So I've got marketing on the brain. Websites, specifically. Every published author has one, right? A whole bunch of unpublished writers have them too. You never know when that dream agent or editor might like your latest submission enough to google you. And you never know when The Call is going to come, either.The Boy Scouts don't say "Be Prepared" for nothing.
So in an effort to be ready for success when it comes a-knockin', I decided to research websites. And I discovered something that struck terror into this author's heart.Tag lines.
Oh yes, the dreaded tag line. Take everything that sets your work apart from its competitors, distill it down to three to five words, then make it witty & memorable.
People can do this. Honest to Pete. Here, want proof? See if you can name the companies that go with the following tag lines:
1. The Happiest Place on Earth
2. Finger Lickin' Good
3. Every Day Low Prices
I bet you knew all of them, didn't you? (And if you didn't, check the comments trail. I'll bet somebody has mentioned them all by now.)
Now how does this apply to your favorite writers? My tour of writers' websites garnered these beauties, the ones that left me both satisfied with a job well done & kind of pissed that such a good tag line was now off the market.
Susan Donovan--Brain Candy for Smart Women
Kristan Higgins--Real Life. True Love. Lots of Laughs.
Jane Porter--Classic Romance. Modern Lit.
So I sat down to think about my goals. When I write a novel, what am I trying to do? What's the experience I want to provide for the reader? What should my books be like? Here's what I came up with:
Honest.
Emotional.
Amusing.
It's taken me some time to figure out these aren't the easiest qualities to keep in balance. I mean, I can do honest & emotional. I can do honest & amusing. I can even do emotional & amusing, depending on what kind of emotion we're talking about.
But try keeping the emotion raw & honest & see how easy it is to get the chuckle. Geez. I'm sweating just thinking about it. Susan Elizabeth Phillips does this beautifully, but I noticed her website doesn't venture into Tag Line Land, so no guidance there.Bottom line? I'm totally stuck here & thought I'd see what the rest of you are doing.
So, now it's your turn! What's your brand? Do you have a tag line? (For your writing or even yourself.) Three to five words (preferably witty & memorably, mind you) that sums you (or your writing) up in a neat, bite-sized chunk? Let's hear them!
98 comments:
No comments yet? Seriously?
See, here's the thing. I'm here on the west coast, earnestly avoiding -- er -- working on my latest masterpiece. And so I'm checking blogs every 30 seconds when my attention wanders from my own brillance.
But really, I'm scared of the chook. Seriously. Those eyes. That wiggly red thing.
Shudder.
And I have NO IDEA what my tag line would be. Lord, Susan, give a girl a break! Yeesh!
In life, I strive for optimistic, empathetic, loving and thoughtful.
But for writing and marketing purposes? I have no idea. :-)
LOL Kirsten! Don't let him see that you are afraid. He will OWN you if you do. Remember, you have opposable thumbs! That makes you smarter!
And I agree with you, Kirsten! Sheesh, Susan! Why not give us an easy one like ... How to solve world hunger!
My personal tag line is :
Dream audaciously.
Strive constantly.
Believe religiously.
For LOST IN LOVE the tag line is
Romance about men who refuse to ask for directions, and the women who show them the way.
That's more than five words. Let me give this some thought.
Hey, Kirsten, congrats on the chook! I've missed seeing the daily battle for GR's company! Um, WHAT wiggly red thing, dear? ;-)
Susan, my tagline is Passionate Historical Romance, which I think is true but is perhaps a little generic. I do love Stephanie Laurens's description of CTC as Regency noir. Now, that really has got guts! I love it when I see a really good one - it's a work of art! Good luck in coming up with something - you'll gather I'm not feeling inspired.
Today my tag line is:
Wants more time to sleep.
Tomorrow it'll probably be:
Natalies talkative nature interferes with her ability to finish the bloody manuscript....
As a high school teacher we have to do blurbs about kids all the time, some of them I really want to let loose on
but anything that tells you your child's talkative nature or inability to concentrate/focus or greater care is needed when doing .... means that your child like myself is easily distracted by bright shiny things.
Kirsten you could be
"Kirsten has the aptitude to do well in her chosen field however her constant vigilance in policing the web is hampering her overall achievements."
Okay,
You are ALL cracking me UP!
Kirsten with your 30 second attention span.
Louisa wanting to solve world hunger rather than come up with tag lines.
Fo's salacious remark about wiggly red things... (SO TEMPTING but I'm SO not going there!)
