Maybe you think “brand” is a high and lofty word if you’re an unknown writer, but believe me, it’s never too early to build your brand. The pitfalls in that arena are too many to list, but the most frequent mistake I see rookie authors make is going over the top with every little thing. For example, there’s no need to add the word “author” to your twitter handle. Save that for your "About" page or your profile. But don't make your handle Juliathepublishedauthor (and don't all the Julias of the world get mad at me...I just picked a name at random.)

I mean, did you ever see a physician with a T-shirt that says “I’m a doctor”? It looks amateurish. It looks like you’re clamoring for attention. It even looks desperate, and the latter is something you NEVER want to do.

The same reason you don’t run around giving your books away for free in order to get reviews, you don’t have to continuously advertise that you’re an author. Let that be obvious in your posts, such as when you list your upcoming book signings and other events, and with your profile picture and the subjects you talk about. A pinned post to your Amazon link works too. But you don’t need to continuously verbalize “I’m an author, I’m an author.” Believe me, it has the opposite effect from what you think.

Another rookie mistake is going over the top with your display at book signings or other events. The loudest, busiest stand does NOT get the most attention. Ever. Go for simple, elegant lines, and understated accents. You want the focus on the book, not on everything else under the sun. People don’t come to book signing events to hand out blue ribbons for the most eccentric stand, they come to find books and meet authors. So that’s what their eyes want to see. The book and you; in that order.

Adding a lot of busy stuff to your table doesn’t attract people, it confuses them, and they move on to another table where they don’t have to process everything but a flea circus in order to figure out what it is you’re promoting. Remember the old saying “if you confuse them you lose them.” It’s true.

Don’t talk people to death either. If they came to a book signing event, they want to be there. So you don’t have to convince them that you wrote a great book and you certainly don't have to reiterate that you're an author. Let THEM ask the questions. Silence is far more intriguing than jibber jabber. A lot of times attendees want to know things that you would have never thought about and if you’re so busy talking about what YOU think is interesting, they’re going to go away dissatisfied because they didn’t get to ask the questions THEY wanted to ask.

Ultimately, if you think of yourself as a professional, instead of someone who’s desperate to build an audience, you automatically start saying and doing the right things. Just follow the old advice “less is more” and apply it to everything. It will be a huge step in the right direction.