(www.inkthinkerblog.com) — Hoo-a! Last week, we talked about what a brand is and why you need one. I asked a question worthy of a branding drill sergeant – who do you think you are? Now that you’ve put some thought into your personal identity, I’m going to help you flesh out that vision into an unforgettable personal brand.

What’s Inside

You’ll notice that when talking about branding, I initially focused more on what’s inside than what you’re projecting on the outside. Today, that’s going to change. Superficial? Maybe. But the point of personal branding is to project some of the fabulosity within onto your external image. Your personal brand should reflect the kinds of values, influences, inspirations, and beliefs you identified when you asked yourself who you are.

Now. Do your insides match your outsides? We all know (or perhaps are) the person who is vivacious, outrageous, gorgeous, and daring…and hides behind boring clothing or the padding of weight gain. The writer whose written communications don’t reflect her education or ability. The secret artist who can’t express himself through dress or action.

Today I’m going to challenge you to take what’s inside outwards.

The Little Green Dress

Let me give you an example. I love Margaret Mitchell’s perennial soap opera Gone With The Wind, and the feisty Scarlett O’Hara is the perfect example of taking what’s inside out. Scarlett is a spoiled Southern princess whose life is destroyed by the Civil War. When the war destroys her family and drives her to near starvation, she realizes that she can’t just rely on coquetry and charm…she needs $300 (an astronomical sum) to pay taxes on the family estate.

Armed with a dress made of her mother’s green velvet curtains, she heads to Atlanta, flags raised and ready for battle, with the intention of seducing the roguish Rhett Butler and getting the cash. Scarlett’s iconic green dress is the perfect example of insides matching outsides. It’s flirtatious and beautiful, just like her. But it’s also improvised from a household fabric and represents her sheer desperation and moral downfall. While desperation and moral downfall isn’t quite the look we’re going for here, that green dress is a great example of personal branding that really reflects what’s within.

Simply put, you need a signature to reflect your personal brand.

Now that you know who you are (!) it’s time to brainstorm. What’s your signature? Remember, a signature can be anything from a penchant for handwritten notes to a fabulous “uniform” of the perfect jeans, scarf, and earrings. It can mean punctuating your professional conversations with a million-watt smile or inviting your colleagues to ski or hike instead of grab coffee.

This week’s assignment: reflect on how your external self can reflect the values within. Jot down some ideas…no matter how daring or random. Next week I’ll show you how to start implementing them as part of your fabulous personal brand.

– Erin Blakemore

Contents Copyright © 2006-2014 Kristen King

(www.inkthinkerblog.com) — I received an interesting promo message about a new Facebook-based app to create a collaborative travel book. I have bolded the particularly interesting or amusing sections in the message below. Take a look.

I wanted to share some exciting news pertaining to the travel writing industry that I hope may be of interest to you as well as all of your readers.

So, please check it out — my business partner and I created a new web application, the next generation of blogging known as iGO iWRITE, which was recently launched in beta form with quite a lot of buzz due to its unique concept. In short, the app operates on Facebook’s platform and as such it will essentially create Facebook’s first book….actually a series of travel books that are entirely written, edited, and compiled online by fellow travel writers from around the world. As this living book comes to life, the users will ultimately publish the book in hard copy as well, and it will be sold at the usual suspects (Barnes & Noble, Amazon, etc), effectively blending new and traditional media so that they both support and breathe new life into one another. The best part, iGO iWRITE flies in the face of the once widely held belief that the internet would spell the end for the printed book. In iGO iWRITE’s case, things work in reverse, as the web app complements — and actually springboards back to — traditional books and print media.

If seeing your name in print isn’t incentive enough to write about your travels, a number of sponsors are jumping on board, such as the San Juan Marriott who is currently sweetening the pot a bit with free travel to their resort as well as the chance to win five years of free vacation at the resort if you get your story published after staying at the hotel.

The Director of Marketing at the San Juan Marriott Resort, Julian Cable-Treadwell, explains it like this: “Social media, such as Facebook, and user generated content is the way of the future and we are fully supportive of the process and its growing momentum. This promotion is intended to get our guests involved in the process and encourage them to voice their opinions…good, bad or ugly. He adds, “We are not soliciting positive reviews, just trying to encourage our guests to get involved in the conversation.”

Trips and travel hoopla aside, the iGO iWRITE app was made for the average person, the traveler who simply loves to explore new places and share their experiences with others, professional writer or not. With the explosion in social networking and new media, such travelers have become modern day story tellers. As a group they now have the opportunity to shape the direction of the iGO iWRITE travel series by crafting books together that represents the best travel adventures, hidden gems, and hometown heroes they meet along the way.

Thanks for listening and for your consideration. We’re just getting off the ground, and extremely excited to be the first to create a travel book in such a fashion. We welcome the support for this initiative, as it’s a community project. Also, in the next 30 days we’ll launch our new and improved version that has been created out of excellent user feedback and response.

Here’s the link to log into the app on Facebook, http://apps.new.facebook.com/igoiwrite/, or please visit our app development website at www.compleoapps.com.

I’m reserving comments at the moment, though I’m sure you can guess what I think based on what I bolded. :) But right now I’m interested in your opinion. Have you heard of iGO iWRITE already? What do you think? Would you try it?

Contents Copyright © 2006-2014 Kristen King

Tags: freelance writing blog, freelance writing, freelance communications, iGO iWRITE, facebook, collaborative writing, books from blogs, turn your blog into a book, nonwriters writing, inkthinker, kristen king

(www.inkthinkerblog.com) — I hope you’ll be able to make it if you’re in the DC area!

American Independent Writers
Saturday Seminar—September 6, 2008
Registration from 8:30 a.m., Program from 9:00 a.m.—3:45 p.m.

Research Building, Room No. 163
George Mason University (Web site at www.gmu.edu)
4400 University Drive
Fairfax, VA 22030

Metro: Vienna, Orange line and then a CUE bus or GMU Shuttle bus

WRITERS—PUSH THE ELECTRONIC ENVELOPE:
Sharing Your Writing and Selling Your Work in Cyberspace

The proliferation of online tools, social networking sites, and Web markets has created a lot of opportunities – and revenue streams – for writers. But along with the possibilities may come some confusion. Do you need a website? What is Twitter? What’s the difference between a blog and a vlog? Why do writers need Facebook?

In this all-day seminar, we’ll walk you through some of the most popular and writer-friendly Web tools to help you find new work, promote your services, sell your book, and build your platform. [continue reading…]

(www.inkthinkerblog.com) — My friend Nancy is associate editor at FPO Magazine, and she notified me of a fun opportunity that I am passing along to you, with permission of course.

We’re working on FPO Issue #4, MAGZ: Magazines from A to Z, an issue-length “grazing section.” Below is a working list of categories we plan to include, and we hope you’ll help us fill them.

Send us your TIPZ and TRICKZ, for layouts, websites and workflow. Tell us your FAVORITEZ—mentors, books, fonts, spreads, in fact, anything that speaks to magazine design, editorial or production. Fill us in on WAYZ you “get creative” when you’re brain-tired or deadline-crunched. Point out obscure PUBZ we oughta know about, and fun websites—if it’s about magazines, we want to hear it. We’ll share our own “Top 10” lists of everything and anything under the creative umbrella—or you can send your own. [continue reading…]