How an Author Logo Can Help Your Brand
When I say McDonald’s, what pops into your mind? Most likely, it’s those iconic golden arches. How about Nike? The swoosh. Michelin? The Michelin man. Apple? The apple, of course.
A good logo is more than just a graphic—it’s an embodiment of a brand’s personality, history, and culture that embeds itself in the minds of consumers like you.
The logos mentioned above have become icons that are recognized all over the world and hardly need an introduction. When you see these logos, you immediately recall the brand’s products and services, achievements, and recent history.
So what if the same principles could be used for your brand as an author?
Why You Should Have a Logo
You might be asking yourself, “What does a logo have to do with my writing?” or “I won’t need that when I’m already famous.”
The thing is, making it as a writer is already hard as is, so why not do what you can to stand out? Humans are largely visual creatures, which makes information easier for us to remember and recall when it’s presented as a graphic. It’s easier to remember a face than remember a name right? It’s the same with your brand; logos make it easier for readers to remember you.
The writing world experiences extremely fierce competition, with less than a quarter of written books making it to publication each year. This is why author branding is extremely important: wider recognition increases your chance of getting published. Logos are just one of the things you need to consider in building your brand.
By creating a writer logo, you’re making yourself more accessible to potential readers. You’ll look more professional, and will signal to readers that you love what you’re doing enough to invest in a quality logo. It’s also easier to market yourself when you have an attention-grabbing logo.
Plus, once you’re established and have a decent following, there’s always potential profit in putting your logo on t-shirts and other memorabilia that complement your writings.
Things to Consider When Developing Your Logo
Creating the perfect logo takes thought. You don’t want to make something that’s lackluster, or too complex, either. Here are a few things to keep in mind when you start your design process.
1. Relevance
The elements in your logo should be relevant to your craft as an author. When you think “author”, the images that come to mind are usually books, pens, quills, ink bottles, and the like.
These common themes leave no doubt in your audience’s mind that what you offer are writing services. Kick it up a notch by adding elements that convey what kind of writer you are. Do you write horror? Maybe use darker colors and a raven motif. For example, the above image perfectly uses graphics and a name that easily identifies the brand as an ice cream company.
Consistency in theme is key to making a logo that concisely expresses what your brand is all about.
2. Less Is More
Keep in mind that logos are not illustrations or pictures. It’s easy to be tempted into adding elements that look great but only make the logo too complicated and confusing. Make a logo that readers can understand in a glance.
3. Colors
Colors are a great way of projecting emotions. The right combination of colors makes a great design more pleasing. Remember your audience when picking out colors—if your writing is somber, use darker colors. It helps to understand color theory when doing this.
4. Scalability
Depending on where you want to put it, you might have to alter your logo’s size to something bigger or smaller. Or omit elements as it becomes more compact.
Changes in size might make some parts unclear, or distorted. Make sure that your design is clear no matter what size it is (especially when scaled down). Test them in different sizes before fully committing, and decide on what elements to keep as you make your design more compact.
What Does an Author Logo Look Like?
There aren’t really strict guidelines for what a logo should look like. What you have to keep in mind, though, is that your logo should immediately convey who you are and what you do. Great designs are useless if your target market can’t make sense of what you offer.
There are four basic types of logos, and you can experiment with them however you like.
1. Lettermark
Lettermarks are a typography style based almost exclusively on the initials of your name or company. So if your name is a mouthful, your best option is to use this kind of logo. Notable companies with this logo are Electronic Arts, the British Broadcasting Corporation, and the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
The main drawback here is that it’s difficult to make something distinctive enough to stick in people’s minds, so it’s also a good strategy to include your name or a portion of it somewhere in the logo, preferably below it. See #4 for more on this.
2. Wordmark
Wordmarks are also typography-based, with the difference being the use of your whole name. This is often the simplest and most recognizable approach, especially if you have a short brand name. Notable companies with wordmark logos are Google, Coca-Cola, and Calvin Klein.
This is the way to go if you have a really unique brand name that only needs a bit of touching up. Since wordmarks don’t have any graphic elements, your typographical choices should accurately convey your brand. Choose creative, quirky fonts if you want your brand to be known as fun, and so on.
3. Brandmark
In contrast to the first two types, brandmarks abandon text completely. Here you’ll solely rely on graphics to identify and market your brand. Successful brandmarks transcend language and are better at conveying the more abstract concepts of your brand. Notable companies that use brandmarks are Apple, Target, and Shell.
If you’re still starting your brand, then this may not be the best option. Your icon may look visually pleasing, but if no one knows what it’s for, then it defeats the purpose. As your brand recognition grows, then you can safely transition to this type of logo.
4. Combination Marks
This type of logo is a blend of the past three types. Typographical elements are used alongside graphic elements, effectively reinforcing each other. This is the logo type to go to if you want the best of both worlds. Notable brands that use this include Adidas, Burger King, and Lacoste.
However, by combining two kinds of elements, you might unnecessarily create a needlessly complicated logo, so watch out! Balance is key when going with this type.
Don’t Have the Necessary Design Skills?
Hey, there’s nothing to be ashamed of! Graphic design is a whole other world from writing. If you don’t have the skills, there are several options to pick from.
1. Professionals
This should be your number one option. Look around for a capable graphic artist who has the necessary skills and experience in creating logos that work. Is it expensive? It can be, but if you’re into writing long-term, this is going to be one of your better investments. Check a designer’s portfolio to get a feel of their style and skills.
The good thing is that because of the internet, it’s extremely easy to look for them. There are sites like 99designs, Upwork, Fiverr, and GraphicRiver that are teeming with graphic designers.
2. Logo Generators
If you’re hesitant to hire a professional or want to try designing your own logo, then logo generators are a great start. These are sites with hundreds of fonts and graphics that can be mixed and matched to create your own logo. A few good ones are Tailor Brands, BrandCrowd, and DesignMantic.
Now, they can look generic because they’re mostly free and lack the touch of a professional, but they can help you out in figuring the general look of your logo. Once you find one that works for you, add to it and make it your own.
What’s Next?
You’ve done the research, settled on a design, and now you have the final product. But what do you do with your logo now? Here are a few suggestions:
- Put it in a prominent place on your author website.
- Use it as part of your email signature. It will make your emails look more professional.
- Feature it on every one of your social media profiles.
- Print out new business cards with your logo on them.
- Have some merchandise? Slap on your logo.
- Use it as a watermark for your digital writing drafts.
- Make it a stamp.
- Add it to your contracts.
- Feature it in your newsletter.
- Create a custom decal you can put on your laptop, office, or car.
The point here is that you should start using your logo as part of your author brand. Place it where it matters; don’t just put it everywhere.
Having it on your website makes sense, but putting it on every piece of clothing you have is just overkill. Don’t be that guy who’s a (bad) walking advertisement.
In a Nutshell
If you were a blacksmith, then logos are branding marks on each piece of steel you forge. In your case, that’s your books and related merchandise!
Turning the idea in your head into a great logo can be a lengthy process. But when you do it right, an author logo can be tremendously helpful in building your reputation and brand.
Are you designing your own author logo? Share your process in the comments below!
If you enjoyed this post, then you might also like:
- 19 Famous Book Covers and the Stories Behind Them
- 15 Best Brand Name Generators for Your Business
- 14 Color Palette Generators for Your Eye-Catching Brand
- Creative Business Card Ideas for Your Brand
The post How an Author Logo Can Help Your Brand appeared first on TCK Publishing.
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