And Natalie's distraction by bright shiny objects.
ROFLOL!!!
What was the question again?
Oh right, author tag lines! Mine is: Romantic Suspense in Exotic Settings. PHEW! I made it in the 5 word requirement!
Whatever you decide to use, Susan, at least one of the 5 words should be SMOOV!
AC
off to watch Letterman
Hi Susan, I feel your pain! The easiest thing to do is wait until you get cover quotes from other authors, or even until your reviews come out and then steal their words.*g* I recently changed my tagline to 'adventurous, sexy romance' because that's what RT called The Dangerous Duke.
I wouldn't sweat it though. It's a good exercise to go through more for yourself than for marketing purposes, I think. Hee, what about Live, Love, Pee Your Pants with Susan Sey...
And Kirsten, for me it's the feet. I can't stand chicken feet. Ugh.
Well done Kirsten I agree with Louisa don't let him know you are afraid !!
The Happiest Place On Earth
I don't know that one
Finger Lickin Good
KFC
Everyday low Prices
Big W (here in Australia)
Great post Susan there is no way I could think of anything about myself I strive to be caring happy and loving but if I had a tag line for me it would probably be
Coffee Tim Tams and a good book which I do use on some of the forums I visit.
Have Fun
Helen
Congrats Kirstin...er maybe!
I also thought ...What wiggly red thing?...um thats his comb! He's lucky he's not a show bird...those people trim birdies combs...with scissors...not nice!!!
Re the taglines... appropriate to the type of genre ...but with a hook! I think.
Because I'm not a writer a tag for myself would have to be...
Blunt!Friendly & No Bulls..t
now the GR...
Suave, cosmopolitian, fullyfledged,frequent flyer
Cheers Carol
Oh, I'm terrible at stuff like this. That's why I leave the creativity to y'all and I just sit back and enjoy the end result. :)
Kirsten, ditto what Louisa said. DO NOT show any fear! EVER!
The thunderstorms rocked and rolled all night but, thankfully, no more tornadoes. Thanks for your good thoughts!
Kestrel, everything okay at your house?
Helen, the "happiest place on earth" is Disney's tagline for Disney World/Disneyland.
My tagline: Romance With A Twist~~of Mystery. I'm not sure it's the best because not everything I write really fits that description, and now my books are more mystery/adventure with romance, but when I was designing my website, I needed something for the header, and that's what my son and I came up with.
Then again, titles for my books are always the last and hardest things to write.
no fear...no fear...
it's just a comb. Carol promised it's only a comb...
Aack! No thinking! No thinking! That's tooooo hard! (Hmm... I sound a little like one of my kids when they're whining--how unfortunate!)
I'm not sure what my own tag line would be--as a mom, I'd like it to be something like "Nurturing tomorrow's wonderful people today" but it's probably more like "Hanging on by a thread" or "At least they're not naked"...
Congrats on the GR, Kirsten--no fear, that's it! You're the one in charge ;)
Flchen said:
At least they're not naked.
That is cracking me up! LOL!
This is funny because one of my fellow pirates has been working on creating a tag line to put on her business card and though we're all trying to come up with something, it's still a wip.
For me, not sure. In life it would be something like "Talks a lot but means well." In writing I like what Susan has about raw emotion. Maybe "Real life told through fiction." Nah, that's not good. Let me work on this...
Oh, Natalie, that's a good one! There are some challenges posed by my adult attention deficit...
Sorry, thought I saw the chook.
Anyway, what was I saying? Oh, yes -- Anna. Very nice on the wiggly red thing. Ew. That's all I can say to that. Even for a romance writer, dear, that's still ew. ;-)
flchen--At least they're not naked? Bwah! Love it! You are my hero. I'm totally adopting this as my motto.
"Yes, mother, I know, I should bake every day and iron their underwear, but you know what, at least they are not naked!"
I'm not a huge fan of branding. Why limit yourself? And what happens if you decide to change directions or branch out? I'm having visions of the New Coke nightmare. :-)
Kirsten! Congrats on the chook. And yes, be careful of that wiggly red thing. He likes to shake what his mama gave him & it can be...disturbing.
And I totally understand the work avoidance thing. But as for taglines, doesn't your agent call your forthcoming YA masterpiece (Fall 2009ish, right?) X-men for girls?
Cause that's an AWESOME tag line. Sums up exactly what you're getting in three little words.
