It's All About Your Brand. Insights from KidLitVic2017

Guest post by Penelope Pratley

Illustrator | Emerging Writer | Educator| harp player.

It’s now two weeks after KidLitVic Conference 2017. The air has cleared and most of us have returned to our experience of reality. Cleaning the house, washing clothes, running around after children telling them to put clothes on, picking clothes up, putting clothes away, trying to feed the children who are supposed to be wearing said clothes, and so on. (Not to mention chasing a bunny, herding chickens and making sure the arthritic guinea pig is alive).​

The Conference
KidLitVic Conference is a wonderful gift conceived by people who truly care about sharing their love of Books, Publishing, and Illustration, with complete newbies, established veterans, and everything in between. It’s a gift of information that you can choose to put in a cupboard and forget about, or it’s a gift you can use. I returned home brimming with determination to use what I had learnt.
 
Upon arrival at the conference, as friends (new and old) mingled, we talked about what’s working and what isn’t, about successes and occasionally, failures. But standing in a room full of delegates who are just as passionate and enthusiastic about this industry as you are makes you think, ‘how do I make myself stand out from all the other incredible writer, author, illustrator types?’ Enter Lisa Berryman! 

How do I make myself stand out from all the other incredible writer, author, illustrator types?

​While attending this year’s conference I was fortunate enough to secure a place in Lisa Berryman’s ‘It’s All About Your Brand Workshop’. All the while thinking ‘I’m hoping to be an illustrator. I’m not a brand’.
 
Turns out that’s not true, O’ little self-doubting-whisper. I am finding (as I grow and erm . . . mature) that it’s easier to learn from other’s mistakes rather than making the same mistakes on your own. Having said this, there is an even better way to avoid making more mistakes than necessary. That is to be teachable and receive first hand information from someone within the industry. 
​
It's All About Your Brand Workshop by Lisa Berryman
Considering Lisa Berryman has been a Children’s publisher at HarperCollins Publishers Australia for seventeen years, I told my doubting whisper to ‘shush’ and headed up the stairs to attend her workshop. 

​While attending this year’s conference I was fortunate enough to secure a place in Lisa Berryman’s ‘It’s All About Your Brand Workshop’. All the while thinking ‘I’m hoping to be an illustrator. I’m not a brand’.
 
Turns out that’s not true, O’ little self-doubting-whisper. I am finding (as I grow and erm . . . mature) that it’s easier to learn from other’s mistakes rather than making the same mistakes on your own. Having said this, there is an even better way to avoid making more mistakes than necessary. That is to be teachable and receive first hand information from someone within the industry.
 
Considering Lisa Berryman has been a Children’s publisher at HarperCollins Publishers Australia for seventeen years, I told my doubting whisper to ‘shush’ and headed up the stairs to attend her workshop.
 
Lisa walked us through several salient points on branding, with wonderful examples of products (and people) that are recognisable within their specific industries.
 
The main focus of Lisa’s workshop was creating your USP. Your Unique Selling Point – which is kinda like an elevator pitch or sound bite, roughly speaking, the ‘base’ for your brand.  Your USP/ tagline will communicate your brand’s message in a way that resonates with your ideal audience. I came home with my head swirling with ideas and one off phrases that were too long, off point, rambling, or too vague. I ended up using this formula:

Thing that you do + Who you do it for = USP/ Tagline

After a day or so I arrived at four options that I thought were suitable. I then posted them online to get some non-familial feedback. Once the decision had been made about my USP it was time to put it to work on Lisa’s second actionable point and make sure my website, and email signature were a true reflection of my brand.

I spent the week after KidLitVic Conference re-working my entire website, making it easy to navigate and update. Another key point made by Lisa was to keep your website current and ensure you are present on social media to the right audience.

 
The biggest thing I took away from Lisa’s workshop was to be as true to yourself, compelling, and believable as possible! 

About Penelope:
An artist, illustrator, writer and educator Penelope loves to dance, nap, and teach art. She was a fairy, reads copious books, and co-owns a small menagerie. She is a wife, Mum, harp player, drawer and painter who believes that art should serve others, develop the imagination and create a lasting memory. Her goal is always the same to deliver uncomplicated quality that will bless others. Penelope currently spends her days creating all kinds of lovely images for clients, illustrating her first picture book to be published in 2018 and enabling others to interpret their world through creativity in Art. 

Check out her redesigned website: Penelopesnest.com  
Connect with Penelope on Facebook. 

For previous guest blog posts by attendees to KidLitVic:
KidLitVic2017 Lessons by Pamela Uekerman reflects on the conference as a whole.

Full Steam Ahead. KidLitVic2017 by Karen Hendriks covers the various panels on the day.

KidLitVic2017: A Reflection by Juliet Sampson chats about her observations and the changes in publishing trends.

​Learn How to Master Manuscript Assessments with Carole Lander.

For more coverage and different perspectives:
From an organiser's perspective: The KidLitVic 2017- Meet the Publishers Conference Wrap-Up by Nicky Johnson 

Tania McCartney gives her view of KidLit, along with what she is up too, on her blog, Works-in-progress, KidLitVic and Crystal Kite!

Romi Sharp reflects on her experiences on her blog,  KidLitVic2017 Reflections 
​
Tabitha Page talks about her first KidLitVic experience and how AWESOME it was. 

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