Following My Heart – Part II: The Branding Process

Now that I’ve remembered where my heart is and have decided to step out there, I started listening more to this whole branding thing. Seems I have three personae to brand: Connie Flynn who writes paranormal romance and urban fantasy; K.C. Flynn who writes mysteries with maybe some paranormal thrown in; and Connie/K.C. partner and owner/instructor of Bootcamp for Novelists Online. And, of course, there’s still my college creative writing instructor persona, especially now that teachers are expected more and more to market their own courses.

Although K.C. (Old Bones) is more likely to have a new book out sooner, I’m starting with Connie because her book is the most “out there” (as in weird and strange, not out on the shelves). And she also has four ebook reissued titles available in bookstores. Various branding gurus of my recent acquaintance (when the student asks, the teacher appears) tell me I need three keywords related to what I’m writing which will also be of interest to me and my potential readers. After lots of doodling, I came up with them.

Fashion: True, I dreamed about being on America’s Top Model, but what’s more to the point is that the heroine in my fantasy THE XANADU REBELLION was a world famous fashion model before a tragic accident scarred her face. Although she now spends her time learning how to save the universe (some minor hyperbole) she still loves beautiful quirky clothes. How I understand her. Although I spend my time working for a living, I also love beautiful, quirky clothes – an indulgence I’ve denied myself for far too long. So this is my era of QUIRKY FASHION. I’ve even taken to following Lady Gaga and Prince Poppycock on Twitter and Facebook, but never fear that I’ve gone off the edge. I’m still no stranger to Ann Kline and Inc. And there is at least one pair of sturdy, sensible walking shoes in my closet.

Breakthrough Science: THE XANADU REBELLION book is a crossover between science fiction, urban fantasy, and high fantasy . . . with a little romance thrown in. So are a couple of my soon to be reissued backlist, THE FIRE OPAL and THE DRAGON HOUR. And, frankly, I’m a bit of a science geek. Mostly blow your mind stuff like the neutrino joke I posted on Connie’s Corner and the possible space elevator that I’ll be posting about soon, so welcome to FREAKY SCIENCE.

My Twisted Philosophy: I’m not sure how old I was when I realized that not many people saw the world quite the way I do. Perhaps in the second grade where Mrs. Brown constantly got after me to put my crayons away in a timely manner. Oh how I loved the coloring hour. Anyway, I have spent most of my life with my nose stuck in various, often little known, human potential movements. I’ve learned a bit of this and a bit of that and have reached a point where I might know enough to share a bit here and there. I warn you this is not for the faint of heart. Look for: GOOFBALL MUSINGS. Topics can range from how to avoid being asked to bring a hot dish to a potluck dinner to why you should be careful about what you declare yourself to be. My musings may often be goofball-y, but I AM not a goofball.

Bootcamp for Novelists is also getting a brand workover . . . and a new location. Yes, the online writing school is getting it’s very own blog where my partner Linda Style and I will switch off posts on writing, on the writing industry, and on the writer’s life. We’ve added a new slogan: COMMITMENT, CRAFT, CREATIVITY to round out our goal of teaching step by step and our promise that we can help. Check out course listings at the Bootcamp website and look for our changes around the first of 2012.

In the meantime, if you’d like to check out Connie’s books, click on the book names. SHADOW ON THE MOON and SHADOW OF THE WOLF are currently available in ebook format and so is the Old Bones story by K.C. Flynn. If you’d be willing to write a short review to post on Amazon and Goodreads (blogs are good, too) for any or all of these stories, email me at connieflynn@cox.net. I’ll send you a code that will let you download the books for free.

Meanwhile, I’m not sure how long I’ll be running with the Following my Heart theme, but for now I close part II. If part III comes into existence, you’ll find it here at Much Cheaper Than Therapy on the first Tuesday of January.

My Heart is in The Writing

These days branding is a hot topic and it’s becoming increasingly obvious to me that my brand pretty much revolves around my teaching. And that’s a good thing, isn’t it?

Sure it is. I love my students, love watching them thrive, take what they learn and move forward. Many of the published authors in my local Romance Writers of American chapter are my former students and it’s a pleasure to see their careers growing. Except . . .

When I sit at the keyboard and compose my own books, this is when I feel the most alive. Yes, the joy of seeing a student grasp a complex concept or learning they’ve won in a contest are wonderful gifts from the work I’ve chosen to do. Building and running Bootcamp for Novelists has been more than gratifying.

Yet my heart is in the writing.

For the last few years I’ve been doing almost anything except marketing my work. It’s not that I haven’t been writing. I’ve completed 2 and 9/10th books (yes, that’s about 90%). But each submission brings suggestion for revisions and each revision takes time away from the current book in progress. And while all this time is swirling down the drain, I still have to eat. So what I’ve really been doing the past few years is chasing my money.

The trouble with publishing is that unless you’re pulling in the big bucks (and maybe not even then) you don’t know when your next contract will be offered, when the contract will arrive, or even when you’ll get the signing check. The insecurity is a killer which is why most published authors have the day job.

When you take a hard look at this reality, mixed with the constant merging of the publishing houses, all of a sudden independent publishing looks very attractive. And I do have a backlist of well received novels, so my latest not-writing project has been getting them back in print.

Harlequin reissued two of my romances as ebooks. I personally published my debut paranormal SHADOW ON THE MOON and its sequel, SHADOW OF THE WOLF as ebooks that can be found on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Smashwords and other online book retailers.

Since I’m again promoting my Connie Flynn Author name, I had to dust off a website that I’d neglected so long that it had spider webs. As if that’s not enough, now Connie needs a blog . . . and a Facebook author page . . . and a twitter name — @connieflynn, in case you’re interested.

Because I figured that wasn’t nearly enough, I e-published my first short mystery story, OLD BONES. So now I need a website for my mystery pseudonym, K.C. Flynn . . . and a Facebook author page . . . and a blog. K.C. already has a twitter address @kcflynn2. (that's her picture, off to the right, trying to look mysterious) Already my names are getting out there and sales are trickling in and I wonder how I’ll ever keep it straight.

What matters now is that I’m carving writing time out of my overloaded schedule and setting my priorities because however the details turn out I’m now declaring myself as Connie Flynn Author and K.C. Flynn Author. These ladies are alive and writing and have a promising future ahead of them whether through traditional or independent publishing or a combination of both.

All because I finally found my heart again.
In the writing.

So long until next month,
Connie/K.C.

P.S. Email me at kc.flynn@cox.net if you'd like to read K.C's short mystery Old Bones and I'll send you a coupon good for a free copy.