WEEK 2 OF THE AUTHOR VISIBILITY SERIES

Last week in the first Author Visibility Quiz, we explored five different ways authors may naturally connect with readers:

• The Authority Author

• The Community Builder

• The Connector

• The Spotlight Author

• The Content Creator

This week, we’re zooming in on two of those types:

The Authority Author and The Content Creator.

Why these two together?

Because they work beautifully as a team.

Authority gives you something worth saying.

Content creation gives people more ways to find it.

That combination can become a powerful visibility strategy for authors.

Especially if standing on a stage every other Tuesday is not exactly your dream. 😄

Short Answer: What Is the Difference Between an Authority Author and a Content Creator?

An Authority Author builds visibility by sharing knowledge, expertise, experience, or perspective people trust.

A Content Creator builds visibility by turning useful ideas into material people can discover, save, share, and use.

Some authors are one or the other.

Many are both.

And when those two strengths overlap, your ideas can keep working long after you finish writing them.

You May Already Be More of an Expert Than You Think

One of the biggest obstacles I see with authors is this:

They know something valuable.

They’ve lived something valuable.

They’ve worked in a field for years.

They’ve researched a subject deeply.

They’ve taught it.

They’ve answered questions about it.

But when someone says:

“You’re an expert in that.”

They immediately respond:

“Oh no, no, no. I wouldn’t say expert.”

Why not?

Sometimes we have a very narrow picture of what qualifies someone as an expert.

We assume it requires:

• A degree

• A certificate

• An official title

• A fancy credential

• Someone in an office somewhere stamping a piece of paper that says:

Congratulations. You may now know things. 😄

But expertise can also grow from:

• Years of experience

• Repeated practice

• Professional work

• Research

• Lived experience

• Results

• Teaching

• Ongoing learning

Which brings me to my own story.

How Do You Know You’re an Expert in Something?

A few years ago, I worked with Rey Perez and his team at Global Branding and realized I had developed expertise in two areas:

Connecting people for healthy relationships and business coaching for authors.

He helped me brand myself as The Connection Expert.

At first, calling myself an expert felt a little strange.

I don't have a degree in connection.

I'm fairly certain that's not even a thing. 😄

But I do have a lifetime of experience.

I've lived in 51 houses around the world and learned how to walk into unfamiliar places, meet people, build relationships, and create the kind of lasting connections I hope everyone gets to experience.

For years, I did that naturally.

Later, I began doing it purposefully through different jobs and eventually as a speaker and author, teaching people how to connect in ways that can lead to extraordinary relationships.

Eventually I had to admit something:

If decades of doing this, studying it, teaching it, and seeing the results didn't qualify as expertise, I wasn't sure what would.

The same thing happened when I began calling myself a Business Coach for Authors.

I've worked in that role for more than a decade. I'm a traditionally published author, and I've spent years supporting authors as they navigate the business side of writing.

Again, there wasn't a certificate waiting for me at the end.

There wasn't a degree declaring:

Congratulations. You may now call yourself an expert.

My authority grew from experience, repeated practice, professional work, results, and a willingness to keep learning.

And that's important.

Being an expert does not mean you know everything.

It means you have developed enough knowledge and experience to guide others—and when you don't know an answer, you know how to find reliable information.

A good expert remains a student.

Keep learning.

Keep asking questions.

Keep expanding what you know.

Your expertise isn't something you finish.

It's something you continue developing.

Signs You May Be an Authority Author

You may lean toward the Authority Author type if:

• People frequently ask you for advice.

• You enjoy explaining things clearly.

• You have professional or life experience others can learn from.

• You like teaching.

• You enjoy research.

• You naturally organize information.

• You have a message built around something you know deeply.

• People often say, “I never thought about it that way.”

Your expertise does not have to be directly related to writing.

It might be:

• Military life

• History

• Parenting

• Adoption

• Business

• Faith

• Education

• Medicine

• Travel

• Finance

• Horses

• Gardening

• Leadership

• Relationships

• Technology

Or something completely different.

For fiction authors, your expertise can also support the world around your books.

Maybe your stories involve military families, historical events, law enforcement, medicine, ranch life, or another subject you've spent years around.

That knowledge can create conversations and visibility far beyond:

“Please buy my book.”

And that's a very good thing.

What Change Does an Authority Author Create?

An Authority Author often creates change through:

Clarity and knowledge.

The reader or listener walks away thinking:

“Now I understand.”

That matters.

Because visibility isn't simply about getting your name in front of more people.

It's about creating enough value that people remember why they encountered you.

But Expertise Hidden in Your Head Isn’t Very Visible

Here's where the Content Creator comes in.

You can be brilliant.

You can know your subject backward and forward.

You can have decades of experience.

But if all that knowledge lives quietly inside your head...

No one can find it.

That's where content becomes a bridge.

Content takes what you know and makes it:

• Discoverable

• Useful

• Shareable

• Searchable

• Saveable

• Reusable

A Content Creator gives your expertise somewhere to go.

What If You Could Reuse More Than You Create?