I just realized I've had a tag line, life motto, whatever you want to call it for awhile now, actually since 1996. It's "Don't sweat the small stuff" and it's how I live my life - and it's 5 words! I'm not hopeless after all! LOL!
Louisa wrote:
Dream audaciously.
Strive constantly.
Believe religiously.
This is gorgeous, Louisa. And I like the men who refuse to ask for directions & women who show them the way. I'm incredibly fortunate to be married to a directions asker (I'm the one who insists she can figure it out) but I think this has more to do with a love of technology than any true desire to actually know the way. He just likes any excuse to use his cell phone to call somebody.
Or, more recently, whip out his iPhone to GPS where the heck we are. And figure out where the closest Thai takeout is at the same time. :-)
Hey, Anna C.!
Oh & before I forget, happy belated birthday! There was a rumor you had one recently. Hope it was a great day. (In my book, any day involving cake is already awesome.)
And while I like Passionate Historical Romance, I LOVE Regency Noir. That's sooooo evocative & intriguing! And, based on CTC & Untouched (which I just finished late last night) really, really apt.
Nice work on Untouched, btw. Grace was a perfectly nice woman, but I'd knock her into the rosebushes for chance to win Matthew for my very own. :-)
Natalie wrote: "Kirsten has the aptitude to do well in her chosen field however her constant vigilance in policing the web is hampering her overall achievements."
LOL, Natalie! I used to write these all the time when I was a teacher. I've blanked out most of it (it was torturous, as I'm sure you'd agree) but I've retained phrases like "...but accepts redirection well." It's a little bandaid that soothes the sting of "your child has the attention span of a seagull." :-)
Hope you catch up on your sleep!
AC wrote: Mine is: Romantic Suspense in Exotic Settings. ...Whatever you decide to use, Susan, at least one of the 5 words should be SMOOV!
Ooooh, good one, AC! And I hadn't even considered alluding to my smoovness in a tag line! Though I suppose, at least at the sarcastic level, it is the very epitome of my clutzy nature. :-) There has never been a girl with less claim to smoovness in the history of the universe, as those of you who've now met will attest.
Susan: Little. Chatty. Smoov. Ha. :-)
Christine wrote: I recently changed my tagline to 'adventurous, sexy romance' because that's what RT called The Dangerous Duke... what about Live, Love, Pee Your Pants with Susan Sey...
Adventurous, sexy romance! I loves it! For a while I was calling my work 'adventurous, fast-paced romance' but it just isn't working for me. It's missing something I can't identify. Something that "live, love, pee your pants with Susan Sey" captures much, much better. :-) Thanks! I'll run that one past my agent!
And p.s.? I hate chicken feet, too. They're sharp!
Helen wrote: I strive to be caring happy and loving but if I had a tag line for me it would probably be
Coffee Tim Tams and a good book.
Helen, these are great! I especially love Coffee, Tim Tams & a good book. For me I think it would be Diet Coke, pretzels & a good book. That's a recipe for nirvana right there. Oh & a babysitter. Can I throw a fourth in there? Diet Coke, a bag of pretzels, a good babysitter & a GREAT book. Mmmmmm....
Carol wrote: Because I'm not a writer a tag for myself would have to be...
Blunt!Friendly & No Bulls..t
now the GR...
Suave, cosmopolitian, fullyfledged,frequent flyer
Carol, these are great! I love the tension between friendly & no bull sh*t. That's exactly what I was getting at in my post today. How you can have two completely opposite modifiers that seem incompatible but both are absolutely true. No easy thing to keep in balance.
And as for the GR being a frequent flyer, yeah. He's been around the block that, one. How you doing with him, by the way, Kirsten? You developing any, um, comfort level with the wiggly red thing?
:-)
PJ wrote: The thunderstorms rocked and rolled all night but, thankfully, no more tornadoes. Thanks for your good thoughts!
PJ--so glad to hear you're okay! We had thunder rolling all night here in MN, too. By 4 a.m. we had all the kids wedged between us in the bed. Not what you'd call a good night's sleep, but there's something really powerful & comforting about being the safest place your kids can imagine.
Terry ODell wrote: My tagline: Romance With A Twist~~of Mystery. I'm not sure it's the best because not everything I write really fits that description
See, isn't that the kicker? Maybe I can come up with a tagline for ONE book, but for ALL of them? They're all my babies! I love them equally! And they're all so different!
