Do what you do best

This post follows upon last week's post, Where is your place?

The previous post went more in depth into branding and positioning. Diana also caught a facet of this issue in her post, Marketing your Identity.

So, what will this week be about? Take another peek at the title.

Do what you do best.

For a writer, this means - write!

Yes, you need to write your tag line. And for this, you'll do what you do best - use words.

Never underestimate the power of words especially where a tag line is concerned. A bunch of words may say the same thing, but do you know which one will serve you best?

I said it - serve you.

Your tag line is basically there to work for you. You as a writer won't be there 24/7 everywhere for your readers and following. Your tag line provides your presence and identity for you.

So, how do you create the best tagline? It should first be said, there is always, always, room for improvement. But in the world of writing, there comes a time when you have to say, Stop!, and go with what you currently have.

The same goes for a tag line. Let's face it, we'll never find perfection, but we can come close.

Words help you do that. And how should they help? By conveying your message as wide and broad as possible.

This leads to a very important aspect of the tag line - an encompassing string of words that has scope!

Just like a net, a tag line should skim as wide an area as possible. It should cover as much as possible, while still remaining in a nutshell.

For this, I'll use two examples:

The promise of fulfilment

Romance on another plane of existence

The first line suggests an HEA. The second implies romance and fantasy.

But, here's the thing - these tags don't simply cover the aspects mentioned above. Why? Because they have scope!

The promise of fulfilment can take place in any country, in any world, in any era, in every genre.

Romance on another plane of existence can include another age, the past, the future, the paranormal, the veil between worlds, a fantasy world, the sky, below the earth, across time.

Do you see the drift?

At the same time, your tag can be more specific, yet still give you scope.

Contemporary women's fiction in color

The above tag line can seem restricting, but it already covers a wide base - women's fiction, multicultural aspects, inter-racial relations, and today's world. A good many stories can fall under this banner, without being constricted to the same thing over and over again.

So, when you sit down to define your tag line, think of your identity. Think next what you want to convey, and put it in words. Go at it with a thesaurus, and pick out the one word that best serves your purpose.

You'll thank yourself in the end, when you'll see your tag working for you.

Until next time, I'd love your comments/questions.

Aasiyah Qamar - Cultural romantic fiction, with a twistWith stories set amidst the rainbow nation of Mauritius, a multicultural island in the Southern Indian Ocean, author Aasiyah Qamar brings you tales of today's young women battling life on all fronts and finding love where they least expect it. Indo-Mauritian culture wants to stifle them in traditions, customs and antiquated morals while the world is opening its arms of modernity and globalisation. Where do these women belong? And more importantly, with whom?Find out more about her first release, The Other Side, here.