Have you taught, written, and spoken about a topic so often you could almost do it in your sleep?

For years, I created brand-new content for nearly everything I did:

• Speeches

• Interviews

• Columns

• Blogs

• Social posts

And let me tell you, constantly starting from scratch can be exhausting—and a serious time thief.

Then, after attending several writers' conferences and classes, I kept hearing the same message:

Reuse and repurpose your content.

Now, I happen to be a recycler.

I know. Slightly quirky. 😄

But I genuinely love finding a new use for something old.

Years ago, I even bought carpet made from recycled plastic bottles. You would never have known it. It looked and felt like regular carpet, and it lasted more than a decade in great condition.

So I started thinking:

If we can reuse plastic bottles, why can't we reuse good content?

That idea changed the way I approached my author business.

Instead of creating something once and letting it disappear into the digital wilderness, I began looking for ways to give it a longer life.

Now I might create one blog post and then turn that same core message into:

• Pinterest pins

• A LinkedIn post

• A Facebook post

• Newsletter content

• Talking points for a presentation

• A future downloadable resource

And each piece can point people back to the original blog.

I'm not saying the exact same thing in the exact same way everywhere.

I'm taking one useful idea and reshaping it for different people, different platforms, and different ways of learning.

The result?

I'm able to create more visibility without constantly creating more from scratch.

That gives me more time to:

• Grow my business

• Serve my audience

• Develop new ideas

• Write

• And occasionally do something completely wild like step away from the computer. 😄

That's one of the strengths of a Content Creator.

You don't just create.

You learn how to make good ideas work harder and travel farther.

Related Compass Stop

5 Ways Authors Can Repurpose One Piece of Content

Signs You May Be a Content Creator

You may lean toward the Content Creator type if:

• You process ideas by writing them down.

• You enjoy turning ideas into useful resources.

• You like blogging, newsletters, articles, or social content.

• People save or share what you create.

• You naturally think of several ways to explain the same idea.

• You enjoy taking a large idea and breaking it into smaller pieces.

• You notice potential content everywhere.

• Something someone says at lunch makes you think:

That would make a great blog.

Welcome to the club. 😄

What Change Does a Content Creator Create?

A Content Creator often creates change through:

Ideas and tools people can apply.

The reader walks away thinking:

“I can use this.”

And that's powerful because useful content can keep creating impact long after the day you publish it.

A speaking engagement ends.

A podcast episode eventually moves down the feed.

But a searchable article, useful checklist, Pinterest pin, or resource may continue being discovered months—or even years—later.

AUTHORITY + CONTENT = A POWERFUL VISIBILITY COMBINATION

Authority gives you something worth saying.

Content creation gives people more ways to find it.

One builds trust.

The other builds discoverability.

Together, they can help you:

• Teach

• Serve

• Build credibility

• Grow your platform

• Reach new readers

• Create speaking and interview opportunities

• Develop useful resources

• Build a library of content that continues working over time

Your goal isn't simply to produce more content.

It's to turn what you know into something people can find, save, share, and use.

Are You One Type—or Both?

You might be strongly Authority.

You love teaching and explaining, but creating content feels like work.

Or you might be strongly Content Creator.

You love writing and creating, but don't necessarily think of yourself as an expert.

Or maybe you're both.

That's where things get interesting.

An Authority + Content Creator might:

• Write educational blogs

• Create downloadable guides

• Publish newsletters

• Guest post

• Write articles

• Develop workshops

• Create teaching resources

• Pitch podcasts around areas of expertise

• Repurpose speaking content into articles

• Turn blogs into social posts and Pinterest pins

One strength feeds the other.

You Don't Need to Know Everything to Teach Something

This deserves repeating.

An Authority Author does not need to know everything about a subject.

You do need to:

• Know more than the person you're guiding in the area you're teaching

• Be accurate

• Be responsible with your information

• Know the limits of your expertise

• Continue learning

• Know where to find reliable information when you don't know something

Being an expert does not mean becoming unteachable.

Quite the opposite.

The strongest experts I know stay curious.

They read.

They listen.

They learn.

They update what they know.

Because authority without continued learning eventually becomes outdated information wearing a nice jacket.

How to Find Your Authority Topics

Try this exercise.

Make three lists.

List 1: What Do People Ask Me About?

Write down questions you receive repeatedly.

What do friends ask you?

What do coworkers ask you?

What do readers ask?

What do other authors ask?

Look for patterns.

List 2: What Have I Done Repeatedly?

Think about:

• Careers

• Ministry

• Education

• Volunteer work

• Family experiences

• Hobbies

• Life transitions

• Challenges you've navigated

• Skills you've developed

• Research you've completed

Repetition builds knowledge.

List 3: What Could I Talk About for 30 Minutes?

No frantic Googling.

No emergency research.

What subjects could you discuss confidently because you've already lived, studied, practiced, or taught them?

The overlap between these lists may reveal your strongest authority topics.

Now Turn Authority Into Content

Once you've identified a topic, ask:

How could I package this idea so someone else can use it?