So that's the trick. Coming up with a brand for all my books. A blanket description that homes in one the one or two distinctive things I do. And what are those you ask? Ha. Excellent question I'll let you know if/when I can answer it. :-)
But I love Romance with a twist of mystery. That's fun.
flchen1 wrote: I'm not sure what my own tag line would be--as a mom, I'd like it to be something like "Nurturing tomorrow's wonderful people today" but it's probably more like "Hanging on by a thread" or "At least they're not naked"...
Oh my gosh I laughed out loud at this. I, too, aim at the first one, but in practice definitely lean toward the last one. And I can't always even claim that they AREN'T naked. Geez. :-)
Terrio wrote: "Talks a lot but means well."
This is AWESOME. I love it. I might steal it for my personal motto. :-) I not only talk alot but I frequently make things up as well. Not in any sneaky way. Just in the sense that we'll be discussing something & a topic will come up that nobody seems to be an authority on. Like when the new Harry Potter movie is coming out, or whether it was Carol Burnett or Lucille Ball who used to make herself try on camera by tweaking a nose hair. And then I'll just start talking like I'm an authority on the subject just becuase I maybe might've heard a story about this once a long time ago.
My new year's resolution used to be to STOP DOING THIS. I've recently come to the sad conclusion that I can't. It's too much fun. So now I resolve every year to at least preface my potential big fat lies with this disclaimer, "Okay, I might be making this up, but it seems like..."
My brother in law finds this hilarious. that I can't stop lying even when I try because I love telling stories too much. He just doesn't get it but it amuses him.
Kirsten wrote: Sorry, thought I saw the chook.
Anyway, what was I saying?
Careful, Kirsten. He's a sneaky bird & god only know what he's doing while your back is turned...
Deb Marlowe wrote: I'm not a huge fan of branding. Why limit yourself? And what happens if you decide to change directions or branch out? I'm having visions of the New Coke nightmare. :-)
This is so true! New Coke=ick. But how much of that was because new coke was really ick & how much was because we all know coke & love coke & didn't want to change our coke. That's some powerful branding right there. Because, as we all know, most people in a blind taste test can't even tell the difference between coke & pepsi.
And changing direction can totally throw a wrench in the best of taglines. Which is why I'm trying desperately to identify the things I do with my writing, not necessarily what I write. If that makes any sense. I'm shooting for the things I do subconsciously or couldn't change if I tried--my voice, my recurring themes, etc.
Dang, now I'm thinking in totally different directions. Less description of the writing (ie--sexy, smart, fun) more description of the experience (ie--dark emotion, light touch)...
Back to the old drawing board...
PJ wrote: I just realized I've had a tag line, life motto, whatever you want to call it for awhile now, actually since 1996. It's "Don't sweat the small stuff" and it's how I live my life - and it's 5 words! I'm not hopeless after all! LOL!
Yay! But you, hopeless? Pah!
Oh, ack, typo. I wanted to type "...make herself CRY on camera by tweaking a nose hair" not make herself TRY. I'm sure both ladies (whichever one this story was about, & it really might be neither) were already trying. :-)
Witty and Seductive here
I'm with Christine on this one. The tag line exercise is more for the author than the reader. I liked the tag lines you mentioned, but I wouldn't have been able to go from the tag line back to the author. Not like "finger licking good"
Although, Regency Noir fits Anna to a tee. It's what I think of when I read her books (and there better be a new one coming out soon - I'm getting withdraw symptoms here)
Kirsten - that rooster can smell your fear. I think it's P226's influence. I say sacrifice a hen to him - that should keep him busy (and you in eggs)
LOL, I notice that you fled to RNTV, Kristin, running from the chook! Well, girl, he's yours for the day, black eyes, red thingy or no.
What an interesting question, Susan! I have no idea. I like dark and dangerous (no pun on our own Jeanne's book) even in my historicals, but how to put it into a tag line.
I think I need serious help.
Hey, if SEP doesn't have one, follow her lead!
Are we all supposed to have tag lines now? I missed the train on that trend.
I'm half afraid that if an author comes up with some truly adorable and memorable tag, then two or three million potential readers will think, "Regency Noir? Regency, okay. Noir, not so much. I'll pass."
Why not stick with the existing tag of Regency historical romance (in my case) and let the reader figure out what it is that makes my books memorable for her?
This is my excuse...er, reason... since I couldn't come up with a tag line if I tried for ten years.
