SPA Girls Podcast – EP140 – Tempting Tag Lines and Heart-stopping Hooks
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Ever tried to distill your book down into the ultimate one-sentence tagline that will sell it to everyone you know? Yeah, so have we. It’s a nightmare, right?
In this episode of the SPA Girls Podcast we break down hooks – what they are, why they’re important, and how to actually find one in your story. To make it just that little bit easier for you, we use examples from actual books, and then use those examples to understand hooks just that little bit better. Then we talk about how to craft a hook that will be so intriguing and memorable for your readers, they’ll immediately one-click your book on Amazon (or Kobo, or Nook).
Then we use a sneaky five-step process to create a tagline from your hook that you can use in the elevator, by the pool or on the street – basically every time someone asks you about your latest book! As an added bonus you can also use that tagline in all your blurbs, advertising and promotion – whenever you need readers to get an instant grasp on your book and why they’d want to read it. Sorted. 🙂
Taglines
A great tagline can help sell books and give readers an idea of what kind of story they’re picking up.
Three types of taglines – author taglines, series taglines or book taglines.
The aim is to capture the spirit of the book and enhance the appeal of the cover image and title.
Tagline examples-
Winning will make you famous. Losing means certain death. – The Hunger Games
Dive into a world torn apart by a powerful race with phenomenal powers of the mind – and none of the heart… – Slave to Sensation by Nalini Singh
One ring to rule them all. – Lord Of The Rings
Would you murder your wife to save your daughter – Adam Craft
Different tagline elements to consider-
- What’s at stake?
- The main conflict.
- Overview of the novel.
- Highlight something interesting, that has impact.
- Intrigue the reader.
- Don’t rely on clichés.
- Remember tone and genre.
- Make it flow.
- Be humorous.
Different genres dictate the content of a tagline. For example, romance books are not likely to have the same taglines as a thrillers. Look at what is working for other people, and remember, don’t mislead the reader.
Hooks
A narrative hook (or just hook) is something that captures the reader’s attention so that he or she will want to read the book.
Things to consider when writing your hook… for your book.!
- Evoke emotion – use characters/conflict/action.
- Convey tone – humorous, angry, dark or sweet?
- Keywords
- Tropes
- Practice – it will take time but you’ll get there!
Start with something that will grab your reader.
Get to the point, don’t waffle and used backstory.
Action is good!
Make your hook strong and memorable.
Know your readers and what they want.
What are the Elements of a Hook?
Characters – Who, what, and why?
Conflict –how does this drive the story?
Originality –What makes your book different?
Setting –Tell us where the book is set.
Action – Your hook line needs to have an action that catches the reader’s attention.
Again, the hook you would write for a Science fiction novel will be different to a sweet romance. Know your genre!
Example of a great hook.
I’m never really sure if it’s a real memory or just something that’s become more solid over time. But I’m sure that my brother once tried to murder me.
Links
Hooked: Write Fiction That Grabs Readers At Page One And Never Lets Them Go by Les Edgerton
Episodes 100 – 200 List
200 What we’ve learned so far…
199 Interview with Adam Croft – Mindset and Marketing
198 Find Your Sparkle – with Julie Schooler
197 Hack Your Muse – with Kelly McClymer
196 Public Speaking For Authors – with Alena Van Arendonk
195 The Magic Pill – with Laura Van Arendonk-Baugh
194 A Day In The Life Of A Writer
193 Keep It Simple
192 Interview with Skye Warren: Money Mindset and Facebook Ads
For Authors (Part Two)
191 Interview with Skye Warren: Time Management & Advertising
For Authors (Part One)
