That time I almost lost all my work

When my Mac Book Pro stopped working earlier this year I went into panic mode. I hadn't backed up all my files. I had first drafts of novels, premade book cover designs, and more... that were potential lost. Yes I did cry a little.

Anyway, I finally got it fixed, and the first thing I did when I got it back was back up all the files. Words can not express how happy I was at finding all those files still there. Unfortunately, the problem came back again quite quickly and so it's back at the repair shop again. I should comment at this point that my Mac Book Pro is a model from a few years ago (2013 I think), which they aren't producing anymore due to this problem. This however also makes it harder to find the pieces needed to repair it. Hopefully the newer versions all work fine.

As a side note, I really do miss my Mac though. Well, if I'm honest, I really miss the programs I had installed on it. My trusty old HP Pavilion laptop is always there for me though, and I do have most of the programs on that too (just older versions).

Lesson learnt: My favourite back up tools

Needless to say, it's a good idea to regularly back up your files. As this is such an important topic, I thought I'd take you through a few of the ways I back up my files.

External Hard Drive

This is my preferred way to back up my files. I just plug in the USB and select the files I want to save from my computer. When I need them on another device I just plug the USB into that and transfer the files over.

I have several external hard drives that I use to back up my files. The biggest is the Verbatim 1 TB http://amzn.to/2znMqOi. It's a bulky model but does the job. I've never had any problems with it. This is the one I use for all my bigger projects.

Then I have a My Passport Ultra external hard drive http://amzn.to/2zoGAOD. This is much smaller and so easier to move around. Again, works great, and I've never had any problems with it.

Online Back up

I have several accounts for saving files online. Google Drive is the one I use most. One Drive and Drop Box are next on the list. This particular method of backing up files is really useful if you need to send the file to other people as you can get a shareable link, and give permission to view, and even edit the file to selected people.

There are free and paid options available for both Google Drive, One Drive, and Drop Box (and the many other types out there).

Email

This one is often overlooked, but beautifully simple. Just email yourself a copy of the file as an attachment. You'll then have a copy sitting ready for you in your inbox.

BONUS!

Surprise! Now I'm going to tell you about a bonus way to back up, that can be super useful for writers: Amazon's Free Kindle Reading App. This has saved me more than once. When I finish writing the first draft of a book I always send a copy of the file to my Kindle Reading App on my ipad. It really helps during the revising and editing stages as my brain goes into 'book reading mode', and so I find errors that I might have missed reading it on my laptop.

It is just a reading app and so you won't be able to edit the file from the app, but it does give you another copy. Once I wrote a big chunk of a non fiction book, and sent a copy to my Kindle App. Due to a problem with my computer, I lost the original file. Luckily I'd sent the file to the App and so managed to write up another one quickly. Not the best way to back up, but definitely a useful, extra layer to your safety net.

Now go back up your work. Trust me. You'll be glad you did.

Building Your Brand

If you remember, I did a rebranding in September this year. In this post I talked about why I decided to do a full makeover of my brand design. I also promised in that blog post that I would do some more blog posts on the topic of branding for you, so today we're taking a closer look at what branding is... and isn't.

You might also like: The Ultimate Guide for Book Bloggers

What does "branding" mean?

The Business Dictionary defines branding as:

The process involved in creating a unique name and image for a product in the consumers' mind, mainly through advertising campaigns with a consistent theme. Branding aims to establish a significant and differentiated presence in the market that attracts and retains loyal customers.

Branding is what makes people think of you. It's not just the visual, but we'll go into that in a minute.

More than a logo

Of course, your logo is part of your branding. It's your symbol, and is generally placed on your marketing material. A logo doesn't have to be complicated or even have an image. In fact, a simple text logo can actually be better.

For my new logo I decided to go with simple text. Depending on the logo you choose you might want to have an alternative logo too. For example I have two.

Logo:

Alternative logo:

The alternative logo is just a simplified version of the logo. This is in case I need a transparent version to use (without the background colouring).

Colour scheme

Whilst your logo is something people will immediately identify with your brand, your colour scheme also plays a role.

This is my main colour palette for my brand:

Using the same colours helps people identify your brand, and gives consistency.

Fonts

I use BEBAS NEUE, Aileron Thin, and Verdana as my main text fonts. Using the same fonts across the board is also a visual part of your branding. Again consistency.

What about the non visual part?

This is the most important part of your brand. This is what people think of when they think of you. What words do people use to describe you, and therefore ultimately, your brand?

What personality adjectives describe you?

adaptable, adorable, agreeable, alert, alluring, ambitious, amusing, boundless, brave, bright, calm, capable, charming, cheerful, coherent, confident, cooperative, courageous, credible,cultured,dashing, dazzling, debonair, decisive, decorous, delightful, determined, diligent, discreet, dynamic, eager, efficient, enchanting, encouraging, enduring, energetic, entertaining, enthusiastic, excellent, excitable, exuberant, fabulous, fair, faithful, fantastic, fearless, frank, friendly, funny, generous, gentle, good, happy, harmonious, helpful, hilarious, honorable, impartial, industrious, instinctive, jolly, joyous, kind, kind-hearted, knowledgeable, likable, lively, lovely, loving, lucky, mature, modern, nice, obedient, painstaking, peaceful, perfect, placid, plausible, pleasant, plucky, productive, protective, proud, punctual, quiet, receptive, reflective, relieved, resolute, responsible, righteous, romantic, sedate, selective, self-assured, sensitive, shrewd, silly, sincere, skillful, splendid, steadfast, stimulating, talented, thoughtful, thrifty, tough, trustworthy, unbiased, unusual, upbeat, vigorous, vivacious, warm, willing, wise, witty, wonderful, zany, zealous.

So when you're thinking about your branding make sure you take into consideration all the above elements to ensure a professional look, and most importantly, more effective branding.

In this post we've looked at branding in general. This is the basic stuff that you can use on your website, blog, marketing materials, etc...

For the authors amongst you, branding can be used for your books too. Maybe you use the same fonts on all your book covers, or a certain style, or elements. For example, author Nicholas Sparks often has an image of a couple almost kissing on his romance covers. Again, using the same fonts across your books can help brand them. I'm happy to change the fonts on any of my available premade book cover designs should you require it. As well as my premades, I also offer custom cover designs too, and so can definitely help you brand your books.

You might also like: Tips for a Successful Brand Photo Shoot

How would you describe your brand? Do you have consistent visual branding? Let me know in the comments below. Also feel free to ask questions. I love a good discussion 😉