Susan - I am forever putting my foot in my mouth. An infliction I've had since birth, I'm afraid. Even when the voice in my head is screaming SHUT UP, I keep right on talking. *sigh*
Claudia - you just have a title instead of a tag. The Imcomparable....
Oh, Terrio, you're right! I hadn't thought of that. Do I get any kind of annual compensation to go along with my title? A crown? A private jet? An eternal flame on my grave?
No? It's just (sob) and empty title, then?
I don't think I have a brand...my current tag line is: Laughter is the first step to falling in love.
But that doesn't tell you if I write contemporary or historical. Hmmm.
Well, now I know what I'll be doing my lunch hour, thinking about...
Hey pj, yep we're all in one piece over here, were you near any tornadoes? My mother in law works at Clemson University and she called to make sure we were ok, b/c a building got ripped up near her office...
I love thunderstorms though, I find them soothing... if I were a superhero, I would probably have to be Storm from X-men... (There's a topic!)
flchen - the "at least they're not naked" thing cracked me up, my son dropped his pants in front of daycare yesterday b/c he had to pee, he was going to go right on the sidewalk, I managed to convince him to wait until we got home - he's 3, his teacher was laughing so hard!
As far as taglines go, I think I might have a hard time trying to define myself concisely, I'm writing a semi-fantasy romance, but I have a (post-civil war)western, a regency, a medieval, etc., so I don't fit in one genre except "Romance, General" maybe that could be it? LOL - 'Brain candy' is stolen...
Here's some words I strive for though... Believable, Tempestuous, Unconventional
Personal "Just Me - Get Over It" :)
Kirsten--woo-hoo! Don't let that bird intimidate you. You're bigger than he is. Besides, as Louisa notes, you have opposable thumbs. If all else fails, put one of the gladiators on it.
Louisa, your tag line and your summary are great. I struggle with those 25-worders. In fact, everybody's tag lines are great. I'll just say that in place of writing multiple comments to that effect.
I assume The Happiest Plsce on Earth is Disneyland. Really, that's a judgment I prefer to make for myself, but it's drummed into you constantly at the park. I think the others are KFC and Wal-Mart, but not sure about the last.
PJ, I'm glad the storms missed you. We had rain and some thunder but nothing scary.
Deb--I remember New Coke. Ugh. Though I think Susan has a point, that New Coke might've found a niche if people hadn't been partial to Old Coke. Or if they hadn't yanked Old Coke from the market to make way for it--until the public outcry and tanking sales forced a change.
Claudia, the title's not totally empty. It comes with bowing and scraping from the lair. :-)
Kestrel, glad you're okay, too. I love Storm. Her power is astonishing, and she looks so cool when she's using it.
Susan, my website says "Romantic Action Adventure." All my mss. incorporate some element of swashbuckling and some degree of romance. Branding wisdom probably says to pick one thing and stick to it, and I'll probably do that when I sell. For now, though, this fits everything.
Smoov, I think I'd buy any book with the tagline "Live, Love, Pee Your Pants." Just sayin. :-)
I like TICD's advice to follow SEP's lead. Maybe because I couldn't dream up a tagline if they paid me.
And I think Christine has a good idea about listening to what your readers or reviewers or author quotes say about your books. They're usually far better than we are at distilling the basic tone of the book and the author's voice down to three or four distinctive words. Here are some I've seen lately...
"Fresh and funny fiction"
"Saucy, sassy and sexy with a soupcon of suspense"
"Charming, dangerous, and wiggly"
Kirsten, be afraid!!!
Hello, Donna! I like witty & seductive! But you're right--it's really hard to come up with something that so captures your particular brand of magic that a reader could follow it back to you. Maybe I'm asking for the impossible. But it's been an interesting exercise in self-knowledge if nothing else. :-)
Hey, Jo! You're at a total tag line loss? You're in the right place & in good company. :-)
Though dark & dangerous is a great place to start. For lots of stuff...
Claudia Dain wrote:
I'm half afraid that if an author comes up with some truly adorable and memorable tag, then two or three million potential readers will think, "Regency Noir? Regency, okay. Noir, not so much. I'll pass."
That's true, Claudia. The reverse is also true, however, which is that a reader might look at a stack of regency historicals & think, "Well, if one's the same as the next, I'll just pick this untested author rather than that one because this one's on the top shelf, or has a cool cover, or my mother in law's first name, or whatever."