190 Dragon Wrangling with Scott Baker: secrets for
Successful dictation
189 Interview with Patricia McLinn: Writing by the seat of
Your pants
188 Interview with Morgana Best: Writing & Marketing
Cozy Mysteries
187 Interview with Geoff Symon: Wounds & Crime Scenes
186 Interview with Natasha Bajema, WMD for Authors
185 The Writer’s Detective with Adam Richardson
183 Facebook Advertising with Maria Luis ~ Part Two
182 Facebook Advertising with Maria Luis ~ Part One
181 Learn dictation with Kilby Blades
180 Interview with Brian Meeks, Mastering Book Descriptions
179 Interview with Tara Cremin, Kobo Writing Life
178 Interview with Larissa Reynolds – Newsletters Part Two
177 Interview with Larissa Reynolds – Newsletters Part One
175 Wrangling Facebook: How To Make It Work For You
174 How To Write A Regency Romance
173 How Do You Identify Your Writing Weaknesses?
172 Interview With Dan Wood, D2D
171 Interview With Serenity Woods
169 5 Goals You Need To Make In 2019
168 Jumpstart Your 2019 Marketing with 31 Quick To Dos for Jan.
167 Scheduling For Writing Success
166 Our 2018 Roundup
165 He Said, She Said: Creating Dazzling Dialogue
164 Interview with Steffanie Holmes: Reverse Harem
163 Interview with YA author Kelly St Clare
160 Amazon Excl v Wide – things to consider and how to market
159 Interview With Kathryn LeVeque
158 Some Like It Hot – Or Not. Heat Levels In Romance
157 Interview With Louisa George
156 The Kindness Factor: Helping You Achieve More and Stress Less
155 Editing
153 Characters: From Cookie Cutter to Kapow
152 Interview with Tina Dietz: Audiobooks
151 Interview with Grace Burrowes
150 Should You Prune Your Mailing List?
149 RWNZ18 Interview with Damon Suede & Geoff Symon
148 Interview with indie superstar, Bella Andre
147 Top Ten Traits for Success
146 Write Better Faster with Becca Syme
145 Newsletter Ninja Tammi LaBrecque
144 Looking After Your Creative Health
143 Interview with Carlyn Robertson from Bookbub
142 Personal Branding For Authors with Lauren Clemett
141 Ten Free Online Tools For Authors
140 Tempting Taglines & Heartstopping Hooks
139 Findaway Voices with Kelly Lytle
138 Get Your Writing Mojo Back
137 Interview with Toni Kenyon: facebook live & serials
136 Dealing with misinformation and change in Sp-ing
134 Interview with Kevin Tumlinson, Draft2Digital
133 Interview with Sara Rosett
132 Organization For Authors – how to keep track of your
research and book details without losing your mind
131 Interview with Ricardo Fayet of Reedsy
130 Critical Care: Leveraging feedback for success
129 Brand You
128 SAS Special: Interview with Johnny B. Truant & Sean Platt
127 Industry Insiders with Damon J. Courtney of Bookfunnel
& Christine Monroe of Kobo
126 SAS Debrief with Jami Albright
125 SAS Special: Interview with Michelle Spiva
124 SAS Special : Interview With Michael Anderle
123 Sports Psychology for Authors – Interview With Nate Vella
122 Using Sub Plots To Amp Up Your Writing
121 Interview with Scott King: Outlining Your Novel
120 Pen-names Pros, Cons and Possibilities
119 Reader Engagement with Nalini Singh
118 Writing the Small Town Setting
117 Handling Negativity and Naysayers
116 Tough Mindset Questions For 2018
115 Interview With Nicola Davidson: Sex and Sensibility
114 Tropealicious
112 Interview With Honoree Corder & Ben Hale: Write Like A Boss
111 Ten Health Hacks For Writers
110 Interview with Kathryn Burnett: Your Writing Audit For Future Success
109 Interview with Melissa Storm: What Readers Want
108 Interview With Zoe Dawson: Writing Across Genres
107 Interview With Dave Chesson, The Keyword King
106 Pros and Cons of Kindle Unlimited
105 Why YOU should do Nanowrimo
104 Ten Truths For New Self Publishers
103 Find 30 Minutes A Day EXTRA!
102 Your Christmas Presence: Maximizing the Holiday Season for Authors
101 The Writing Life: Interview with Katie Cross
100 100 Episodes! Retrospective with funny moments; changing AO title
SPA Girls Podcast – EP437 – Facebook Ads For Beginners
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Creating and running Facebook ads has gotten a lot easier! Wondering how to delve into facebook advertising or had poor experiences in the past and wondering where you went wrong? This episode is for you!
We’re joined by Senior Marketing Manager of Written Word Media, Clayton Noblit, who’s an expert in getting authors books in front of the right readers through advertising and promotion.
Clayton generously shares his top tips for getting your ads working well, and takes us through setting up your first facebook ads, the campaign structure, as well as the best targeting, budget and ad creative tips for beginners.
We then discuss Promo Stacking, which is broadly defined as “a lot of marketing tactics conducted over a short period of time to increase your books’ rank and get more sales”.
And finally, Clayton covers off some key insights from WWM’s Author Survey 2023 results: specifically around AI and Direct Sales.
Links mentioned:
Written Word Media is the company behind promo sites like Freebooksy and Bargain Booksy. Premium membership is a must-have if you are serious about growing your author business. Premium members receive 10% off all Written Word Media promos, 14 days of advance access to inventory, access to the exclusive Limelight promotion, and much more.
Our previous podcasts with WWM are here and here
David Gaughran’s advice for authors: https://davidgaughran.com/blog/
About Clayton Noblit
Clayton Noblit is a senior marketing manager at Written Word Media. He is passionate about helping authors find their readers and finding ways to sell more books. When he’s not helping authors, he enjoys spending time with his family, playing sports, and making beverages.
www.writtenwordmedia.com
💗 The SPA Girls podcast is sponsored by everyone who supports us on Patreon. Thank you so much, we love our listeners and our patrons!
