Story First, Then Brand: How Authors Can Learn From Walt Disney

Ask aspiring entrepreneurs what made Walt Disney successful, and chances are you’ll get a stock answer: branding.

After all, Disney’s name graces movies, television networks, cruise ships, theme parks, streaming services, and enough merchandise to fill all the empty storefronts in your town’s dead mall.

Surely, MBAs would say, that empire sprang from brilliant brand management.

Yet history tells a different story. Instead of setting out to build a brand, Walt Disney resolved to create characters people would gladly spend hours with. Their stories came first, Walt’s empire followed.

These days, studios and publishers ignore that lesson. They’re far more apt to begin with grandiose plans for a cinematic universe nobody asked for. Somewhere, probably near the end of the planning meeting, somebody remembers that a story should probably accompany the product.

Read the full post on Substack.

SOULDANCER RETURNS, THE CYCLE CONTINUES

Ten years after winning the first-ever Dragon Award for Best Horror Novel, Souldancer returns with the definitive anniversary edition and an all-new companion novella, The Other Side of Fear.

The Kickstarter launches September 1, featuring early bird rewards and a crowdfunder-exclusive hardcover of the new novella.

Follow the Kickstarter now to be notified the moment limited rewards go live!