The Great Author Rebrand
From Lauren Searson-Patrick to Lauren Parker Rhodes
Lauren Parker Rhodes Banner
The rebrand is (more-or-less) complete, and hoo-boy do we have much to talk about!
First of all, if you’re relatively new here, hello! I’m Lauren Parker Rhodes, formerly Lauren Searson-Patrick. After 4.5 book releases (the .5 is a short story), I decided to change my name and launch a full author rebrand. Why? Well, that’s what we’re here to discuss.
I’m going to tell you why I decided to rebrand, a bit about what I’m working towards, and why all of this behind-the-scenes stuff even matters for indie authors like myself. Let’s get into it.
What’s in a Name…
As I mentioned in my announcement newsletter (which you may or may not have seen—you can sign up here, if you’re interested!), to me, this change feels like finally stepping into myself as an author. I’ve simply outgrown my previous branding, and I want to take my books and my aesthetic in a new direction. I very much hope all of you will stick around for the ride.
I had toyed with the idea of only changing my name, as opposed to doing a complete rebrand, but I thought that could be a disservice to the readers that already love my character-driven, slow-burn stories if they couldn’t find the new name. I wanted to make sure I could still share my new stories with you (even if they are a little different—more on this in a moment) because they’re still mine.
Author Branding
Branding isn’t necessarily what’s at the forefront of authors’ minds when they first start out. We want our content to look good, of course, but until you finish that first book, it can be difficult to decide exactly how you want to represent it and yourself as the author. And that’s ok! Let me be the lesson that you can always shake things up later. Just because you’ve got a few releases under your belt doesn’t mean you’re locked in to the same things forever.
I worked with the absolutely incredible Taylor Gringich (@taylorgingrichdesign) for my rebrand, and I’m so pleased with the results. This new brand feels a little less like where I’ve been, in my comfort zone, and more like I’m stepping into a whole new, exciting phase of author-hood.
That’s not to say I’m not grateful to Lauren Searson-Patrick. That version of Lauren will have always been the foundation of what I’ve built, and she worked hard to get us here. But that brand was one I’d bought on etsy as a wide-eyed possum with a dream and no idea what I was doing. Now, I’m (a teeny bit!) more across how this dealio works, and I wanted a brand—and a name—that matched where I am now and where I’m going.
Lauren Parker Rhodes is going to keep taking it forward—more stories, more found families, more magic, more slow burn romance. Though, perhaps with looser reins.
So what’s going to change?
Nothing! Well, except my name and my branding and my website and the way I post content… But at the heart of all the new pretty things, there’s still Lauren. I’m still going to write immersive, atmospheric prose that makes you laugh and cry and examine elements of the real world, even if I write in different genres. I’m still going to tell complex stories about family and friendship and women who support women, with positive romance and respectful, consensual open-door spice. My work will still be lit by hope for a better future and the difference we can make.
This isn’t a brand new Lauren, so much as a repackaged and freshly polished Lauren! I hope you love this new era as much as I do.
Did you mention different genres?
You’re an astute one—yes, I did! I can’t tell you too much about this yet (especially because we still have the final installment of Traitors’ to talk about!) but a big part of why I chose to do this rebrand now is that my next series will look a bit different from the books I’ve put out in the past. But like I said before, even when I genre-hop, the heart of my stories won’t change. I wanted to include Traitors’ Promise (the sequel to Traitors’ Creed) in this rebrand to show you that me and my books (and hopefully you) are all moving forward into this new era together. Nobody is getting left behind!
What’s next for Lauren Parker Rhodes?
You mean other than the rebrand and the Traitors’ Promise release and the new series I’m mercilessly teasing you with? Lots of writing, of course!
In the past few months, I have grown my team from just little ol’ me and my loving family to a handful of skilled, passionate professionals that I’m confident will help me grow my audience and get even more books into your hands. Delegating like this isn’t easy, especially for us creatives, but I’m so excited to have a few of the behind-the-scenes tasks off my hands so I can focus on writing great books and connecting with all of you.
Stick with me—I have SO MUCH planned.
If you made it to the end of this post, thank you so much for reading! And to everyone who has been sharing and commenting the sweetest things as the brand has been transitioning on social media, your support and encouragement is endlessly appreciated. I can’t wait for you to see everything that’s coming.