I think established authors (a la SEP) don't need a tag line because we already know what to expect from them. But total newbies like me? We're going to need something that differentiates us from the sea of other newbies. Maybe it's a tagline, maybe it's a high profile review, maybe it's a cover quote from somebody who doesn't need a tagline anymore. I don't know. But I figure a tagline couldn't hurt.
mshellion wrote: my current tag line is: Laughter is the first step to falling in love.
I think this one is awesome! Plus, as others have already mentioned, what if one day you decide to write contemporary? Or paranormal? Chances are, your world view is built more around finding the lighter side of life than around a particular time period, & your penchant for laughing your way to a HEA will shine through no matter what.
I like it as is. But do let us know if you come up with any gems over lunch. You might be able to sell them for big bucks around here. We're all apparently in need!
Hey, Donna, I just put an excerpt and the cover and the blurb up for Tempt the Devil on the website. And the book comes out in January! With the lead-up to Christmas, those months in between will go like the wind! Thank you for saying you desperately want the next Regency noir!
Oh, if anyone wants to check out the cover, etc., it's at:
http://www.annacampbell.info/tempt%20devil.html
How's that for blatant self-promotion?
kestral said: Believable, Tempestuous, Unconventional
Personal "Just Me - Get Over It" :)
I love these. Plus they've got that tension I like so much--believeable vs. unconventional. Mmmm. Good stuff.
Susan, you crack me up! Poor Grace! Hasn't she been through enough without you shoving her into the rosebushes, you evil woman? Yeah, I had a thing for Matthew too which I think was perfectly obvious. Pity I'm far too old for him (yes, I HAVE had a birthday recently!). Thanks for the plug, my friend!
I think TICD has a point about Regency noir threatening to put people off which is why I use passionate historical romance as my tagline but I think RN is MUCH more evocative.
Nancy wrote: my website says "Romantic Action Adventure." All my mss. incorporate some element of swashbuckling and some degree of romance. Branding wisdom probably says to pick one thing and stick to it, and I'll probably do that when I sell. For now, though, this fits everything.
See, this is what we want, though, right? A pithy little phrase that sums up the essence of you, regardless of time period/genre? Whatever you write is going to have some romance & a some swashbuckle. And that's good stuff.
p.s. You were right--Disney, KFC & WalMart. You were also right about deciding for yourself where exactly the happiest place on earth is. :-) That would be a great blog, wouldn't it? "Disney Can Go Blow--where is the happiest place on earth REALLY?"
Kate wrote: "Charming, dangerous, and wiggly"
Okay, I have to know. Where is this one from? Puppies immediately came to mind but I doubt that's accurate. :-)
Anna wrote: Oh, if anyone wants to check out the cover, etc., it's at:
http://www.annacampbell.info/tempt%20devil.html
How's that for blatant self-promotion?
No tagline necessary. :-) Just well done promo-ho-ing as we say here in the lair.
And I'm dying for the next Regency Noir, myself, Ms. Campbell!
Anna Campbell wrote: Yeah, I had a thing for Matthew too which I think was perfectly obvious.
I don't think I've written a book yet where I wasn't half in love with my hero. Is that even possible? To write a book about a guy you don't kinda want to sneak home? :-)
Susan, I think that's part of the reason we write the books, to fall in love with these guys. I know I've turned into a serial flirt. Whoever's my current honey is, well, my current honey! Which doesn't mean I'd kick the exes out of bed either if they turned up. Oh, man, as a romance writer, I'm a tart!
This is my excuse...er, reason... since I couldn't come up with a tag line if I tried for ten years.
Claudia, this is my reason as well. I couldn't come up with a tag to save my life - and believe me, I tried but nothing seemed to fit. So I gave up *g*
As far as a tag line for myself, I guess it would probably be something like: "It's the quiet ones you have to watch out for"
:-)
Anna wrote:
Oh, man, as a romance writer, I'm a tart!
Only as a romance writer? LOL!
*ducking and running*
PS: I'm loving the excerpt!
Anna
You have me drooling over the cover and the excerpt and I have to wait until January to read it !!
There are some really great tag lines and posts here today it is early in the morning here in OZ and I have just finished going thru them all and loving them
Have Fun
Helen
Hey, Miss Terri, you of the neatly turned ankles and the elegant stilettos, I'll say one thing and it's a tag line - takes one to know one! Glad you like the excerpt! Speaking of heroes, I had a VERY soft spot for this one although he's quite different from the other two.
