The axiom states: "You can't sell what you don't have." How true—especially if you are just starting out on your novel-writing adventure.

I say that because, your main focus, at this stage of the writing game, should be on "product." That is, "to write," period. Once you have a manuscript, you can start pursuing some secondary writing particulars (e.g., querying, elevator pitching, branding).

A query letter involves a tight, short-descriptive, one-page note of both your book and yourself—addressed to either an agent or a publisher.

An elevator pitch, however, is more like a blurb of your book. It grabs, and can encourage more interest in your work. Since it is short, you can quickly recite it during, say, an elevator ride—if you happen to take one with a "power that be." Thus, "elevator pitch."

Branding—rather, trying to brand yourself—is quite popular in the social-media world. It is also something in which you can very easily get wrapped, confused, and overwhelmed.

So, what is branding, or, rather, an author brand?

Loosely, it is an "instant recognition" of both you and your product—in this case, your manuscript/book.

For example, WATTYS winner Michelle Jo Quinn, a writer on Wattpad and a Limitless Publishing published author, recently started a "short-story romance series," of sorts, on Wattpad.

Now, if you removed from your mind Michelle's other writings on the platform, she would still tend to be instantly "known/recognized"—in the Wattpad world.

By that I mean, mention "Christmas or Valentine's Day anthology," to a romance-enthusiast on Wattpad and, chances are, Michelle's virtual "romance" anthologies would come up, be discussed, or viewed.

With her anthologies, Michelle has created a "love brand." Thus, now, Wattpadders look not only to read those "shorts" but also to submit stories to her for publication in those virtual books, whenever she undertakes doing one.

Therefore, Michelle has created a "brand" here, so to speak. 

Similarly, USA Today bestselling author Kelly Anne Blount—aside from her great "writing" success via/on Wattpad—has created another "brand" for herself, so to speak. That is, the "Wattpad Block Party."

Those three words, in the Wattpad world, and to some extent beyond it, have become synonymous with Kelly. The WBP is a "Kelly brand," if you will.

The above are two examples of "branding" after the fact. That is, both Michelle and Kelly had, basically, a product (i.e., Michelle had already been a WATTYS winner; Kelly had already been a bestselling author), and they each made/developed another "brand" for themselves—Michelle with her "love brand" and Kelly with her "Wattpad Block Party brand."

As an aspiring author, you don't have such a product...yet. Therefore, trying to brand yourself can be difficult and/or frustrating.

Thus, at this point, if you focus mostly on trying to brand yourself, other areas of your writing may suffer. That is, any time that you pull yourself away from your main goal of writing, you can throw off your production, and writer's block may result.