Changing My Tagline

For many years, I have used the tagline "Thrillers with a twist of financial crimes" to describe my fiction.

It’s part of my email signature. The jamesmjackson.com website includes it in the header that appears at the top of most webpages. It encapsulates most of my writing. Sure, there’s the short story here or there that doesn’t involve a financial crime or isn’t a thriller, but for 95% of my writing, it is dead on target.

Until the near future, when 100% of my current writing does not fit that description. I am working on the Niki Undercover Thrillers, which I envision having at least three novels. The first, Niki Undercover, is in its final stages before actual production; the second, Niki Unleashed, is with beta readers; this week I started a first draft for the third, Niki Unbound (I think). The thrillers part of my tag line still applies, but the twist of financial crimes portion becomes less meaningful the further into the series we go.

What one line will intrigue readers, differentiate my stories from everyone else’s, and be honest? After posing that daunting question, I considered adding a financial crime to Niki Unleashed and being done with the concern.

Instead, I reflected on common themes in my novels. Both Seamus McCree and Niki seek justice. Seamus fights for the powerless against powerful people and institutions. Niki focuses more on bringing to justice those internal forces who attack the United States, but she also tries to right institutional wrongs the system can’t or won’t address. Conflicted family relationships play a role in most of the stories. My novels are complex, weaving multiple storylines. My characters use brains more often than brawn. They are intelligent, deeply human characters, not superheros.

Starting with a blank sheet can be daunting. Here is a great use of AI. I posed the problem to ChatGPT, and it spit out many alternatives, giving reasons each might apply. But they spurred me to my first try:

Justice-seeking thrillers with a heart.

ChatGPT told me why it liked it but then offered alternatives with a similar bent. One of which was:

Smart, driven thrillers for readers who care.

I didn’t care for it (the “for readers who care”) was off-putting, but inclusion of the word smart triggered another alternative:

Smart, justice-driven thrillers.

ChatGPT riffed off that idea and among others came up with

Smart, justice-driven thrillers with a bite

Justice-driven thrillers with brains and bite.

Thrillers powered by justice and smarts.

Smart thrillers. Justice at their core.

Intelligent thrillers with a moral compass.

Now comes the fun part. I have my favorite two, but I may be too close to be the best judge. Which one(s) do you think work best?

I look forward to your comments.

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James M. Jackson authors the Seamus McCree series. Full of mystery and suspense, these thrillers explore financial crimes, family relationships, and what happens when they mix. To learn more information about Jim and his books, check out his website, https://jamesmjackson.com. You can sign up for his newsletter (and get to read a free Seamus McCree short story).