Miss Helen, thanks for checking out the excerpt! The tag lines have been great, haven't they? They've got me thinking!
Kirsten: Congrats on the rooster! Since you're getting the virtual one, you can make him a little peeping chick if you want.
You guys are really cracking me up today. :))
I have a tagline for my book/series at the top of my website.
"An urban-fantasy, romantic-suspense comedy. With elves."
Having the urban-fantasy part is a little redundant, since I then go on to list elves, but it has excellent rhythm. At some point, I should really get rid of the "An". Later. It's embedded in a graphic.
Everyone has suggested some great tag lines! I couldn't stop thinking about this subject as I went to go pick up the kids, and I thought of this one too...
"Women Behaving Badly, and the Men Who Think Its Funny" - That pretty much sums up all my characters!
Well, the men don't think its true at first (for the most part), but eventually they think their ladies are to die for! :)
Oh, and since I have to ask, where did the chicken idea come from? I finally get the gist with the trying to be the first poster, just wondering how it came about..
Oh, and Anna, just read your excerpt and it sounds delish! :)
This is so hard. I've thought about it before, but I haven't a clue how to tag myself. I think this is something that is easier for other people to do for you after they've read several of your books.
Thanks, Kestrel!
Louisa Cornell mentioned that someone who got up early to comment captured the Golden Rooster just as an off the cuff remark ages and ages ago. And somehow this lascivious, naughty, rebellious little chicken was born and all he's done since is grow and grow. He's hotly fought over, as I'm sure you can see!
Kestrel, glad to know both you and your mother-in-law are okay! I'm eight miles from Clemson - too close for comfort.
"Charming, dangerous, and wiggly"
LOL, Smoov...it's the Charming Chook with the Wiggly Thang! :-)
Susan--Disney can go blow? I suspect there are people who'd say it for real. We had a great time at Disneyworld when the boy was little, though it left our wallets reeling, and a wonderful trip to Disneyland last year (ditto).
Thanks for the kind words on the motto. I was inspired by all the branding going on in the lair at the time. Also, I'd just been to a workshop on branding.
Anna C.--That is one hot cover, and the excerpt is smokin'. I thought about tossing water on the computer, but that would be counterproductive in other ways.
Kate--LOL, Smoov...it's the Charming Chook with the Wiggly Thang! :-) LOL, yourself! You are a naught person today!
Uh, that's naught-y person. I really did read it before I hit "publish."
Has anyone heard from Kirsten? Can someone check her closet to see if she is tied up with a piece of duct tape across her mouth or worse. Yes, I am the Rooster Mama! Hey, you try to raise them right and then they start visiting Banditas ... what's a poor chicken mama to do?
And La Campbell, did I imagine it or did you try to sneak a birthday in on us??? HMMMM?????
Off to read the excerpt which is guaranteed to make me NUTS for the next book!
That wiggly red thing.
Not. Going. There.
Anna wrote: Which doesn't mean I'd kick the exes out of bed either if they turned up.
Your very own HEA! Snork.
Beth wrote: As far as a tag line for myself, I guess it would probably be something like: "It's the quiet ones you have to watch out for"
LOL, Beth! I'll keep an eye out...
Esri Rose wrote: An urban-fantasy, romantic-suspense comedy. With elves."
I love the "with elves." It's absolutely true & yet it feels like a punch line. Would I be right if I guessed that's the tone of your writing, too? Presents itself like something known & traditional, right up until you run into a quick flash of the unexpected? Cause that sounds like fun. :-)
kestrel wrote: "Women Behaving Badly, and the Men Who Think Its Funny"
This cracked me up. There seem to be a lot of men like this in my life. Only I'm not badly behaved; I'm usually just clumsy. :-)
Trish wrote: I haven't a clue how to tag myself. I think this is something that is easier for other people to do for you after they've read several of your books.
Hey, keep an eye on your fan mail! Maybe a tagline will turn up! (Or maybe you'll just get a good squee out of getting fan mail! I know I would!)
Late to the party...again. THANK you DDJ!
When I was building my website, the designer came up with a tagline.
"Rome..where the Romance Begins."
It's ok, so I left it.
I might have said instead. "Why Rome? Why Not?"
As to my personal life, I'd have to borrow one that my Mom borrowed and lived by "Don't Give Up. Don't Ever Give Up."