One topic could become:

• A blog

• A newsletter

• A podcast pitch

• A Pinterest pin

• A social post

• A checklist

• A workshop

• A short video

• A guest article

• A downloadable resource

You do not need ten different ideas.

You may need one useful idea expressed ten different ways.

The Repurposing Rule

Before creating something new, ask:

Have I already created something I can reuse?

Look through:

• Old blogs

• Speeches

• Podcast interviews

• Presentations

• Classes

• Newsletters

• Social posts

• Book excerpts

• Notes

• Workshops

There may be excellent material sitting in your files quietly wondering why you've abandoned it.

Give it another assignment.

Try This: The One-Idea Visibility Exercise

Choose one area where you have knowledge or experience.

Now finish this sentence:

One thing I wish more people understood about __________ is __________.

There's your core idea.

Now create three versions:

Version 1: Teach It

Write a short educational post or article.

Version 2: Share It

Turn the idea into a social post, Pinterest pin, or newsletter.

Version 3: Speak It

Create a short podcast topic, presentation idea, or five-minute teaching.

Same idea.

Different doors.

That's visibility.

Are You Still Testing Your Visibility Type?

If you took Part 1 of the Author Visibility Quiz, you're currently in the four-week Field Test.

This week's experiment can focus on Authority and Content Creation.

Try one Authority activity and one Content Creator activity.

For example:

Authority Experiment

Teach one useful concept you know well.

Then rate:

• Enjoyment

• Ease

• Response

• Potential

Content Creator Experiment

Turn that same concept into something people can save or share.

Then rate the same four areas.

Notice the difference.

Did you enjoy teaching more?

Creating more?

Both?

Did one format produce more response?

Did one create more meaningful change?

Keep those notes.

You'll need them when we take Part 2: The Experienced Author Visibility Quiz.

Waypoint Challenge: Find One Idea Worth Reusing

This week, don't start by asking:

“What new thing should I create?”

Ask:

“What useful thing have I already created—or learned—that deserves another life?”

Choose one.

Then:

1. Identify the core message.

2. Decide who needs it.

3. Turn it into one new format.

4. Share it somewhere your audience already spends time.

5. Pay attention to what happens.

And remember:

Authority gives you something worth saying. Content creation gives people more ways to find it.

Frequently Asked Questions About Authority Authors and Content Creators

Does an author need formal credentials to be considered an expert?

Not always. Expertise can come from education, professional work, research, lived experience, repeated practice, teaching, or specialized knowledge. Authors should represent their expertise accurately, stay within appropriate boundaries, and continue learning.

Can fiction authors be Authority Authors?

Yes. Fiction authors may have expertise connected to their careers, research, settings, themes, hobbies, life experiences, or subjects explored in their books. Those areas can create additional opportunities for content, interviews, speaking, and reader connection.

Is repurposing content the same as repeating yourself?

No. Repurposing means taking one core idea and adapting it for different formats, audiences, or platforms. A blog may become a Pinterest pin, newsletter, social post, presentation, or downloadable resource while keeping the central message consistent.

How does content help an author build authority?

Useful, accurate, consistent content allows readers to experience an author's knowledge before working with them, hearing them speak, or purchasing a book. Over time, a body of useful content can strengthen trust and make an author's expertise easier to recognize.

Related Compass Stops

Continue your Author Visibility journey:

• Part 1: What Type of Author Could You Be? A Visibility Quiz for New Authors
  [ADD PART 1 LINK ONCE PUBLISHED]

• How to Build Your Author Platform from Scratch (Step-by-Step)

• 5 Ways Authors Can Repurpose One Piece of Content

• How to Evaluate Author Opportunities Before Saying Yes

Recommended Resources

Novel Marketing Podcast

The Novel Marketing Podcast offers practical discussions about author platforms, book marketing, publishing, promotion, and ways authors can connect their books and expertise with readers.

https://www.novelmarketing.com/

What Makes a Book “Publicity-Friendly?” — Abigail Monti

Book publicist Abigail Monti explores several qualities that can create additional publicity opportunities for authors, including authority, community, networks, and willingness to engage publicly.

https://unsolicitedmanuscript.substack.com/p/what-makes-a-book-publicity-friendly

Question for You

What have you been doing for so long—or so naturally—that you've never stopped to consider that other people might see it as expertise?

And once you identify it:

What could you create from it?

Related Resource

Want practical tools for building the business side of your writing?

Explore DeeDee Lake's Author Resources for guides, encouragement, and resources designed to help authors navigate their next steps.

Explore Author Resources:
https://deedeelake.com/author-resources

Final Thought

Your expertise doesn't need to sit quietly in your head.

And your best ideas don't need to disappear after one use.

What you know can become:

A conversation.

A blog.

A workshop.

A resource.

A podcast interview.

A newsletter.

A Pinterest pin.

A connection with someone who needed exactly what you had to say.

Start with what you know.

Create something useful from it.

Then let that message travel.

Authority gives you something worth saying.

Content creation gives people more ways to find it.