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.

Marketing your identity

Bet you didn't know you needed a little know-how about that part of your identity, did you? I didn't. Not for about a year, but I caught on quick.

I've learned branding your name is a key part of your identity.

You know which Nora I mean when I say her name. You know King, Grisham, and Koontz. But what if I said Katie MacAlister, or Galen Foley? You might if you read their particular genres. These are examples of what identity means when it comes to marketing.

Think fast food.  Think of what you see. Think fast period.

• I'm loving it. (This one is too easy.)
• Pepper in some fun.
• 4th Meal
• Save money. Live Better

Okay so the 4th isn't food. I'm checking to see if you're getting what I'm sharing.

You know these places, what they represent and what you expect.

Your name delivers the same "expectation".

Case in point. Margaret Weis is the creator of one of the best known fantasy series-multiple series-books I've ever run across: Dragonlance. Does she have others? You bet she does. BUT Dragonlance is and will always be the first thing that comes to my mind.

So now that we understand the "expectation" part of our identities, let's look at how we market ourselves.

First off, most authors have websites. These websites can be any combination of a base site, blog, or extraneous pages like Myspace, etc. They are pictorial imitations of their product.  You wouldn't catch bloody horror mock-ups on Galen Foley's pages. You won't find historical castles, ladies and lords on mine.

Marketing your name in the correct way produces the "expectation" to the type of book (product) you write. Marketing creates branding. Branding creates an image, your 'identity'. That identity can grow and morph into its own world (a la Nora). It wouldn't be beneficial for me to market historical information, British humor, or gothic imagery on my website, as my identity because I don't want my name to conjure those.

It's very important to learn what your identity is so you can begin marketing it to your benefit. You may not know it right away, and that's fine. For the first year or so, I didn't have an identity, but I had a name. And that's where I started. Eventually, your name will become your 'identity', fulfilling the expectation aspect of what you market.

• Christine Feehan = Carpathian Dark Series, The Drake Sister Series
• Judy Christenberry = Modern contemporary
• Julie Garwood = Medival and Regency historicals

Any questions, just list them in the comments and I'll reply.

Thanks for stopping by!