Kate wrote: LOL, Smoov...it's the Charming Chook with the Wiggly Thang! :-)
Duh. I am clearly not firing on all synapses today. Of course it's the GR. I mean, what else could possibly be charming, dangerous & uh, wiggly...
;-)
Louisa wrote: Yes, I am the Rooster Mama!
LOL, Louisa. I think you just named the GR's fan club. :-)
Joanie wrote, regarding that wiggly red thing: Not. Going. There.
Oh, come on, Joanie. You know how much he likes it when you go there. Be stern & go ahead. :-)
p.s. He actually kinda likes you in your nurse's uniform...
Nancy wrote: Disney can go blow? I suspect there are people who'd say it for real.
No kidding. When I was there, I saw a bunch of people I was tempted to say it TO. Grown ups who were clearly indulging their inner brat a little too much, cutting in front of kids to get their favorite character's autograph or a photo taken. I'm sorry but once you're over say, fifteen? Enjoy yourself but kids first, okay?
Joan wrote: "Rome..where the Romance Begins."
I might have said instead. "Why Rome? Why Not?"
As to my personal life, I'd have to borrow one that my Mom borrowed and lived by "Don't Give Up. Don't Ever Give Up."
I think, when you're a multi-pubbed best-seller credited with making Rome a hot time period, you'll look back & think, "Darn if I didn't use them both."
I'm just sayin.
:-)
The Rooster Mamas ! Perfect name for the GR's fan club. Although once he gets a fan club, he will be IMPOSSIBLE to deal with at all!
And I am so with you on the Disney World / Land antics of some adults. I mean, this place is for kids. Let them enjoy it and you enjoy it through them. I went a number of times as a child, but I had the most fun when I went with my niece and nephews! Enjoying the happiest place on earth through their eyes was just magic!
Yes, it was my 24th birthday last Sunday. Hmm, pick the inaccurate bit in that last sentence ;-) Hope you enjoy the excerpt, LC!
So you were 24 on the 24th! You don't look a day over 23! I, on the other hand, will be a decrepit 29 in December. 29 on the 29th. Of course I have been 29 on the 29th for the past 20 years, but whose counting? I mean, besides my devious, Cadbury deprived brothers!
And I LOVED the excerpt! I WANT TO READ THE WHOLE BOOK!!!
Smart, cute, crazy, short, pensive. :) Great post - haha, we did something like this in my theory class today. Can't think of a brand and my brain is about to melt.
Ah, Miss Louisa, I hope you WILL read the whole book. But in January! ;-)
Hi, Ms. Anna,
Do we share a birthday? I was 29 for the 43rd time on the 24th!!
Pat Cochran
Hey Anna! It's your birthday? Belated birthday wishes for your 24th on the 24th! (grin) I will be a youthful 20 on the 20th of Sept. - for only the 37th time. Sigh...We're getting up into those high numbers now. So difficult to calculate. Maybe I'll just stick with 20.
Hey, Pat, how cool that we share a birthday. Happy birthday! So far, all I know is that it's a day of disasters. Vesuvius blew up and destroyed Pompeii and there was a massacre of French Protestants in the 16th century. There are some very mean people who know me who say that they're not surprised at the conjunction of dates!
PJ, another Virgo! Whoo-hoo!
Louisa - Our birthdays are close! I'll be...well...not 31 on the 31st of Dec!
Anna - Happy belated Birtday!! But I wouldn't have put you past 21. :)
I LOVE at least they're not naked - says it all.
Perhaps the romance version might be, "at least they're naked." ;-)
My site's tagline is "Love is Dangerous." I've also used "Thrilling Romantic Suspense from Anna Louise Lucia."
Fairly boring, but does just what it says on the tin... ;-)
My own web advice? Don't sweat any of it until you get that contract. Your site wants to reflect you, your style, but mostly your book. How can you know the style of your book until you know which book, to which publisher, and how they're going to package it?
Websites are a marketing tool. You can put a lot of effort into developing one that markets itself at a completely different demographic to the one you end up pursuing.
Just my tuppence. ;-) I need coffee.
Smoov wrote:
"Live, Love, Pee Your Pants."
I would absolutely buy this. I think it's a great line.
And Esri, I LOVE yours. Urban Fantasy, Romantic Suspense Comedy. With Elves.
It fits your voice perfectly.
Terri Ankles, thank you for the birthday wishes! I credit that three year difference in how I look to good moisturiser and lots of early nights! ;-)
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