Six books to help build your personal brand (without making you feel like a walking billboard)

Many creative professionals find building a personal brand uncomfortable or manipulative. However, effective branding is not about shameless self-promotion but about clarity, authenticity, and making meaningful connections. To master the art of branding, consider these six books that offer practical wisdom without the usual corporate jargon or inauthentic tactics that may turn people away.

If you want to refine your professional identity, communicate your value effectively, or share your work with confidence, these reads can provide you with frameworks that respect both you and your audience. Unlike other online magazines, we don’t earn revenue from the links you click through. We aim to share enjoyable reads we have come across. Whenever possible, we link to Bookshop.org, which supports independent bookstores.

1. “Show Your Work!” by Austin Kleon
Instead of aggressive self-promotion, Kleon emphasizes sharing your creative process and letting your work speak for itself. He reframes visibility as self-discovery rather than self-promotion, providing practical strategies for getting noticed naturally.

2. “You’re Not Lost” by Maxie McCoy
McCoy’s guide helps those struggling with self-confidence and professional identity by focusing on small, impactful decisions to move from feeling lost to found.

3. “Building a StoryBrand” by Donald Miller
This book offers a storytelling framework that shifts the focus from self-promotion to service, providing a structured approach to clarifying your message authentically.

4. “Find Your Voice” by Angie Thomas
Thomas’s guided journal helps content creators develop a distinctive voice through practical exercises, crucial for building a recognizable personal brand.

5. “The Brand Gap” by Marty Neumeier
Neumeier’s book reframes branding as a perception in the audience’s mind, offering a visual and accessible approach to understanding brand thinking for personal branding.

6. “Branding: In Five and a Half Steps” by Michael Johnson
This book integrates strategy and visuals, providing a comprehensive process for creating meaningful brands with depth and longevity.

These books offer diverse perspectives and practical insights to help you navigate the complex world of personal branding authentically and effectively.