by James L. Rubart, @jameslrubart
Over the past few weeks, a number of writers have asked me, “What’s a tagline in the world of writing? And how do I use it?”
It’s a good question, so in case you’d like to know as well, I’ll give you a brief explanation and then explain why you need one.
In general terms a tagline is a short pithy catchphrase that encapsulates a brand:
- “Just Do It.” Nike
- “Finger Lickin’ Good.” Kentucky Fried Chicken.
When it comes to writers, a tagline is a bit different and is often used in the following two ways:
First, we can develop taglines for our books. For example, for my first novel, Rooms, I came up with the tagline, “What if you walked into the rooms of your soul?”
Often these taglines come from our back-cover copy. They allow us to quickly describe our story and hopefully cause the reader to want to know more.
Second, we can develop taglines for ourselves as authors. I’m working on a new one for myself right now (so don’t judge it too harshly) “Mind bending journeys of freedom,” which comes from the fact my stories are a little bit different than the norm and the heart of all my novels is the theme of freedom.
Author taglines help make us memorable and hopefully (and quickly) tell readers two things:
- Who we are — What do you want to come into readers minds when they think of you?
- Why — Why should our readers and potential readers care? What do they get out of it?
Just to be clear, taglines aren’t about genre, they’re about theme. That’s one of the reasons my son Taylor and I spend so much time on helping the students who come to The Rubart Writing Academy discover the theme of their lives. That’s the foundation for everything else in their career.
Your Turn
Do you have a tagline for each of your novels? Do you have one for yourself as an author? If not, if you had to come up with one, what would it be?
Take time to brainstorm (maybe with one of your writing friends) until you find a tagline that captures you and your brand. That time spent will pay dividends for years.
How Do You Stand Up for Yourself When It Means Losing Everything? Allison Moore is making it. Barely. The Seattle architecture firm she started with her best friend is struggling, but at least they’re free from the games played by the corporate world. She’s gotten over her divorce. And while her dad’s recent passing is tough, their relationship had never been easy. Then the bomb drops. Her dad was living a secret life and left her mom in massive debt. As Allison scrambles to help her mom find a way out, she’s given a journal, anonymously, during a visit to her favorite coffee shop. The pressure to rescue her mom mounts, and Allison pours her fears and heartache into the journal. But then the unexplainable happens. The words in the journal, her words, begin to disappear. And new ones fill the empty spaces—words that force her to look at everything she knows about herself in a new light. Ignoring those words could cost her everything . . . but so could embracing them.
James L. Rubart is 28 years old, but lives trapped inside an older man’s body. He thinks he’s still young enough to water ski like a madman and dirt bike with his two grown sons. He’s the best-selling, Christy BOOK of the YEAR, CAROL, INSPY, and RT Book Reviews award winning author of ten novels and loves to send readers on journeys they’ll remember months after they finish one of his stories. He’s also a branding expert, audiobook narrator, co-host of the Novel Marketing podcast, and co-founder with his son, Taylor, of the Rubart Writing Academy. He lives with his amazing wife on a small lake in Washington state.