The #JPStyle Branding

When I started writing, I had no concept of what “branding” meant. I remember attending my very first Dreamspinner author conference in New York, and watching Damon Suede give an amazing talk on branding complete with a huge hand-out and I still didn’t really get it. Were the fonts all supposed to match? Was there a color scheme? A catch phrase?  I was a physics major, not a marketing major. I just didn’t get it.

Then, I fell ass backward into one.

While researching gay porn for the Little Boy Lost series, I followed a couple of gay porn stars on twitter, and asked them if I could speak with them about their experiences. They were warm and friendly, very approachable, so we talked. They told me specific details you wouldn’t get from watching scenes, they talked about their experiences, and how they related to other models on set. After a bit, we became friends. Phone numbers were exchanged, and texting commenced. Then, I got invited to Hustlaball in New York. It was, without a doubt, the wildest experience of my life, but that’s where I met Howard Andrew in person for the first time, and we became fast friends.

After that, things got interesting.

There were several reasons I started to put gay adult models on the covers of my books. First, I wanted to do it so that my covers would be unique. So many books in the genre have the same models on them. Second, I wanted to be able to cross promote with someone outside the

genre to expand our reach. Third, they’re my friends and I wanted to show them off to the world. Later, Jake Jaxson from Cockyboys told me that his models liked being on covers because it made them feel like there was more to them than porn. That reason moved up to the top of my list. The more models I put on covers, the more they invited me to come to events with them. I’ve been to the Black Party Expo, Hustlaball, Gay Days, Grabbys, and myriad of other porn-themed events, and as I attended them, something really interesting started to happen.

I went from a shy introvert, scared of her own shadow to someone who could stand up in front of a crowd and talk (arguably) intelligently about her books. Because, you see, after hanging out with guys who have few inhibitions, lots of sex, and probably the most fun you’ve ever had, author conferences are kind of a breeze. So, as Aaron became more successful, I started to become recognized for my association with adult models. Everyone wanted to see who would be on the next book, and the messages inside the books started to get lost. The healing and romance of Painting Fire became lost behind images of fire flogging, and Drake Jaden’s quirky personality. Charlie, Rentboy’s message of independence and strength hid behind the beauty of Max Ryder and Max Carter. Aaron became more known for Jake Bass than the horrifying beauty of his journey.

#SurvivingRealism

By now, I understand that branding isn’t about fonts or colors, but consistency in the message your books convey. Yes, some of my books lived up to the gritty sexuality of my branding—Mastering the Ride, Papi, Charlie, even some parts of the Little Boy Lost books, but it didn’t represent the core of my work. One night, I sat down and had a long talk with Amy Lane, who, if you’ve never met Amy, is truly one of the best people I know. She reminded me that my books, at their very heart, are about survival. So, I sat back and thought about what my books really meant to me, and she was right. My books are about survival and realism. All of my books have a thread of non-fiction through them, either my own or someone else’s real story can be found in most of my books, but especially my later books. So, while, yes, my characters are broken and fight for their happily ever after, it’s because someone somewhere is also fighting for theirs. The events in my books are complete fiction, but their heart, and their essence are usually taken from real life experiences.

The rest of the Working Boys series will have adult models on them because the books are about adult models and working in the sex industry, but starting with Spencer (the sequel to Aaron), we will be expanding into different artistic areas. AngstyG is still my cover artist, no matter what the subject matter. She is incredibly gifted, and I couldn’t ask for a more amazing artist. She takes my paltry descriptions and turns them into some of the most beautiful covers you’ve ever seen. Aaron, though Jake Bass is beautiful, wouldn’t have been half as striking without her design. In the Absence of Monsters (releasing Jan 22^nd) has the most amazing cover. I love the way she put the sub in the background in front of the window, the images Gio Caruso took of Jake Driver, and the way everything came together in an array of darkness and need.

So, let’s try this whole branding thing again, and see where 2014 takes us!

About JP Barnaby

Award winning romance novelist, J. P. Barnaby has penned over a dozen books including the Monster series, the Little Boy Lost series, and Aaron. As a bisexual woman, J.P. is a proud member of the GLBT community both online and in her small town on the outskirts of Chicago. A member of Mensa, she is described as brilliant but troubled, sweet but introverted, and talented but deviant. She spends her days writing software and her nights writing erotica, which is, of course, far more interesting. The spare time that she carves out between her career and her novels is spent reading about the concept of love, which, like some of her characters, she has never quite figured out for herself.

Web site: http://www.JPBarnaby.com

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