident recommending you to others?

Clarity does not mean limiting yourself. It means making it easier for others to recognise where you fit and what you offer — and to describe that clearly to someone else.

In the long term, that clarity contributes to momentum. And momentum is rarely built through noise or visibility alone. It develops through steady, professional presence and repeated positive experiences.

​That is what building an author brand looks like in practice.

This article draws on material from a February 2026 presentation, Ramping Up Your Author Brand.
If you are a publisher, writers’ centre, festival or professional body interested in hosting a practical session on building long-term author reputation, please get in contact to discuss workshops and presentations.

As the end of the year rolls around, a lot of authors start thinking about their 2026 goals. One of the most common things I hear is:

"I need to get on social media—or get back on it—but I have no idea where to start."

If that’s you, you're not alone. Whether your last post was three months ago or you’ve never posted at all, it is possible to show up online in a way that feels manageable and real. You don’t need to go viral. You don’t need to be everywhere. You just need to be present.

This post is for authors who want to:

• Start fresh with a new online presence
• Reconnect after letting their socials go quiet
• Move beyond "Buy my book" posts
• ​Build a rhythm that supports their writing, not competes with it

Social media doesn’t need to take over your life. Let’s get you started — or restarted -- with content ideas that actually work.

What Should Authors Post That Isn’t “Buy My Book”?

Every author asks this eventually. Here’s the short version: don’t just promote—connect. Readers follow authors because they want more than just marketing. They want insight into your world, your process, your interests—even if that’s just one or two posts a week.

Below are simple, flexible ideas for fiction, non-fiction and poetry authors. Pick the ones that suit your tone and comfort level, and start there.

For Fiction Authors

You write stories. Let your social media reflect that in small, authentic ways.

Easy Photo Ideas

• Your writing desk or editing setup
• Notebooks, index cards or plot maps
• A place that inspired your setting
• ​Favourite coffee mug with a page of notes
  
  

Short Caption Ideas

• “This line changed everything in the story.”
• “This character wasn’t planned—she just appeared.”
• ​“I nearly cut this chapter. Glad I didn’t.”

Engagement Prompts

• “Do you finish books you’re not enjoying?”
• “What was the first book that truly stayed with you?”
• “Paperback or hardback—what’s your preference?” or one of our personal favourites "does the audiobook count as reading?"
• “What makes you try a new author?”
• “Do you judge a book by its cover?”
• "How many books are on your TBR pile?"

Other Content Ideas

• Share review quotes (even short ones)
• Thank a bookseller who’s stocked your book
• Repost a reader photo or comment
• ​Recommend another author’s book you’ve enjoyed

For Non-Fiction Authors

You’ve written about something that matters to you. Use your social media to keep that conversation going.

Easy Photo Ideas

• A research stack or annotated article
• Your workspace or planning wall
• A headline or stat that connects to your topic
• A book that shaped your thinking
  
  

Caption Starters

• “This stat changed how I approached Chapter 3.”
• “I couldn’t fit this in the book, but I keep thinking about it.”
• “This is the question I get asked most often…”
  
  

Engagement Prompts

• “What’s a misconception you’ve come across in this space?”
• “What’s one book that shaped how you see this topic?”
• “Who deserves more attention in this field?”
• “What’s an idea you’ve changed your mind about recently?”

Other Content Ideas

• Break the book into small insights—one idea per post
• Share recent articles, interviews or podcasts
• Reflect on a key learning moment from your research
• ​Ask your audience what they want to know more about
  
  

For Poets
Poetry lends itself beautifully to short, visual or audio posts. You don’t need to explain it—just share it.

Visual Ideas

• A handwritten or typed poem
• A short stanza paired with a still image
• Your writing notebook, open to a half-finished line

Audio and Video Ideas

• Record a 20-second reading of one of your poems
• Share a clip from a recent event or reading
• Post a Story with your voice reading over a background image

Engagement Prompts

• “Do you read poems aloud or in your head?”
• “What’s a poem you’ve never forgotten?”
• "If you could invite any poet over for dinner, who would it be and why?"
• "Do you have a favourite word and why?"
• ​“What’s a moment from your life that felt like a poem?”

Other Content Ideas

• Recommend a poetry collection or fellow poet
• Reflect on the inspiration for a specific piece
• Talk briefly about rhythm, revision or voice
  
  

Not Posting Daily? That’s Fine! Start with once a week. Two if you can manage it. You don’t need to post constantly—just consistently. Keep it real, keep it simple, and remember that your feed is an extension of your writing life, not a replacement for it.

Catch Up On What You’ve Missed! If you’ve been away from your account for a while, spend some time checking:

• Goodreads, TikTok, Instagram or X for reviews and mentions 
• Reader tags or bookstore posts
• Hashtags like #bookstagram or #[YourBookTitle] or #[YourName]

Repost these with thanks. A kind review, a bookseller shelfie or a librarian’s pick is always worth revisiting. It keeps you in the conversation and shows your appreciation.

How Do I Actually Do This?
If this feels a bit overwhelming, start here.

Canva is an easy-to-use tool that lets you create visuals like quote cards, event promos, or “coming soon” posts. The paid version allows you to schedule directly to social platforms, saving time and effort.

You can also use:

• Meta Business Suite for Facebook and Instagram
• LinkedIn’s native scheduler
• X’s scheduler (if you’re still posting there!)

Not sure how to create a post, add a caption or schedule content? Just Google your question. YouTube is full of short, helpful tutorials. Once you’ve done it once or twice, it gets easier. You don’t need to be a tech expert—just open to trying.

Don’t Be Afraid to Use AI for Content Ideas
If you're feeling stuck on what to post or how to word something, try using a tool like ChatGPT or Microsoft Copilot to help you get started. You can use these tools to:

• Generate social media post ideas
• Draft caption options
• Brainstorm reader questions or engagement prompts
• Rework a review quote into a post
• Break down your book into shareable themes

Start simply by giving the AI a few key details—your name, the title of your book, your genre or topic, and who your readers are. Then ask it to suggest 5 to 10 content ideas, or draft a sample post in your tone. You can always tweak the results, but it’s a great way to build momentum.

Final Thought: Just Show Up! 
You don’t need to have the perfect post, the best lighting, or the most polished feed. You just need to start.

A little consistency and a little personality go a long way.
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