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Make sure to subscribe wherever you listen, so you don’t miss an episode!
Trudi’s 10 Lessons from the 2018 Smarter Artist Summit
Adventures in self publishing with Trudi Jaye.
I’ve been jealously watching from New Zealand each year as authors and publishers I know online gather in Austin for the Smarter Artist Summit. It always sounds so amazing – a group of like-minded self publishers together in one place, talking shop and getting to know each other.
This year, I couldn’t handle it any more, and decided to do something about it. (FOMO is a real thing, people.)
So I travelled to Houston, where I met fellow author and SPA Girls podcast guest, Jami Albright, for the first time in person. She then drove us to Austin, for my very first Smarter Artist Summit.
Right from the very start, I loved it: I got a hug from conference co-creator Sean Platt within half an hour of arriving at the hotel. I interviewed the amazingly generous Michael Anderle within a couple of hours, and laughed out loud to a live episode of the Worst Show Ever (the other show that Johnny B. Truant, Sean Platt and David Wright record) by the end of the first evening.
I listened attentively to speakers like Michelle Spiva (marketing and data guru), Honoree Corder (previous SPA Girls Podcast guest, and super-inspiring business woman), Michael Anderle (super-duper author and self publishing rockstar), got advice from industry experts like Carlyn from BookBub, Damon from BookFunnel, Dan and Kevin from Draft to Digital and Chrissy from Kobo, and hung out with other authors, both those I already knew, and some I was meeting for the first time.
I have to admit to being pretty exhausted after my 17 hour trip from New Zealand, but I was determined not to miss a thing. I pretty much ran on adrenaline for the six days I was in the US, meeting and greeting so many people, some of them have already blurred into another. But the one thing they all had in common was a love of self publishing and writing – my two favourite subjects in the whole world.
I’ve been to conferences both in New Zealand and the USA before, but never one so completely in my wheel house. Everyone wanted to talk about the same stuff that I did. Everyone spoke the same jargon: KDP, AMS, KU, BookBub, ENT, you name it, they knew it.
It’s such an intimate setting, you can be listening to one of the experts giving a presentation in the main room, and then later that day, chatting with them in the hotel bar. Everyone was open and approachable, and as a wide-eyed Kiwi chick (We’re not in Kansas now, Toto), I really appreciated it.
I was also hugely lucky to have friends in the audience, even if I was meeting all of them for the first time in person. Jami took me under her wing – aside from being a fantastic writer, she’s been twice before, and introduced me to a whole bunch of people throughout our time in Austin. I also met up with Arianna Golden, another podcast guest and a longtime friend, for the first time in person. Anyone Jami didn’t know, Arianna did. Previous podcast guests were in the audience and presenters, and a talented editor I had worked with were also there to catch up with.
Meeting all these people who I’ve been reading about, interacting with and watching from afar via the internet for the last few years was beyond amazing. It made me realise that, while interacting with people online is great, and we’re lucky to be able to connect even that much from here in New Zealand, there’s nothing like meeting people in person to forge connections and make lifelong friends.
I learned so much in my time there, there were hundreds of takeaways that I could have listed. But I’ve managed to compile my top ten below:
My Top Ten Lessons from Smarter Artist Summit 2018
- Take yourself seriously. Be professional. Treat your writing business like a business.
- It’s all about your readers. From the very first moment you start plotting and writing your book, to connecting with your readers as an author, and then marketing your book to them once it’s done. You should be doing everything with them in mind. If you don’t know who your readers are, you’re in trouble.
- Readers like a little humour in their books. (And Michael Anderle would know.)
- Readers also want to connect to the characters in your books. If nothing else, you need to have a likeable, relatable main character who your readers will love.
- Sub plots with open loops between books in a series are one way to get readers to go from one book to the next.
- Data is good. Always get data, it helps you make the right decisions. BookBub uses data to their best advantage, and they’re very successful because of it.
- Tactics are not marketing. You need a long term strategy.
- You can’t beat meeting people in person. No matter how many Skype calls you have it’s just not the same.
- Collaboration is a difficult but worthwhile beast.
- Everything you want is on the other side of your fear. It should feel a little bit scary – if it doesn’t, you’ve waited too long to do it.
SPA Girls Podcast – Ep 231 – What And Where To Post On Social Media
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Understand Social Media Importance With 5 Benefits to Using It
1 It Shows The World Who You Are
With social media, you have the opportunity to highlight all the best aspects of your business with one click. What information would be most useful for your potential and current clients to have easy access to?
2. Target and Attract Your Audience
When it comes to the importance of social media, there are so many different purposes – it’s up to you to define how you want to use it!
Is your business trying to gain a general following or is there a specific audience that would value from learning about your services? It’s critical to figure out exactly who are you trying to reach with your messages. With the advancements of social media, getting to reach and interact with your audience has never been easier!
