I’ve been thinking a lot about branding lately. Not the kind of branding that involves cows and red-hot iron rods (although we were just in Texas), but the kind of branding that defines you to your audience.

Quick—if I say Sarah Dessen, what kind of books do you think of? Yep, contemporary fiction with a romantic bent. Neil Gaiman? Slightly-scary fantasy. R.L. LaFevers? Adventure, ancient curses and feisty girls (if you haven’t read any of the Theodosia books, shut down the computer and go get one now…we’ll wait). These authors all have a strong brand—pick up a book and you pretty much know what kind of book it will be. These authors also have readers who wait with excitement for the next book, even if it’s not part of a series.

Other writers sort of stumble into a brand when something suddenly takes off. Alyson Noel wrote books for adults and a romancy YA before starting the Immortals series where she has really found success (which gives us unbranded writers hope).

I have no brand, and I can’t seem to find one no matter how hard I try. Stories come to me in all different forms and if I like it, I’ll start writing it regardless of age group or genre. My first book is a picture book about time zones and the second book that will come out in February is an “edgy” YA about hoarding (and romance). I’m working on a follow-up book to the PB and in the middle of a YA romance (no hoarding or other mental/social disorders). We have a book out with editors that is a boy-centric MG and the book that wants to be written next is a YA with some supernatural elements. Ugh.

I constantly pester my agent with questions about what to write—should I abandon an idea that I like because it doesn’t fit in with the other book? Should I stick to writing books about teens in abusive living situations? As much as I adore her, she always says the same thing—write what you love. But what if you love it all?

This really came up when we were designing my new website. It had to be accessible to parents and teachers who wanted information about When It’s Six O’clock in San Francisco, but wouldn’t be too cutesy for those teens who wanted info about Dirty Little Secrets. In the end, we just made a site that reflected me and not the books that I write.

Ultimately, I guess I do think that a good, strong brand is the way to go. I hope I get one someday. In the meantime, I’ll just write the stories that appear and hope that people like them.

Related posts:

1. Connect With Cynthia Jaynes Omololu: Boy Books
2. CONNECT WITH CYNTHIA JAYNES OMOLOLU: Birth of a Book
3. Connect with Cynthia Jaynes Omololu: MySpace and Facebook and Twitter, Oh My!
4. WHEN IT’S SIX O’CLOCK IN SAN FRANCISCO: A TRIP THROUGH TIME ZONES by Cynthia Jaynes Omololu
5. Connect with Jennifer R. Hubbard: Keeping It Real