If you avoid creating a brand in the attempt to write on a wide variety of disconnected topics, then you will eventually become a "jack of all trades - master of none." When you're a master of nothing, people find it hard to take you seriously. Experts are rarely good at everything. Rather, they take one set of issues and focus on becoming highly proficient in that area.

 

For instance, James Patterson doesn't write cookbooks. He writes thrillers. Patricia Cornwell doesn't write romance. She writes forensic mysteries. Tom Clancy doesn't write science fiction. He writes military adventures. These successful authors remain bestsellers because they've built a brand around their area of expertise and stuck with it. If they veered into other genres, it would confuse their audience and hurt their book sales.

 

Can you write for more than one genre? Yes, but it's much easier once you've built a strong brand first. When you're known as an expert for something, the public tends to offer more leeway to explore other fields of interest. For example, John Grisham has written off-brand books about sports and Christmas. However, he can do this because he's an accepted expert on writing legal thrillers. When you have an established brand and a regarded name, then you can make a left-turn with your brand and try new ideas. But, it's best to build a specific brand first, rather than water it down and never get known for anything.

 

Success follows expertise, because experts are superior at providing their audiences with results. People view experts as leaders that they can trust, and that trust creates the comfort level to buy their books. Therefore, if you fail to establish expertise as an author, you will have a hard time establishing trust with a large following of readers. 

 

Creating an author brand isn't meant to limit your opportunities. Instead, it's meant to help you discern which book projects will make you the most successful. Staying true to your brand will let you know which books to write and which book ideas to turn down. I have clients who write both fiction and non-fiction, but every book they write fits under the umbrella of their brand.

 

Your brand should be a reflection of who you are and the expertise showcased in your books. Be yourself, and don't try to please everyone or write on everything. Otherwise, you may lose yourself in the process and wind up with no identity at all.