3. Embrace Diversity In Your Content
Work towards diversifying your interactions by evaluating the best social media platform to share your messages on! Major platforms can reach thousands or millions of people; your next client might be one of them.
While social media increases your ability to connect, social media’s importance is also seen by allowing you a variety of options when evaluating which channel is best for you.
4. Create An Attainable Plan
Translate your marketing goals into the online sphere!
After you have critically assessed your needs as well as what you are looking to do, create a specific plan that to put that into effect.
Determine a timeline for your social media campaign and start to create some SMART goals:
5. Easily Track Campaign Results
You put in all this effort into planning and building your social media accounts, but how do you measure social media importance? Follow your content and deliverables with ease.
The importance of social media comes down to creating a space for you to review and analyse the results of your work with impeccable detail and data! Easily evaluate tracked metrics to your original goals.
Checking up on your social media’s data and statistics is a great way to re-evaluate if you are meeting your original intentions. Do not forget that even though social media can be saturated with information, some of your content will still require daily follow-up while others might not require as much attention.
IT’S IMPORTANT TO KNOW AND UNDERSTAND WHY YOU’RE POSTING ON SM:
Have a specific goal, and know why you want to achieve it. Just doing it because everyone else is doing it is a terrible reason. You won’t be motivated to continue and you won’t know what kind of content to put up, and you won’t achieve anything.
Here are some ideas:
Why brands use social media:
To drive web traffic by posting links back to original content
To build brand awareness by posting unique content
To build customer relationships by interacting with users
It’s more informal than other settings, users are more likely to interact with you, it’s great for increasing brand loyalty.
Before you start posting, IT’S IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND YOUR BRAND, and who you are aiming for.
Maybe create an avatar –
Jenny is 45, lives in Idaho, works as an attendant at the local aquarium, and loves to knit, has three kids, a dog, and loves Rom Com movies.
Alex is 25, she lives in an apartment with two friends, works in an office, has no kids, likes to go out on Friday and Saturday nights, likes punk music and reads Urban Fantasy.
Then do all your content to Jenny. Or Alex. Or whoever you think best represents your ideal reader.
Content to Jenny – best knitting/crafts ideas, projects you’ve done, cool ideas for crafts, yummy recipes, funny memes about being a busy mum, animal memes and photos, Romantic Comedy movie recommendations, your favourite RC movies, favourite actors in Rom Coms, etc etc
Content to Alex – Best UF reads, fave UF movies, characters, actors who’ve played, casting options for famous UF books, music recommendations, movie recommendations, memes about cool stuff happening around the world, adventures she could go on, inspiring quotes etc etc
NOW YOU NEED TO HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF SOCIAL MEDIA.
What works on Instagram?
Image and video based. Tends to have a younger audience. Generally used on mobile phones. #Bookstagram Not optimal for driving blog or website traffic. Best suited to strong visual brands – like authors!!
What works on Facebook?
Facebook has a wide audience, and tends to be more community focused. It’s a great place to encourage sharing and reader engagement. Can use images and videos as well as text. You can test various lengths for text. It sends more website referral traffic than any other SM platform. They’re placing an emphasis on video content for the future.
What works on Twitter?
It’s best to think of twitter as a news platform. Posts are limited to 140 characters, use images as well. Encourages retweets and curation. Kind of like a whole bunch of people at a party shouting at each other.
Instagram is a hub for sharing photos or short videos. Users can post content on their general newsfeed or give live video updates as part of the Story feature.
LinkedIn creates a space for users to widen their professional networks. They can share articles in their field, look for job updates or watch informative training videos to increase their industry knowledge.
Pinterest lets users discover new content (pictures, articles, links) based on their favourite interests. They can browse by topic and categorize their findings into aesthetically pleasing boards.
Creating shareable content:
Why people share (six main reasons based on survey of users):
- To support a cause
- To stay connected with those they know
- To feel involved in the world
- To define themselves
- For entertainment or to provide valuable content to others
- To understand the content more thoughtfully
So consider these six reasons when you’re figuring out what to post. I would suggest that being too political, or supporting controversial causes isn’t going to get you anywhere, so look to the other five options. Or consider only supporting baby kittens rescue centres.
Help define themselves – create content about your different reader types, and help them self-identify. Which hero do you like best? Which kind of love story do you most like?
Help them connect with others – Create a group of readers and let them talk amongst themselves.
Help them believe in something – i.e. you. Let your readers know you appreciate their respect. They’re your rock stars, make sure they know it.
Content types – blogs, polls, quizzes, excerpts, videos, images, quotes, questions.
Curated versus original content – Curated content is when you find other funny/cool/relevant stuff on the web/SM and share it on your page or group and give an opinion on it. Original content is when you create it yourself. It’s okay to have a mix of the two, and even to have more curated content than original. Just make sure it all matches your branding.
Now choose your weapon and make a plan!
