Revisiting Author Taglines

Life in the Ozarks

Several months ago I talked about author taglines.

You may remember that my original tagline was Writing Heartfelt, Homespun Contemporary Christian Romance. Way too lengthy in my opinion.

I felt that I needed something a bit shorter and more definitive, so eventually, my tagline became Dishing Hearth and Home on Plates of Love. Still a tad too long, but I liked it. I really liked it. It defined me and what I wrote. Or so I thought…until it was politely, but candidly pointed out that I needed to reconsider my tagline—again.

(Let me just sing the praises of my website design team here. You can hire anyone to do about anything if it’s within your resources. Hiring a team with a Christian philosophy and my best interest at heart were my goals.)

A day or two before the launch of my website, I e-mailed the fabulous PulsePoint Design team with a gentle request. Would it be possible to include my Dishing Hearth and Home on Plates of Love tagline somewhere prominently on my website?

Kelli Standish, the Queen Bee (I affectionately call her) was quick to respond.

“As with every element of your site/online brand, what you choose to include is ultimately your choice. BUT my strong suggestion, and the suggestion of my team, is that you use Heartfelt, Homespun Fiction as your tagline, rather than Dishing Hearth and Home on Plates of Love.”

Kelli went on to list several reasons why, but I have to be honest. What knocked me for a loop was this: “The ‘dishing hearth and home on plates of love’ could represent anything from a cozy restaurant to a china maker, but there’s nothing in it that conveys author.” Ouch.

I re-read her blunt assessment a dozen or so times. Then I began to laugh… This was brilliant! She was absolutely right! And my agent wholeheartedly agreed.

Kelli also indicated, “Let us know which direction you’d like to proceed and we’ll make this happen immediately.”

I gave the only answer that made sense. “Go, go, go! I trust your judgement.”

You see, a good design team will offer its input and seek yours.

A great design team will go the extra mile at all costs. Because your team is your number one fan, a great design team will tell it like it is. A great design team would rather risk pinched feelings for a moment than turn out a less than stellar product.

And when a great design team offers its insight about something as important as your brand, it’s best to listen.

With PulsePoint’s permission, that’s why I wanted to share this today. I thought it might give you food for thought and coax a smile.

Heartfelt, Homespun Fiction is my new, official tagline.  It’s short, to the point, it’s me and what I write. While similar to my previous tagline, this is the condensed version.

To recap what I said in a previous post:

Choosing not to use a tagline is okay! Many authors build their following by utilizing other effective marketing tools: their style of dress, organizations they are a member of, genres they write in, and various business strategies. These methods work for them.

Taglines are strictly a personal choice.

Here are the reasons why I chose a tagline:

• Immediate recognition/association for what I write. The words “heartfelt” and “homespun” denote love. They are words that paint a word picture for the novels I write.
• Brand creation. Taglines are an easy way to self-promote. Authors can use their taglines on their websites, business cards, bookmarks, newsletters—everywhere. Taglines are our subtle, but effective, calling cards.
• Expectation. My tagline isn’t fanatically religious, but it does convey a certain spiritual connotation and it says something about my personal values.
• Remembrance factor. If folks don’t remember my name initially, they’ll at least remember my tagline. Eventually, the two should become synonymous.
• My tagline is uniquely me. It’s an identifier. It’s obvious what I don’t write.

Examples of superb taglines:

• Karen Kingsbury– “Life-changing fiction”
• Brandilyn Collins– “Seatbelt suspense”
• James Scott Bell– “Suspense never rests”

Taglines can and should set us apart. They’re a nice addition to who we already are.

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How do you feel about taglines?

If you use one, would you share what it is and how you came up with it?

Blessings Always,